| Abstract: | The Tongbai-East Qinling Mountains, an important part of the Central orogenic belt, is one of the most important metallogenic belts in China and contains lots of orogenic-type and VMS-type (Volcanogenic Massive Sulfide type) metallogenic systems. The Dahe and Shuidongling VMS-type Cu-Zn deposits, located in the Erlangping Group in Tongbai and East Qinling Mountains, respectively, show similar geological and geochemical features. The Huosheumiao Formation in the East Qinling region and the Liushanyan Formation in the Tongbai region are spilite-keratophyre sequences occurring in the western and eastern sides of the Nanyang Basin, respectively, and are interpreted to be equivalent to each other. The orogenic-type Au-Ag deposits can be subdivided into two styles; namely, fault- or structure-controlled (e.g. Yindonggou) and stratabound (e.g. Poshan). The Poshan and Yindongpo orogenic-type Au-Ag deposits, whose ore bodies are strictly hosted in carbonaceous strata in the Tongbai Mountains, show obvious stratabound characteristics. Their ore-fluids are enriched in K+ and SO2-4 and are regarded as K+-SO2-4 types. The Pb-isotope ratios of sulfides of the ores are extremely uniform and significantly different from those of the tectonostratigraphic terranes of the Qinling orogens except for the ore-hosting strata of the Waitoushan Formation. The Yindonggou and Xuyaogou orogenic Au-Ag deposits in the East Qiuling Mountains, whose ore bodies are hosted in the faults cutting the hosting strata or granite body, show fault-controlled characteristics. Their ore-fluids belong to the Na+-CI- type. The Pb-isotope ratios of sulfides of ores are similar to those of the northern Qinling orogenic belt. The Waitoushan Formation, dominated by carbonaceous sericite-rich schists and only occurring in Tongbai region, should be detached from the Erlangping Group, which occurs both in the western and eastern sides of the Nanyang Basin. Future ore exploration in the Tongbai-East Qinling Mountains should focus on fault-controlled Au-Ag lodes. |
