Diversity of uranium deposits in China – An introduction to the Special Issue

Abstract

As one of the top ten countries with important uranium resources, China hosts most of the fifteen types of uranium deposits identified by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), among which the economically most important ones are sandstone-type, granite-type, volcanic-type, and carbonaceous-siliceous-pelitic rock- or carbonate-type. This Special Issue provides an up-to-date perspective of the geological characteristics, metallogenic environments, ore-forming mechanisms and exploration methods by the Chinese uranium geoscience community, of the more important types of uranium deposits in China. Among the fourteen papers, six are on sandstone-type, two on volcanic-related, two on granite-related, two on intrusive-type, one on carbonaceous-siliceous-pelitic rock-type or carbonate-type, and one on IOCG or polymetallic iron oxide breccia complex-type. These papers provide useful references for comparison between the Chinese uranium deposits and their counterparts in other parts of the world, and will contribute to further advancement of the global uranium geoscience and resource exploration.