Earth Science Frontiers ›› 2022, Vol. 29 ›› Issue (2): 1-13.DOI: 10.13745/j.esf.sf.2021.10.36

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Thermal regime and metallogenesis of collisional orogens

ZHANG Hongrui(), HOU Zengqian   

  1. Institute of Geology, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
  • Received:2021-09-08 Revised:2021-11-03 Online:2022-03-25 Published:2022-03-31

Abstract:

Previous studies have shown that the thermal regime of continental collisional orogen has important controls on the shape, size, tectonic pattern, magmatism and metamorphism of collision zones. However, the relationship between the thermal regime and metallogenesis of continental collisional orogen is unclear. Here, we compared the Pyrenean, Alpine, Caledonian, Zagros-Iranian, Himalayan-Tibetan and Variscan orogens in terms of their thermal regimes and mineral deposits, focusing especially on the relationship between the thermal regime and ore-forming temperatures. We found three types of deposits in these continental collisional orogenic belts: basin brine (e.g., Mississippi Valley-type Pb-Zn deposits), metamorphic fluids (e.g., orogenic Au deposits) and magmatic hydrothermal (e.g., porphyry Cu-Mo-Au deposits and greisen W-Sn deposits) deposits. Among them, the Mississippi Valley-type Pb-Zn deposits and orogenic Au deposits can occur in all types of collisional orogens. The ore-forming temperatures in these deposits are relatively high in hot collisional orogen and low in cold collisional orogen. However, magmatic hydrothermal deposits only occur in hot collisional orogens as the pressure-temperature conditions for hot collisional orogen overlap largely with that for wet granite solidus in the p-T diagram. The thermal structure of collisional orogens is affected easily by thermal disturbance conducive to crustal partial melting and forming ore-bearing magmas.

Key words: thermal regime, thermal disturbance, collisional metallogenesis, “cold” collision, “hot” collision, collisional orogen

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