Temporo-spatial distribution and evolution of ore deposits in the west sector of the northern Qilian Mountains

The west sector of the northern Qilian Mountains is well-known for the Jing tieshan-type iron deposits. A new breakthrough has been made in prospecting for gold and copper in recent years. In this paper, the distribution chara cteristics of ore deposits in the study area are discussed from the viewpoi nt of tectonic evolution. It is suggested that there are 9 stages of minera lization from the Palaeoproterozoic to Indosinian. Four minerogenetic serie s and two minerogenetic subseries of ore deposits are recognized. Iron mine ralization occurred in several stages, while most of the metals were accumu lated in large amounts in the Caledonian. The enrichment and mineralization of gold is related to large-scale shear-strike-slip faults and the ascent and unloading of deep-seated fluids.