Metal deposits in the Da Hinggan Mountains, NE China: styles, characteristics, and exploration potential

The Da Hinggan Mountains mineral province (DHMP), northeastern China, is divided into three tectonic units and corresponding metallogenic belts. The tectonic units of the Da Hinggan Mountains are the Erguna fold zone on the northwest, the Hercynian fold zone on the north, and the Hercynian fold zone on the south. The corresponding metallogenic belts are the Erguna Cu-Pb-Zn-Ag-Mo-Au belt of the NW DHMP, the Cu-Pb-Zn-Mo-Fe-Au belt of the northern DHMP, and the Pb-Zn-Ag-Cu-Sn-Fe-Mo belt of the southern DHMP. Distinct ore bodies, mostly associated with Mesozoic granites and volcanics, comprise (1) hydrothermal vein deposits including Pb-Zn-Ag-(Cu) and W-Sn-Cu, (2) exhalative (Pb-Zn-Ag, Cu) deposits, (3) porphyry (Cu, Au, Mo), (4) skarn (Fe, Zn, Cu), and (5) epithermal Au-Ag deposits. The hydrothermal veins are hosted by a range of different rock types, whereas the exhalative ores are confined to Permian strata. The porphyry deposits occur within granite porphyries. The epithermal deposits are related to Mesozoic volcanic-subvolcanic rocks and occur within superjacent igneous structures. The first type, represented by the Bairendaba deposit, shows many characteristics of hydrothermal deposits. The second type occurs in a Permian clastic-chemical sedimentary sequence. Most Fe-Zn-Cu deposits related to granites and granodiorites are skarns. Granodiorite and granite-related deposits are typical porphyry ores, formed during Hercynian and Mesozoic time. Promising metallogenic conditions and the recent discovery of many large metal deposits indicate that this mineral province has a great exploration potential.