Eastern Qinling Research Articles

Altitudinal Biodiversity Gradient and Ecological Drivers for Different Lifeforms in the Baotianman Nature Reserve of the Eastern Qinling Mountains

Variation in species composition between two communities is so-called β diversity, or dissimilarity, and can be separated into two components: turnover and nestedness. However, the mechanisms underlying these two components remain ambiguous, particularly for different lifeforms. In this study, we examined the altitudinal gradient of biodiversity in the Baotianman Nature Reserve of the eastern Qinling Mountains in central China and found that turnover is the predominant process accounting for β diversity, that dispersal limitation is the main factor influencing species diversity, and that its effect on trees is greater than on shrubs, with herbs least affected. Nestedness, in contrast, is less prominent and generally affected by the richness deviation between communities, and the impact of richness deviation is stronger on shrubs than on trees, and in turn, stronger than on herbs. We zoned the altitudinal vegetation communities by pairwise dissimilarity index, and found that the peak value of turnover rather than β diversity indicates the existence of transitional zones; the higher the turnover index, the greater the diversity between communities. Comparatively, nestedness indicates species overlap between communities. The highest nestedness index usually occurs in the interior of vegetation zones. The result of community clustering by pairwise dissimilarity shows that understory species could have been mostly replaced upwards, while the dominant tree species may keep stable, indicating that dispersal limitation works differently for different lifeforms.

Evaluating rainstorm hazard prevention and mitigation capability in mountainous ecological scenic areas: A case study of the Qinling Mountains, China

Mountainous areas have become tourism hotspots in recent years, at the same time, some tourism safety issues have been revealed. To study rainstorm hazard prevention and mitigation capabilities, four representative scenic areas in the Qinling Mountains of China were selected as research foci for this study. The similar weight method and the unascertained measure model were used to establish an evaluation index, and the weights of indices at all levels were determined. Rainstorm hazard prevention and mitigation capabilities in the four scenic areas and on defferent slopes were then evaluated quantitatively. The results found that : according to the rainstorm hazard prevention and mitigation capabilities, the rankings of these scenic areas from high to low were Taibai Mountain National Forest Park, Cuihua Mountain National Geopark, Huayang Scenic Area, and Jinsixia National Forest Park. The rainstorm hazard prevention and mitigation capability on the north of the Qinling Mountains were higher than on the south slope, and the difference was relatively large. Rainstorm hazard prevention and mitigation capabilities on the eastern and western Qinling Mountains were more similar. These conclusions could provide a reference for regional rainstorm hazard prevention and mitigation measures, as well as sustainable development.

A new Cathaysiorthis (Brachiopoda) fauna from the lower Llandovery of eastern Qinling, China

AbstractFollowing the end Ordovician mass extinction, brachiopod faunas were commonly of low diversity, generally rare in abundance, and restricted to shallow‐water environments in many places. The Cathaysiorthis fauna, first described from South East China, is the most diverse brachiopod fauna in the world succeeding the Hirnantia fauna, and has modified our previous views on the recovery of shelly benthos after the extinctions. Here, we report a newly‐discovered fauna with abundant Cathaysiorthis from the lower Zhangwan Formation (lower–middle Rhuddanian, lower Llandovery) in Qinling, Xichuan County, Henan Province, China. This fauna is slightly younger than that previously documented from South East China, and the evolution of Cathaysiorthis fauna, in terms of its composition, is discussed. The Qinling Cathaysiorthis fauna has a narrower bathymetric range (Benthic Assemblage Zone 3) than that of the fauna from South East China (BA 2–5) and occurred on the Qinling–Dabie Microplate located on the northwest margin of the South China Plate. The migration of the Cathaysiorthis fauna from the South China plate to Qinling–Dabie was achieved by larvae that used ambient ocean currents and possibly drifted from the Jiangnan Region of South East China to Qinling. The Qinling Cathaysiorthis fauna includes 13 species belonging to 12 genera. Two new species, Cathaysiorthis xichuanensis sp. nov. and Aegiria apta sp. nov. are established and described herein, and ten other species are discussed.

Early Cretaceous subduction-modified lithosphere beneath the eastern Qinling Orogen revealed from the Daying volcanic sequence in central China

New geochronological, geochemical and Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic data for the early Cretaceous Daying volcanic sequence, eastern Qinling Orogen, provides a probe into the nature of, and tectonic process operating in, the underlying Mesozoic mantle. The volcanic rocks in the sequence are composed of basaltic trachyandesite, pyroxene-andesite, trachyandesite and trachyte. They yield zircon U-Pb and whole-rock 40Ar/39Ar plateau ages of 134–124 Ma, roughly synchronous with the Cretaceous igneous rocks throughout the eastern Qinling and Dabie orogens. Clinopyroxene and plagioclase phenocrysts of the volcanic rocks exhibit simple normal zonation with higher mg-number and An content in the core relative to the rim. The amphibole is characterized by tschermakite and tschermakitic hornblende with mg-number of 50–67. The Daying volcanic rocks have variable SiO2 (54.27–63.44 wt%), Al2O3 (15.39–20.34 wt%), FeOt (5.23–9.94 wt%), and MgO (1.05–4.03 wt%) contents with low mg-number (26–49). They exhibit arc-like REE- and PM-normalized patterns with significant negative Nb-Ta anomalies, and highly- enriched Sr-Nd isotopic composition with (87Sr/86Sr)i ratios of 0.7066–0.7078 and εNd(t) values of −15.5 ∼ −11.0. Their zircons exhibit strongly negative εHf(t) values ranging from −27.3 to −17.2 and two-staged model ages from 2.90 Ga to 2.28 Ga. Such geochemical signatures suggest that the Daying volcanic rocks were derived from a hybridized source of the North China Craton enriched mantle with the input of some Yangtze crustal materials created by Triassic deep-subduction digestion. They also share similar eruption time, as well as elemental and Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic compositions, with those in the southern margin of the North China Craton, suggesting a northward subduction of the Yangtze block. It is proposed that the volcanic rocks are petrogenetically related to an early Cretaceous extensional event along the Qinling- Dabie Orogenic belt in response to unrooting of the thickened lithosphere.

The Cenozoic tectonic evolution of the faulted basins in the northern margin of the Eastern Qinling Mountains, Central China: Constraints from fault kinematic analysis

A series of NE and NW-trending Cenozoic faulted basins, located at the north margin of the Eastern Qinling Mountains, document Cenozoic intracontinental extension process in Central China. Based on fault kinematic analysis of the faulted basins, coupling with the stratigraphic sequence, we rebuilt a tectonic stress sequence of the faulted basins since the Cenozoic era. Combined with the previous chronological data, we define the Cenozoic faulted basin formation process including two stages of tectonic evolution. The first stage largely presents the NW-SE extensional rifting in a long period from the Paleocene to the Middle-Late Miocene due to northwestward subduction of the Pacific plate. It is marked by the basin occurrence along the north margin of the Eastern Qinling Mountains (e.g., the Sanmenxia, Lushi, Shangluo, and Weihe Basins) in the Paleocene to the Early-Middle Miocene in accordance with a NW-SE extension, and regional basin inversion in the Middle Miocene as the result of a NW-SE compression. The second stage is featured by the three-episode extension since the Middle-Late Miocene, which is probably affected by the combination of the northeastward growth of the Tibetan Plateau and the northwestward subduction of the Pacific Plate. The earliest episode of NW-SE extension caused by regional NE-SW compression in the Late Miocene to Early Pleistocene, which leads to the formation of the Yuncheng Basin. A gentle NE-SW extension subsequently dominated here in the Late Pleistocene, as represented by the widespread appearance of paleo-lakes in the basins. Then the youngest tectonic regime controlled this region, characteristic of a tectonic transpression (ENE-SWS compression and NNW-SSE extension), causing evidently strike-slip activities on the primary faults in the basins.

Petrogenesis of the late Mesozoic highly fractionated I-type granites in the Luanchuan district: implications for the tectono-magmatic evolution of eastern Qinling

Late Mesozoic granites are extensively distributed in the Luanchuan district of eastern Qinling and can be divided into two types: Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous granites (ore-related plutons) and Late Cretaceous granites (Laojunshan batholith). This study presents new geochemical and zircon U-Pb-Hf isotopic data from the Shibaogou and Yuku plutons to provide robust constraints on the petrogenesis and tectonic significance of the late Mesozoic granites in the Luanchuan district. Zircon U-Pb dating results yielded weighted mean 206Pb/238U ages of 149.1 ± 0.8 Ma and 150.5 ± 0.8 Ma, which were interpreted as the crystallization ages of the Shibaogou and Yuku plutons, respectively. We propose that the late Mesozoic granites contain high concentrations of SiO2 and alkali elements (Na2O + K2O) and feature metaluminous to weakly peraluminous characteristics. Enrichment in light rare earth elements and large ion lithophile elements and depletion in high field strength elements are observed. Mineralogical and geochemical evidence reveal that the late Mesozoic granites are highly fractionated I-type granites with fractional crystallization of feldspar, plagioclase and accessory minerals (e.g., apatite and titanite or magnetite). Based on the Hf composition, we suggest that the parental magmas of the ore-related plutons were derived from remelting of the Taihua and Xiong’er groups with minor contributions of mantle-derived materials and that the Laojunshan batholith was generated by the hybridization of ancient crust- (Kuanping group) and mantle-derived components. Collectively, the above arguments indicates a tectonic transition from compression to post-collisional extension during the late Mesozoic, that was likely triggered by the continental collision of the North China Block and the Yangtze Block, which generated numerous contemporaneous granites and Mo-W-Pb-Zn-Ag-Au poly-metallic deposits.

Genetic differentiation of Actinidia chinensis and analysis of gene flow barriers in the Qinling Mountains, the species’ northern distribution boundary

The Qinling Mountains form the geo-ecological boundary between subtropical and warm-temperate zones in China and represent the northern boundary for the range of native Actinidia chinensis. To protect, explore and make use of natural resources more effectively, factors influencing genetic diversity of species must be determined. Whether the complex demography of the Qinling Mountains significantly influences gene flow of Actinidia species remains unknown. We assessed genetic diversity and structure of A. chinensis populations in the Qinling Mountains using genomic- and EST-SSR markers. We also conducted barrier analysis to detect genetic discontinuity and isolated pools within structured populations. A total of 179 alleles were detected in six natural A. chinensis populations with an average of 14.9 alleles per locus. Overall, genetic differentiation among A. chinensis populations was low but was stronger than that of populations on either the northern or southern slopes. Analysis of molecular variance showed that 25.97% of the total variance occurred among populations, whereas 74.03% of the total variance occurred within populations. The strongest gene flow occurred between the PX population on the southern slope and the LX population on the northern slope. A UPGMA dendrogram revealed that LX and PX populations were clustered together in one group. The other populations were clustered into another group. A Mantel test revealed no significant correlation between genetic and geographical distances. Clear genetic structure was revealed, and four geographic barriers were identified within and among five areas located in the western, central and eastern Qinling Mountains. Gene flow among populations was restricted by the primary ridges of the Qinling Mountains extending west to east, with branches advancing north to south.

Areas of endemism for scale insects in China

The identification of areas of endemism (AOEs) has been a major challenge in biogeography. In the present study, parsimony analysis of endemicity (PAE) was used to define the AOEs of scale insect species in China. A total of 11 Chinese scale insect endemic areas, Tianshan mountain (A2-B1), South Tibet (H2-H3), Eastern Qinling Mountain (E12-E13), Dalou mountain (G11-H11), West Yunnan (I9, J9-J10, K9), Hainan Island-South west Guangdong (M13-L14), South Guangdong (K15-K16), South Fujian (J17-J18), Center Zhejiang (H18-H19), Taiwan Island (K19-L19) and association of Henan and Hubei (F15-G16), had been identified based on a distribution database of 506 endemic scale insect species. The Chinese areas of scale insects endemism showed a remarkable mountain effect. Hainan and Taiwan islands showed considerable endemism. Moreover, most of these AOEs were found to be endemic sites for several other plants and animals. These results will provide important information for further studies on scale insects diversity in China.

Consistent C3 plant habitat of hominins during 400–300 ka at the Longyadong Cave site (Luonan Basin, central China) revealed by stable carbon isotope analyses of loess deposits

The proportions of woody and grassland taxa in terrestrial ecosystems played an important role in the origin and evolution of early Palaeolithic hominins. However the influence of ecosystem changes on hominin behavior and adaptations in Asia has not been studied in detail. Hominins have exploited the Luonan Basin in the Eastern Qinling Mountains, central China, since the early Paleolithic. Dated sites, consisting of alternating loess and soil deposits with in situ artefacts, are common in the region, and provide a detailed record of Early to Middle Pleistocene hominin environments. Here, we present the results of measurements of the stable carbon isotopic composition of soil organic matter (δ13CSOM) in the loess-paleosol sequences from the Longyadong Cave site. Our analyses of δ13CSOM show that for at least 400 ka the Longyadong Cave site and its surroundings were dominated by C3 woody plants, whereas the nearby Liuwan site was dominated by C4 and C3 mixed grassland or woody grassland vegetation. These findings demonstrate that between 400 and 300 ka in the Luonan Basin, hominins occupied a habitat consisting of a mosaic of grassland and woodland/forest. Although the vegetation of the region changed in response to the glacial–interglacial climatic cycles, patches of woody vegetation in landscapes such as at Longyadong Cave site persisted continuously. Such environments seem to be have been favored by hominins living in the Luonan Basin, possibly because they provided a diverse range of food resources during both glacial and interglacial intervals of the Middle Pleistocene, when most of northern China was experiencing an increasing trend of drying and cooling and steppe environments were expanding. Thus, the Luonan Basin would have served as a refugium for hominin occupation in China during the Middle Pleistocene.

Mountain building at northeastern boundary of Tibetan Plateau and craton reworking at Ordos block from joint inversion of ambient noise tomography and receiver functions

We have obtained a high resolution 3-D crustal and uppermost mantle velocity model of the Ordos block and its surrounding areas by joint inversion of ambient noise tomography and receiver functions using seismic recordings from 320 stations. The resulting model shows wide-spread low velocity zone (Vs ≤ 3.4 km/s) in the mid-to-lower crust beneath northeastern Tibet Plateau, which may favor crustal ductile flow within the plateau. However, our model argues against the eastward crustal ductile flow beneath the Qinling belt from the Tibetan Plateau. We find high velocities in the middle part of Qinling belt which separate the low velocities in the mid-to-lower crust of the eastern Qinling belt from the low velocity zone in eastern Tibetan Plateau. More importantly, we observe significant low velocities and thickened lower crust at the Liupanshan thrust belt as the evidence for strong crustal shortening at this boundary between the northeastern Tibetan Plateau and Ordos block. The most important finding of our model is the upper mantle low velocity anomalies surrounding the Ordos block, particularly the one beneath the Trans North China Craton (TNCO) that is penetrating into the southern margin of the Ordos block for ∼100 km horizontally in the depth range of ∼70 km and at least 100 km. We propose an on-going lithospheric mantle reworking at the southernmost boundary of the Ordos block due to complicated mantle flow surrounding the Ordos block, that is, the eastward asthenospheric flow from the Tibet Plateau proposed by recent SKS study and mantle upwelling beneath the TNCO from mantle transition zone induced by the stagnant slabs of the subducted Pacific plate.

Geochronological, geochemical and mineralogical constraints on the petrogenesis of appinites from the Laoniushan complex, eastern Qinling, central China

Appinites are commonly derived from a mantle source and are potentially significant in constraining the tectonic nature and evolution of ancient orogens, yet they have received little attention because of their limited outcrop. Here we investigate the newly identified appinitic rocks from the Laoniushan complex in the eastern Qinling Orogen. The appinites are composed of coarse-grained hornblendite, medium- and fine-grained hornblende-gabbro, and diorite porphyrite in the field occurrence. Winthin the appinitic rocks, the hornblendite displays features of cumulates. This study presents LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb data, mineral chemistry and whole rock geochemistry of the appinites. Zircons in the mafic to ultramafic rocks yield a U-Pb age of 152±1Ma. The geochemistry of the rocks displays: lower SiO2, higher Fe2O3T and MgO contents, relatively flat chondrite normalized REE patterns with slight enrichment in light REE and a minor negative Eu anomaly; enrichment in large-ion lithophile elements(LILE, e.g. Rb, Ba, Sr and P), and depletion in high field strength elements(HFSE, e.g. Nb, Zr, Hf and Ti). Such geochemical features, together with crust-like bulk Sr-Nd isotopic compositions(initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios of 0.7057–0.7072, εNd(t)=−17.2 to −9), suggest that the Laoniushan appinites likely originated from an ancient metasomatised mantle, followed by fractional crystallization in the petrogenetic process. The studied appinites were most likely generated in an intracontinental extensional environment in the Late Mesozoic.

Climate Response of Tree Radial Growth at Different Timescales in the Qinling Mountains.

The analysis of the tree radial growth response to climate is crucial for dendroclimatological research. However, the response relationships between tree-ring indices and climatic factors at different timescales are not yet clear. In this study, the tree-ring width of Huashan pine (Pinus armandii) from Huashan in the Qinling Mountains, north-central China, was used to explore the response differences of tree growth to climatic factors at daily, pentad (5 days), dekad (10 days) and monthly timescales. Correlation function and linear regression analysis were applied in this paper. The tree-ring width showed a more sensitive response to daily and pentad climatic factors. With the timescale decreasing, the absolute value of the maximum correlation coefficient between the tree-ring data and precipitation increases as well as temperature (mean, minimum and maximum temperature). Compared to the other three timescales, pentad was more suitable for analysing the response of tree growth to climate. Relative to the monthly climate data, the association between the tree-ring data and the pentad climate data was more remarkable and accurate, and the reconstruction function based on the pentad climate was also more reliable and stable. We found that the major climatic factor limiting Huashan pine growth was the precipitation of pentads 20–35 (from April 6 to June 24) rather than the well-known April–June precipitation. The pentad was also proved to be a better timescale for analysing the climate and tree growth in the western and eastern Qinling Mountains. The formation of the earlywood density of Chinese pine (Pinus tabulaeformis) from Shimenshan in western Qinling was mainly affected by the maximum temperature of pentads 28–32 (from May 16 to June 9). The maximum temperature of pentads 28–33 (from May 16 to June 14) was the major factor affecting the ring width of Chinese pine from Shirenshan in eastern Qinling.

Crustal structure of the eastern Qinling orogenic belt and implication for reactivation since the Cretaceous

A high resolution crustal model of the eastern Qinling belt and central North China Craton (central NCC) is obtained along a N–S trending profile (corridor) by joint inversion of surface wave and receiver function. The NCC is one of the oldest cratons on Earth and the Qinling belt is the suture zone between the NCC and South China block (SCB). The Qinling belt is characterized by low crustal velocity (<3.6km/s) as well as low bulk Vp/Vs ratio (1.66–1.8), suggesting that the mid- to lower crust is predominantly felsic in composition, which could be the consequence of removal of mafic root by delamination in the past. The quartz-rich hence mechanically weak crust beneath the Qinling belt could be responsible for the strain focusing and significant reactivation since the Cretaceous. Beneath the central NCC, a ~10km thick high-velocity layer (3.9–4.1km/s) is observed just above the Moho, consistent with the regional high bulk Vp/Vs ratio (>1.8). The forward gravity modeling supports the presence of a high-density layer (3.05g/cm3) at the base of the crust beneath the central NCC. We propose that the high velocity in the lowermost crust beneath the central NCC is most likely due to the repeated mafic underplating, which also results in high crustal Vp/Vs ratio and is responsible for the rapid crustal uplift during the late Mesozoic.

Geology and genesis of the Xiaguan Ag–Pb–Zn orefield in Qinling orogen, Henan province, China: Fluid inclusion and isotope constraints

The Xiaguan Ag–Pb–Zn orefield (Neixiang County, Henan Province), hosting the Yindonggou, Zhouzhuang, Yinhulugou and Laozhuang fault-controlled lode deposits, is situated in the Erlangping Terrane, eastern Qinling Orogen. The quartz-sulfide vein mineralization is dominated by main alteration styles of silicic-, sericite-, carbonate-, chlorite- and sulfide alteration. Major Ag-bearing minerals are freibergite, argentite and native Ag. The deposits were formed by a CO2-rich, mesothermal (ca. 250–320°C), low-density and low salinity (<11wt.% NaCl equiv.), Na+–Cl−-type fluid system. Trapping pressures of the carbonic-type fluid inclusions (FIs) decreased from ca. 280–320MPa in the early mineralization stage to ca. 90–92MPa in the late mineralization stage, indicating that the ore-forming depths had become progressively shallower. This further suggests that the metallogenesis may have occurred in a tectonic transition from compression to extension. Geological- and ore fluid characteristics suggest that the Xiaguan Ag–Pb–Zn orefield belongs to orogenic-type systems.The δ18OH2O values change from the Early (E)-stage (7.8–10.8‰), through Middle (M)-stage (6.0–9.4‰) to Late (L)-stage (−1.5–3.3‰), with δD values changing from E-stage −95 to −46‰, through M-stage −82 to −70‰ to L-stage −95 to −82‰. δ13CCO2 values of the ore fluids in the E- and M-stage quartz vary between 0.1‰ and 0.9‰ (average: 0.3‰); δ13CCO2 values of L-stage FIs are −0.2–0.1‰ in quartz and −6.8‰ to −3.5‰ in calcite. The H–O–C isotopic data indicate that the initial ore fluids were sourced from the underthrusted Qinling Group marine carbonates, and were then interacted with the ore-hosting Erlangping Group metasedimentary rocks. Inflow of circulated meteoric water may have dominated the L-stage fluid evolution.Sulfur (δ34S=1.9–8.1‰) and lead isotopic compositions (206Pb/204Pb=18.202–18.446, 207Pb/204Pb=15.567–15.773 and 208Pb/204Pb=38.491–39.089) of sulfides suggest that the ore-forming materials were mainly sourced from the ore-hosting metasedimentary strata. The stepped heating sericite 40Ar/39Ar detection suggests that the mineralization occurred in the Middle Jurassic to Early Cretaceous (ca. 187−124 Ma). Considering the regional tectonic evolution of the Erlangping Terrane, we propose that the Xiaguan Ag–Pb–Zn orefield was formed in a continent–continent collisional tectonic regime, in accordance with the tectonic model for continental collision, metallogeny and fluid flow (CMF).

The geology and geochronology of the Waifangshan Mo-quartz vein cluster in eastern Qinling, China

The Waifangshan Mo-quartz vein cluster occurs at the northernmost margin of the Qinling Orogen. The orebodies occur as quartz veins and are controlled by low-angle faults. We identify three hydrothermal stages, characterized by veinlets of quartz–pyrite, quartz–molybdenite–pyrite–chalcopyrite–galena–sphalerite, and quartz–carbonate assemblages, respectively. The early-stage quartz veins were structurally-deformed, brecciated, and filled by non-deformed middle- or late-stage veinlets, suggesting that the mineralization is associated with a tectonic transition from compression to extension.Five molybdenite separates from the Zhifang Mo deposit yield individual Re–Os ages from 241.2±1.6 to 247.4±2.5Ma, with a weighted mean age of 243.8±2.8Ma. Individual Re–Os isotope ages of four molybdenite samples from the Badaogou Mo deposit range from 238.9±2.1 to 255.8±2.2Ma, with a weighted mean age of 246±10Ma. Four analyses of molybdenite separates from the Xiangchungou Mo deposit yield individual Re–Os isotope ages of 243.8±8.8 to 247.7±4.4Ma, with a weighted mean age of 246.0±1.1Ma. All of these data yield a weighted mean age of 241.9±1.9Ma, coeval with the accretionary orogeny. We thus conclude that the Waifangshan Mo-quartz veins formed during a transition from continental arc to back-arc setting.The Waifangshan Mo-quartz veins share similar geological, geochemical and geochronological features with the orogenic-type systems. We propose that the Waifangshan Mo-quartz veins are an orogenic-type Mo mineralization, and possibly represent the deepest member in the crustal continuum model of the orogenic-type mineral systems. The molybdenite samples from the Mo-quartz veins in the Waifangshan area have low Re contents (1.457 to 39.16ppm), suggesting a continental crust-dominated source.

A Preliminary Review of Metallogenic Regularity of Tungsten Deposits in China

AbstractTungsten ore resources are abundant in China with relatively complete types of deposits. Skarn type and quartz vein type deposits are dominated in the tungsten resources, whereas quartz vein type wolframite deposits are most important in terms of exploitation and utilization. Skarn type tungsten deposits are concentratedly distributed in the central Nanling region, such as South Hunan, South Anhui and the eastern Qinling region, while quartz vein type tungsten deposits occur mainly in South China, such as West Fujian, South Jiangxi, North Guangdong and South Hunan. The most important metallogenic epoch of tungsten is the Mesozoic, while the metallogenic tectonic setting is featured by an intracontinental environment after orogeny with sever tectonic movements, deep‐seated faults and frequent magmatic activities, especially Mesozoic granitoids closely related to tungsten‐tin mineralization. 22 metallogenic series of ore deposits characterized by or significantly related to tungsten were defined based on precise statistic information of 1199 tungsten mining areas and thorough the summary of metallogenic regularities. Based on studies of the metallogenic regularity of tungsten deposits, skarn type (or greisen type), quartz vein type and massif‐type of tungsten deposits are thought to be the key prediction types. 65 tungsten‐forming belts and 22 key ore concentration areas were ascertained and a distribution map of tungsten‐forming belts of China was compiled, which provided a theoretical basis for evaluation and prediction of potential tungsten resources.

Orebody Characteristics and Mineralization Stages of the Qiushuwan Cu‐Mo Deposit in the Eastern Qinling, China

Orebody Characteristics and Mineralization Stages of the Qiushuwan Cu‐Mo Deposit in the Eastern Qinling, China

Geochemistry and Diagenetic Environments of the Magmatic Rock in Qiushuwan Copper‐Molybdenum Ore District of Eastern Qinling, China

Geochemistry and Diagenetic Environments of the Magmatic Rock in Qiushuwan Copper‐Molybdenum Ore District of Eastern Qinling, China

Wall Rock Alteration Zoning Characteristics of the Shanggong Gold Deposit, Eastern Qinling Orogen, China

Wall Rock Alteration Zoning Characteristics of the Shanggong Gold Deposit, Eastern Qinling Orogen, China

The Evolution of Granitic Magmas and Implications for Mo Deposit Formation within the Luanchuan Metallogenic Belt, Eastern Qinling Orogen, Central China

The Evolution of Granitic Magmas and Implications for Mo Deposit Formation within the Luanchuan Metallogenic Belt, Eastern Qinling Orogen, Central China