This book is the first systematic treatise of available data and view-points obtained from geological and geochemical studies of the Mo deposits in Qinling Orogen, China. Qinling Orogen has a minimum reserve of 8.7 Mt Mo, ranking the largest molybdenum province both in China and the world. Incorporating all known Mo deposit types in the world, it presents extensive studies of Mo deposits of world-class and unusual types within tectonic settings. The Qinling Orogen was finally formed during continental collision between Yangtze and North China cratons, following the Triassic closure of the northernmost paleo-Tethys. It hosts 49 Mo deposits formed in seven mineralization events since 1850 Ma, with all the world-class deposits being formed during 160-105 Ma, coeval with collisional orogeny. These deposits are assigned to magmatic and metamorphic hydrothermal classes. The magmatic hydrothermal class includes porphyries, skarns, and intrusion-related veins (carbonatite, fluorite and quartz). The porphyry Mo systems in Qinling Orogen are predominated by Dabie-type formed in continental collision setting, followed by Endako- and Climax-types formed in continental arcs and rifts, respectively. The metamorphic hydrothermal Mo deposits are only reported in Qinling Orogen, and thus a new crustal continuum model for the orogenic class mineral systems is proposed. A scientific linkage between ore geology and fluid inclusions is introduced and verified both by theory and case studies. This is the first research book comprehensively displaying continental collision metallogeny. This literature will benefit both Western and Chinese mineral explorers and miners, as well as research scientists and students.

Hydrothermal processes on Earth have played an important role in the evolution of our planet. These processes link the lithosphere, hydrosphere and biosphere in continuously evolving dynamic systems. Terrestrial hydrothermal processes have been active since water condensed to form the hydrosphere, most probably from about 4.4 Ga. The circulation of hot aqueous solution (hydrothermal systems) at, and below, the Earth’s surface is ultimately driven by magmatic heat. This book presents an in-depth review of hydrothermal proceses and systems that form beneath the oceans and in intracontinental rifts, continental margins and magmatic arcs. The interaction of hydrothermal fluids with rockwalls, the hydrophere and the biophere, together with changes in their composition through time and space, contribute to the formation of a wide range of mineral deposit types and associated wallrock alteration. On Earth, sites of hydrothermal activity support varied ecosystems based on a range of chemotrophic microorganisms both at surface and in the subsurface. This book also provides an overview of hydrothermal systems associated with meteorite impacts and explores the possibility that hydrothermal processes operate on other terrestrial planets, such as Mars, or satellites of the outer planets such as Titan and Europa. Possible analogues of extraterrestrial putative hydrothermal processes pose the intriguing question of whether primitive life, as we know it, may exist or existed in these planetary bodies. Audience: This volume will be of interest to scientists and researchers in geosciences and life sciences departments, as well as to professionals and scientists involved in mining and mineral exploration.

The alkaline igneous rocks and carbonatites are compositionally and mineralogically the most diverse of all igneous rocks and, apart from their scientific interest, are of major, and growing, economic importance. They are important repositories of certain metals and commodities, indeed the only significant sources of some of them, and include Nb, the rare earths, Cu, V, diamond, phosphate, vermiculite, bauxite, raw materials for the manufacture of ceramics, and potentially Th and U. The economic potential of these rocks is now widely appreciated, particularly since the commencement of the mining of the Palabora carbonatite for copper and a host of valuable by-products. Similarly, the crucial economic dominance of rare earth production from carbonatite-related occurrences in China, has stimulated the world-wide hunt for similar deposits. This volume describes and provides ready access to the literature for all known occurrences of alkaline igneous rocks and carbonatites of Antarctica, Asia and Europe excluding the former USSR, Australasia and oceanic islands. More than 1,200 occurrences from 59 countries are outlined together with those of 57 oceanic islands and island groups. The descriptions include geographical coordinates and information on general geology, rock types, petrography, mineralogy, age and economic aspects with the principal references cited. There are 429 geological and distribution maps and a locality index. As has been demonstrated by the three earlier volumes, the present book is likely to be of considerable interest to mineral exploration companies, as there are no comprehensive published reviews of the economic aspects of the alkaline rocks. It will also interest research scientists in the fields of igneous petrology and volcanology, and geologists concerned with the regional distribution of igneous rocks and their geodynamic relationships.

Within the last decade, the high and continuing demand for precious and base metals, as well as critical elements, has prompted a global rush on a scale never before seen. This eventually resulted in the demand for considerable innovation and improvement in mineral deposit genetic modelling and ore formation regimes for the many different types of gold deposits, now recognized, and paralleled by the wide employment of exploration techniques and a rapid expansion of geological databases. This Special Issue will show case studies of porphyry polymetal systems, orogenic gold formations, water–rock reaction, ore-forming structure evolution, mineralogy and petrology of ore deposit, ore formation regime, geochronology and geochemistry of ore deposit, ore-forming evolution, mineral exploration and cutting-edge technology in ore deposit study.

Applied Geochemistry: Advances in Mineral Exploration Techniques is a book targeting all levels of exploration geologists, geology students and geoscientists working in the mining industry. This reference book covers mineral exploration techniques from multiple dimensions, including the application of statistics - both principal component analysis and factor analysis - to multifractal modeling. The book explains these approaches step-by-step and gives their limitations. In addition to techniques and applications in mineral exploration, Applied Geochemistry describes mineral deposits and the theories underpinning their formation through worldwide case studies.

Extensive descriptions of a wide range of key or world-class mineral deposits of China are presented in the context of the country’s general geology, tectonic units and mineral systems and their geodynamic evolution within the tectonic framework of the Asian continent. This comprehensive overview, incorporating the latest geological concepts, is the first such coverage written in English by a western expert, and will be of benefit to mineral explorers and miners, as well as to research scientists and students in institutions of higher education. In his compilation of this compendium of Chinese geology and mineral systems, Franco Pirajno draws on first-hand knowledge of China’s geology and mineral deposits gained in numerous field visits and research projects with Chinese colleagues from various academic institutions over the past 18 years. First time that a western-based book on China’s geology and mineral deposits is published Appropriate for use by the mineral exploration industry Modern English-language geological and mineral deposits information on China Most useful to Western (and Chinese) geoscientists