On Geophysical Background of Superlarge Deposits in the Chinese Continent

Abstract Based on the study of tens of geophysical profiles (seismic, geothermal flow and magnetotelluric sounding profiles) and 3‐D shear wave velocity structures of the Chinese continent and its neighbouring regions, this paper describes the 3‐D crustal and upper mantle structures and discusses briefly the deep geophysical background of superlarge ore deposits in the Chinese continent. Superlarge deposits are usually very few in number, but they are distributed still in certain forms such as “point”, “zone” and “area”. Most of the large‐, medium‐ and small‐sized deposits occur near the margins of different tectonic units; while the superlarge endogenic polymetallic deposits occur mostly in thinned mantle lithosphere, uplifts of the asthenosphere (vertical low‐velocity zones) and the transformation zones of lateral inhomogeneity (weak zones) in the upper mantle. The superlarge endogenic polymetallic deposits are almost unevenly distributed in three major ore zones in China, corresponding to the boundaries of inhomogeneous regions in the asthenosphere.The authors argue that the lithospheric structure is to some extent in agreement with the geotectonic units, suggesting that the crust structure is influenced and restricted by the lithosphere, and that the crust and upper mantle both exhibit low‐velocity nature. Therefore, vertical low‐velocity zones of seismic waves are considered to be a favourable environment for endogenic polymetallic ore belts.