Metallogeny of critical metals in the SouthwesternYangtze Block

Abstract

The Yangtze Block is one of the major geological units in China. Numerous and diverse mineralization are extensively distributed in this block, making the Yangtze Block be one of the well-known providers of mineral-resources worldwide. In the southwestern Yangtze Block, since Proterozoic, the diverse mineralization involves magmatic, magmatic-hydrothermal, low-temperature hydrothermal and weathering-sedimentary processes were extensively developed, of which critical metal mineralization (e.g., In, Ge, Ga, Cd, Re, W, Sn, Li, Nb, REE, and PGE) is generally present as by-products in some basic or precious deposits or as independent deposits. Previous studies have revealed ten types of critical metal mineralization in the region, specifically including the REE-rich phosphorite, PGE-Re-rich black shales, carbonate clay-type Li-Ga-REE, basalt weathering-type Nb-Ga-Zr-REE, In-rich cassiterite sulfide, REE-rich IOCG, Tl-rich low-temperature hydrothermal, Ge-rich Pb-Zn, Cu-Ni-PGE sulfides and carbonatite-related REE deposits. In the past decade, numerous studies have advanced our understanding of the mineralization styles, timing and ore genesis of these types of critical-metal mineralization, and are summarized in this paper. It was indicated that the Cu-Ni-PGE sulfide deposits are genetically related to the late Permian E’meishan mantle plume, whereas the carbonatite-related REE deposits are Cenozoic in age and have formed during post-collision between the Indian and Asian continents. Moreover, the REE-rich IOCG deposits were newly identified, constituting a Proterozoic IOCG metallogenic province that was first documented in China, and enrichments of REEs were suggested to be related to the chemical attributes of the late Cu mineralizing fluids; the In-rich sulfide deposits, distributed in a small area of the SW Yangtze Block, were suggested to be genetically related to late Yanshanian granites; the low-temperature hydrothermal mineralization, characterized mainly by the Pb-Zn and Au-As-Sb-Hg-Tl deposits that define one of the two world-largest low-temperature metallogenic provinces, was mainly formed at the Indosinian and Yanshanian periods during which granitic activities are relatively weak; numerous marine-facies sedimentary rocks particularly including the black shales and carbonate rocks are associated with the development of multi-episodes of sedimentary and/or weathering-sedimentary deposits that are uniquely enriched in Li, Nb, Zr, Ga. Re, REE and PGE. We also proposed some issues that are important but currently poorly addressed, including aspects of the evaluation of REE resource potential and mechanisms of REE concentrations in IOCG deposits, and key factors controlling the extreme enrichment of Ge, Ga, Cd and Tl in the Mesozoic low-temperature metallogenic province, with focuses on the background values of these elements in the region. Moreover, available studies show that In is extremely enriched in four giant cassiterite-rich, granite-related sulfide deposits distributed in the border area of Yunnan and Guangxi, making this area a unique In metallogenic province in the world. However, it is currently not clear why In is enriched in cassiterite-rich sulfide deposits and why In is enriched in the sphalerite as a function of “indium window” effect, which should be constrained through a combined study involving crust-mantle circulation, crystallization fractionation of magma, geochemical behaviors of metals and mineralogy. We also proposed that the weathering-sedimentary deposits, such as the clay-type Li-Ga-REE and basalt weathering-type Nb-Ga-Zr-REE ones, are likely brand-new types with huge potential of critical metal resources, and emphasized that in addition to ore genesis studies, researches on the distributions of metals and potential utilization of resources should also be paid more attention. We also highlight that current prospecting techniques and methods that are mostly used for exploration of some common basic or precious deposits are likely not applicable for the exploration of critical metal deposits. As such, new techniques and methods involving the integration of prospecting information, predication and locating of ore bodies and evaluation of resources should also be developed for critical metal deposits.