Cenozoic mineralization in China, as a key to past mineralization and a clue to future prospecting

Many Cenozoic metal deposits have been found during the past decade. Among them, the Fuwan Ag deposit in Guangdong is the largest Ag deposit in China. Besides, the largest Cu deposit of China. in Yulong, Tibet, the largest Pb -Zn deposit of China in Jinding, Yunnan, and the largest Au deposit of Chin a in Jinguashi,Taiwan, were also formed in the Cenozoic. Why so many import ant "present" deposits formed during such a short period of geological hist ory is the key problem. The major reason is that different tectonic setting s control different kinds of magmatic activity and mineralization at the sa me time. In southwestern China, porphyry-type Cu deposits such as Yulong we re formed during the early stage of the Himalayan orogeny, sediment-hosted Pb-Zn deposits such as Jinding were formed within intermontane basins relat ed to deep faults, and carbonatite-related deposits such as the Maoniuping REE deposit and alkalic magmatic rock-related deposits such as the Beiya Au deposit originated from the mantle source. In southeastern China, the Fuwa n Ag deposit was related to continental rifting which was triggered by the mantle plume. In Taiwan, the Jinguashi Au deposit was formed during the sub duction process of an oceanic plate beneath a continental plate. Besides, t he features such as the diversification, inheritance, large size, deep sour ce of metals and fluids of the Cenzoic (Present or Recent) mineralization c an be used as a key to the search for past deposits.