Mineralization and Evolution of the Early Proterozoic Copper Deposits in the Zhongtiao Mountains

Abstract

Abstract In the Zhongtiao Mountains, all of the most significant copper deposits occur in the early Proterozoic mobile belt. They are the meta‐sedimentary copper deposit in meta‐pelite semi‐pelite formation and the meta‐volcanic porphyry copper deposit in meta‐potassic volcano‐sedimentary formation, belonging respectively to the lower and middle‐upper Jiang‐xian Group (2, 500–2, 300 Ma) ; and the meta‐sedimentary‐remoulded copper deposit in metacarbonate‐black shale formation of the Zhongtiao Group (2, 300–1, 830 Ma). The Zhongtiao Movement (about 1, 800 Ma B. P.) had caused regional metamorphism and hydrothermal action added to the early Proterozoic mobile belt, thus reformed the original ore deposits of different genetic types to give similar hydrothermal and geochemical characters. However, primary features of the ore deposits as controlled by the original sedimentary or volcano‐sedimentary formation are basically unaltered.