Main characteristics of Caledonian gold deposits in South China; discussion

Chen Bailin

South China has presently become one of the most important gold-producing areas. Geologically, it is either a part of paleo-Tethys metallogenic province or controlled by strong intraplate deformatino in East China and circum-Pacific metallogenic belt in Mesozoic era. The gold deposits in South China featured by closely relating to the metamorphic rocks, mainly from metamorphic rocks for metallogenic rocks for metallogenic materials, strongly controlled by tectonic zone, magmatic activities and ductile shear zone. The metallogenic epoch of gold deposits the area can be summarized as follows. 1- There is one older epoch (Proterozoic era) and one younger epoch (Mesozoic era). 2- The age of metallogenic material is much older than the age of the deposits. 3- Mesozoic era is the most important metallogenic epoch of gold deposits and 4- there is a difference of metallogenic epoch among in the south and the north and the northwest parts of China. Moreover, the author points out that structural deformation may cause the loss of radioactive isotope in minerals and rocks which affect the accuracy of the isotope age.