Abstract: Pyrite ore, a product of metallogenic hydrothermal activity, is one of the most important gold-bearing ores in hydrothermal gold deposits, with a wealth of genetic information recorded in its chemical composition. Based on the classification and summary of key geological features of different types of hydrothermal gold deposits, and adopting the research methodology of comparative metallogeny, we systematically analyzed the compositional characteristics of major and trace elements and their combinations and that of (Fe+S)-As, δFeδS, As-Co-Ni, as well as thermoelectricity of pyrite ore formed during the main metallogenic period of various gold deposits or by co-deposition with gold. The results show that the chemical compositions of pyrite ores from different type of hydrothermal gold deposit are significantly different, and the compositional characteristics can be used to identify the genesis of hydrothermal gold deposits. We also proposed that hydrothermal gold deposits are ideal objects for studying continental dynamics when tectonic settings are also taken into consideration. Through these studies, we established preliminarily a coupling relationship between geological features and compositional characteristics of pyrite ore. This relationship will help future identification of the the genesis of hydrothermal gold deposits and further typomorphic characterization of pyrite ores.

Key words: pyrite, composition, typomorphic, ore deposit geology, hydrothermal gold deposit, genesis