The world-class Jinding Zn–Pb deposit: ore formation in an evaporite dome, Lanping Basin, Yunnan, China

Abstract

The Jinding Zn-Pb sediment-hosted deposit in western Yunnan, China, is the fourth largest Zn deposit in Asia. Based on field observations of the ore textures, breccias, and the sandstone host rocks, the ores formed in a dome that was created by the diapiric migration of evaporites in the Lanping Basin during Paleogene deformation and thrust loading. Most of the ore occurs in sandstones that are interpreted to be a former evaporite glacier containing a mélange of extruded diapiric material, including breccias, fluidized sand, and evaporites that mixed with sediment from a fluvial sandstone system. A pre-ore hydrocarbon and reduced sulfur reservoir formed in the evaporite glacier that became the chemical sink for Zn and Pb in a crustal-derived metalliferous fluid. In stark contrast to previous models, the Jinding deposit does not define a unique class of ore deposits; rather, it should be classified as MVT sub-type hosted in a diapiric environment. Given that Jinding is a world-class ore body, this new interpretation elevates the exploration potential for Zn-Pb deposit in other diapir regions in the world.

Multicommodity mineral systems analysis highlighting mineral prospectivity in the Halls Creek Orogen

“…Zinc and Pb deposits are commonly found in sedimentary exhalative (SEDEX), clastic dominated (CD), evaporite replacement, and Mississippi-valley style deposits (Groves et al, 2010;Leach et al, 2010Leach et al, , 2005Leach et al, , 2013. Clastic dominated (CD) and SEDEX deposits form in a wide range of tectonic settings (Groves and Bierlein, 2007;Leach et al, 2010Leach et al, , 2005, and are preserved at a range of metamorphic grades (Huston et al, 2006;Leach et al, 2010).…”

Structural Control on the Formation of Pb-Zn Deposits: An Example from the Pyrenean Axial Zone

“…The origin of several world-class Pb-Zn deposits is debated as well. For example, the geneses of Broken Hill-type deposit [6][7][8][9][10][11][12] or Jinding deposit [14][15][16][17][18][19][20] are still not understood and the authors have not yet decided between syngenetic or epigenetic models. In the Pyrenees, authors interpreted stratiform and lenses ore body shapes.…”

“…Other authors consider a pre-metamorphic and syngenetic origin with only limited remobilization linked to tectonic events [10][11][12]. In the world-class Jinding Pb-Zn deposit, authors proposed a syngenetic origin of the deposit [14,15] whereas others argued for an epigenetic genesis of the deposit based on field study, textural evidences [16][17][18][19], fluid inclusion [19,20], and paleomagnetic age [13]. Nowadays, these high-tonnage Pb-Zn deposits are the preferential target of numerous academic and industrial studies also for the presence of rare metals like Ge, Ga, In, or Cd associated with sulfides.…”

Supplemental Material: Differential crustal rotation and its control on giant ore clusters along the eastern margin of Tibet

“…Most of the ore occurs in sandstones that are interpreted to be a former evaporite glacier containing a mélange of extruded diapiric material, including breccias, fluidized sand, and evaporites that mixed with sediment from a fluvial sandstone system. A pre-ore hydrocarbon and reduced sulfur reservoir formed in the evaporite glacier that became the chemical sink for Zn and Pb in a crustal-derived metalliferous fluid (Leach et al, 2017). Although the most important host rocks are sandstones, not marine platform carbonates, the mineral assemblage and textures, mineralizing fluid, and mineralization processes at Jinding are consistent with those typical of MVT deposits (Xue et al, 2007;Song et al, 2019).…”