Ore‐Bearing Formations of the Precambrian in South China and Their Prospects

Abstract  In the Precambrian System of the Yangtze and Cathaysian plates six ore‐bearing formations can be identified: the Cu‐Pb‐Zn‐bearing formations in volcanic rocks of marine facies of the Neoarchean‐Paleoproterozoic, Cu‐Au‐bearing formations and Pb‐Zn‐bearing formations in volcanic rocks of marine facies of the Mesoproterozoic, Pb‐Zn‐bearing formations in volcaniclastic rock and carbonate rock of the Neoproterozoic, Fe‐Mn‐bearing formations in the volcaniclastic rock of the Neoproterozoic, and Ni‐Cr‐serpentine‐bearing formations in ophiolite and ultrabasic rock of the Meso‐ and Neoproterozoic. They were mostly formed in the marginal rift valleys of the Yangtze and Cathaysian plates, where occur stratabound and stratiform ore deposits, thermal deposits and porphyry polymetallic deposits. The six regions with ore‐bearing formations have good prospects for ore deposits.