Discovery of seismites in Upper Sinian stratiform lead-zinc deposits in Dadu River valley, Sichuan, China: Implication for ore genesis

Abstract

A number of lead-zinc sulphide deposits have been discovered in recent years in dolomitic rocks of the Upper Sinian Dengying Formation in the Dadu River valley region, Sichuan Province, China. The lead-zinc mineralization is closely associated with a black siliceous exhalite that has been traced over 50 km of strike. This makes Dadu River valley the most extensive stratiform non-ferrous sulphide horizon having been discovered to date in China. In a previous study by the first author (LIN), these deposits were recognised as belonging to the broad spectrum of lead-zinc sedimentary exhalative (SEDEX) deposits. In this paper, seismites and seismogenetic structures occurring in close association with the Dadu River valley mineralized zone are described. The close spatial and temporal relationship between the seismites and mineralization provides strong evidence for the hypothesis that the lead-zinc SEDEX deposits formed in direct response to earthquake activities around the Sinian-Cambrian boundary. The earthquakes are postulated to be an effective dynamic mechanism for triggering the upward migration of deep circulating ore fluids along synsedimentary growth faults and their exhalation onto the sea-floor to form the extensive deposits of stratiform lead-zinc sulphide ore.