Work

The metallogenic architecture of porphyry copper deposits in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: • For the first time, a unified Central Asia Porphyry Copper Metallogenic Domain (CAPCMD) in the CAOB is delineated. • A new three-tiered “domain-province-belt” metallogenic architecture of the CAPCMD is established. • A four-stage geodynamic-metallogenic model linking diachronous evolution of the Paleo-Asian Ocean and subsequent tectonic events to the spatiotemporal distribution of porphyry copper deposits is proposed. The Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB), the worlds largest and most long-lived accretionary orogen, hosts a significant endowment of porphyry copper deposits. However, previous studies on metallogenic zonation were mainly based on the boundaries of central tectonic units, such as terranes and suture zones. This has resulted in the lack of a specifically delineated metallogenic domain for porphyry copper systems, leading to ambiguous classification and an incomplete understanding of the deep geodynamic processes. This study addresses these issues through systematic synthesis and comprehensive analysis of extensive geological, geochemical, and geochronological data from the CAOB. A key distinction is made between the metallogenic domain—a process-driven entity defined by the footprint of the ore-forming system—and the tectonic domain—a structurally defined geological container. We delineate, for the first time, a unified Central Asia Porphyry Copper Metallogenic Domain (CAPCMD) within the newly defined broader CAOB, whose first-order control is attributed to the long-lived Paleo-Asian Ocean subduction-accretion system. Based on the distinct tectono-magmatic histories of its constituent arc terranes, this first-order domain is hierarchically subdivided into three second-order metallogenic provinces: the Late Paleozoic Kazakhstan-Gobi Province, the multi-epoch Mongolia Province, and the composite Paleozoic-Mesozoic Northeast China Province. Eleven third-order metallogenic belts within these provinces are delineated based on criteria, their locations controlled by major crustal-scale fault systems and discrete magmatic events. This establishes a new three-tiered domain-province-belt metallogenic architecture. The resulting framework clarifies the spatial relationship between the ore-forming system and the orogen. It reveals how a continuum of geodynamic processes governed the spatiotemporal distribution of porphyry copper deposits across multiple scales. This model also provides a genetically constrained predictive tool for guiding precise exploration for deep and concealed porphyry copper deposits within the CAOB.

Source: Ore Geology Reviews

DOI: 10.1016/j.oregeorev.2025.106945

Authors: Junling Zhang, Chao Wu, Bing Xiao, Genshen Cao

Institutions: Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences

Language: English

Topic: Geochemistry and Geochronology of Asian Mineral Deposits

Subfield: Economics and Econometrics

Field: Economics, Econometrics and Finance

Domain: Social Sciences

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,310

Funder: National Natural Science Foundation of China