SOME CONSTRAINTS ON THE FORMATION OF THE ZAMBIAN COPPERBELT DEPOSITS

The origin of the ores of the Zambian Copperbelt are examined by refer ring to the timing and physicochemical conditions of the formation of the orebodies and by reviewing the possible sources of Cu and Co avail able. The constraints imposed by these two conditions leads to the con clusion that the ores were formed during early diagenesis, primarily b y bacterial action on metal rich solutions derived from the pre-Katang an basement rocks.