Geological characteristics and metallogenic prospect of marine volcanic rock-type copper deposits in eastern Kunlun Mountains area, Xinjiang

The Katelixi Cu-Zn deposit is a marine volcanic rock-type copper deposit discovered for the first time in the Tokuzidaban Group in eastern Kunlun Mountains area. It is hosted in the Lower Carboniferous Tokuzidaban Group volcanic strata. The orebodies are obviously controlled by the strata and their ore-bearing rocks are a suite of greyish-green mafic tuffs, generally parallel-stratiform, stratoid and lenticular in form, occurring in limestone as well as in the contact between limestone and carbon-bearing siltstone. This ore deposit possesses distinct characteristics of marine volcanic rock sedimentaion. The geological, petrochemical and REE characteristics of its occurrence provide strong evidence suggesting that this deposit is of marine volcanic rock sedimention origin, basically identical to those of some typical marine volcanic rock-type copper deposits in Xinjiang and other parts of China. Marine volcanic rocks are well developed in the Lower Carboniferous Tokuzidaban strata in eastern Kunlun Mountains area. In addition to this deposit, we have also found a number of copper polymetallic ore deposits or occurrences in association with marine volcanc activities in many places where there is a good metallogenic prospect. A breakthrough in the understanding of ore prospecting and genesis has not only filled up the gap in prospecting this type of ore deposits in this area, but also is of great significance in directing exploration of this type of ore deposits in this area. © 2011 Science Press, Institute of Geochemistry, CAS and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.