This study reevaluates the previously proposed hypogene hypothesis and redefines the origin of smithsonite mineralization in the Angouran deposit, Iran (4.7 Mt of sulfide ore at 27.7% Zn; 14.6 Mt of carbonate ore at 22% Zn). Geological mapping and petrological observations reveal a distinct vertical mineralized zoning: a lower primary sulfide zone containing minor amounts of smithsonite, an intermediate

The Tin Islands of Indonesia (Riau Archipelago, Bangka and Belitung) constitute the southernmost part of the SE Asian tin province. U–Pb ages of cassiterite from three granite-related tin deposits (Pemali, Selumar and Tikus) and four placer tin deposits (Penyusuk, Sadab Perlang, Gunung Mudal Sincong and Riding Panjang) on Bangka and Belitung Islands were determined by in situ LA-ICPMS U–Pb dating.

This study investigates lithium-caesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatites and associated pegmatites and granites in the Varuträsk area, northern Sweden, using a mineral systems approach (i.e. source-transport-trap). The research incorporates geological mapping both regionally and underground, analysis of geological structures and host rock competency, 3D modelling, lithogeochemistry, and zircon-monazite U–Pb

Granitic pegmatites are a significant source of critical metals including tin, tantalum, and most notably lithium. To meet future demand, a comprehensive exploration model is required to assist in the discovery of new hard rock deposits. Whereas recent work has largely focused on understanding the source and mineralization processes of pegmatites, the structural controls on the distribution and size

Carbonatites are important sources of rare metals (e.g., REE, Nb), but are not generally considered prospective for Mo mineralization. Numerous quartz-carbonate-rich vein-type Mo-(REE) deposits and prospects of enigmatic origin extend over 200 km along an E-W belt at the southern margin of the North China Craton (S-NCC). These veins commonly contain carbonates, quartz, sulfates, K-feldspar, sulfides

We present isotopic data bearing on the origin of the vent-distal, Lovisa stratiform Zn-Pb sulfide deposit, Bergslagen, Sweden. The age of deposition is constrained by secondary ionisation mass spectrometry (SIMS) U–Pb zircon dating of pumiceous mass flow deposits interbedded with mineralised, fine-grained volcaniclastic strata. Two mass flow deposits in the stratigraphic footwall yield ages of 1892 ± 2 Ma

The Luobusa massif within the Yarlung Zangbo Suture Zone (YZSZ) in SW Tibet hosts distinct chromitite types: low-grade, intermediate-grade, and high-grade (massive) ores, each reflecting unique mantle processes and formation conditions. Variations in Cr# and Mg# values in chromian spinels suggest a dynamic magmatic environment influenced by melt-peridotite interactions, gravitational settling, and

In greenstones of the east-central Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia, Li-Cs-Ta (LCT) pegmatites of the albite-spodumene type (resources > 300 Mt at 1.4% Li2O) are spatially associated with high-T (650–450 °C) granite-pegmatite-related skarn and skarn-quartz vein Au-Ag deposits (production 580 t Au). U-Pb and Rb-Sr ages (2.65–2.62 Ga) link both the LCT pegmatites and gold deposits to a suite of peraluminous

Hard-rock lithium exploration faces challenges due to less advanced deposit and exploration models compared to commodities like copper. Additional obstacles arise from the glaciated and densely vegetated terrains typical of much of Europe, which present additional obstacles to access and geological mapping. Our research focuses on a belt of LCT (Li-Cs-Ta-rich) spodumene pegmatites on the eastern margin

Sedimentary basin-hosted manganese oxides may represent an important yet underexplored source of critical metals. Here we present a stratigraphic, textural, mineralogical, and compositional characterization of Mn-oxide nodules, coatings, and veins in the Pisco onshore forearc basin, Peru. The Mn-oxide mineralization is stratabound within marine sandstone, siltstone, and tuff from the Neogene Chilcatay

The composition of quartz has historically been considered unimportant for mineral exploration, although this perspective is changing with the advancement of analytical techniques. The ability to measure trace element variations in quartz provides a unique window into the evolution of mineral deposits. Granites are currently of interest as they can host late-stage magmatic-hydrothermal mineralisation

The Katanga Copperbelt stands out as one of the world’s largest sediment-hosted Cu-Co provinces, contributing to over 68% of global Co and 15% of global Cu production. The age of these sedimentary Cu-Co deposits remains contentious. This paper presents the first Lu-Hf dates for apatite samples from the late diagenetic to syn-orogentic mineralization phase at Luiswishi, yielding ages of ca. 475–470 Ma

The Nong Sua Sn deposit in Thailand is a typical vein-type deposit with three generations of tourmaline (Tur I, II and III). Tur I as disseminations (Tur Ia) or nodules (Tur Ib) in the pegmatite-aplite stock crystallized from the late-magmatic stage. Tur II coexists with quartz in a complex vein system within the stock and is of magmatic-hydrothermal origin. Tur III occurs in cassiterite-tourmaline

The southeastern Tibetan Plateau formed by the oblique indentation of India into Eurasia. The concurrent formation of major ore deposits provides an opportunity to test how structural reactivation and block rotation may have controlled mineralisation. A systematic structural analysis and low-temperature thermochronological data have been combined to establish the structural evolution and controls on

Porphyry copper deposits (PCDs) are the primary global source of copper, with Cenozoic PCDs in the Chilean Andes being notable for their large size and high ore grades. The Cretaceous PCDs of the Coastal Cordillera in northern Chile are comparatively smaller and predominantly sub-economic. This study investigated zircon geochemical signatures in ore‐related and barren Cretaceous intrusive rocks to

The Muluozhai rare-earth deposit in the Mianning-Dechan metallotect (China) is hosted by carbonatites genetically linked to subduction and plate collision in the eastern Tibet. The Muluozhai carbonatites comprise variable proportions of bastnäsite-(Ce), fluorite, barite and calcite, along with abundant xenoliths of nordmarkite and metabasalt wall-rocks. Muluozhai is unusual among similar deposits in

Detrital sapphire (gem corundum) in the Rock Creek deposit (Montana, USA) is identified as having originated from Eocene peraluminous rhyolitic ignimbrite, which occurs as clasts in sapphire-producing colluvium. Fine-grained corundum and other heavy minerals (allanite, various garnets, rare chromite, and others) occur in this rhyolite tuff in similar concentrations to the sapphire ore gravels, indicating

Voluminous breccias, collectively known as the Yinmin Breccia, are widely distributed in the Kangdian metallogenic belt, Southwest China. Both sediment-hosted stratiform copper (SSC) and iron oxide-copper-gold (IOCG) deposits occur in the belt and exhibit close spatial association with these breccias. However, the origin of the Yinmin Breccia and its relationship to the two types of ore deposits remain

Cuba contains the largest number of ophiolitic chromite deposits throughout the Americas. Most of these deposits are found within the mantle section of the Eastern Cuba and Camagüey ophiolitic massifs, which contain four different chromite mining districts (Camagüey, Mayarí, Sagua de Tánamo, and Moa-Baracoa). In addition to their potential as economic resources, chromite deposits are also excellent

The Late Triassic to Early Jurassic (ca. 220 to 190 Ma) Dahongliutan pegmatite belt, located in the Western Kunlun orogenic belt, NW China, is a newly discovered, large Li-Be ore district comprising > 320 individual rare-metal pegmatites. The pegmatite belt was emplaced in a post-orogenic setting in relation with a ductile shear zone related to the Dahongliutan detachment fault, which is spatially

The Ransko (ultra)mafic massif, Bohemian Massif, Czech Republic, hosts several Ni–Cu–(PGE) deposits and peculiar Zn–Cu–Ba ores. Geochronology integrated with petrography, bulk-rock, and mineral compositions together with Sr–Nd–Pb–Hf–Os–O isotopic systematics of barren and variably mineralized (ultra)mafic lithologies as well as massive ores reveal a complex evolution of the Ransko massif and its mineralizations

The structurally controlled, vein-hosted copper deposit of the Frontier Mine is distinct from the vast majority of sediment-hosted, stratiform Cu(-Co) deposits of the Zambian Copperbelt. Successively emplaced vein sets document the close interplay between the progressive structural evolution of the deposit, recording northeast-southwest shortening, and associated hydrothermal fluid flow and alteration

Granite-related mineral deposits are major primary sources of the critical metals tin (Sn) and lithium (Li). The utility of accessory minerals such as zircon and apatite as pathfinders to these ore deposits has been a subject of great interest in recent years, with a number of geochemical discriminants having been developed to distinguish barren from metal-fertile and mineralised intrusions. Here,

Mantle-derived mafic-ultramafic melts are the primary host for magmatic Ni-Cu-Co-PGE deposits. One common assumption about this mineral system is that Ni-fertility is a product of high-degree melting of anhydrous mantle peridotites, including a substantial contribution from olivine. However, in metasomatised mantle rocks, which partially melt at lower temperatures than anhydrous peridotites, Ni is

Modern seafloor massive sulfide deposits distributed along mid-ocean ridges are typically classified as mid-ocean ridge basalt- and ultramafic-hosted types, based on mineralogical and geochemical characteristics that result from the different water–rock interactions between the two substrates. However, the Mirae-2 vent field (MVF-2) along Central Indian Ridge, which was newly discovered on the slope

Sedimentary manganese (Mn) mineralization requires a switch between anoxic and oxic water column conditions, which is commonly explained by the “bathtub ring” model and more recently interpreted by the emerging “episodic ventilation” model. To date, however, it remains unclear regarding how to distinguish between these two mechanisms, profoundly influencing Mn ore prospecting. Here, we conducted a

The Lafigué gold deposit (Western African Craton, Ivory Coast) is located in the northern part of the Toumodi-Fétékro greenstone belt, and its formation is related to the development of a NNE-SSW-striking sinistral shear zone during the regional D2 deformation phase. Transpression is evidenced by a contractional jog expressed by E-W-trending, S-dipping thrusts. Boudinaged fault veins and horizontal

The Neves Corvo Cu-Zn-Pb(-Sn) deposit (Portugal) is one of the largest volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits (VMS) worldwide, hosted by Upper Devonian to Early Carboniferous rocks. Originally, it contained an early structurally controlled tin orebody (stockwork and massive cassiterite), which has now been mined out. In this study, we report the first occurrence of phosphate minerals (apatite, florencite

This paper provides comprehensive analyses of mineral microtextures, nanoparticulate electrum, defective crystal structures of key primary hydrothermal minerals - quartz and pyrite, the bulk sulfur isotopic composition of pyrite and marcasite, and fluid inclusions in hydrothermal quartz and calcite, all aimed at characterizing ore mineralization. The study primarily focuses on samples collected from

Understanding the sulfur isotope cycle is essential in developing genetic models of porphyry copper deposits. In this paper, we characterize the sulfur isotope evolution of the Duobuza deposit, a typical porphyry Cu-Au deposit, using the sulfur isotope composition of sulfides in successive hydrothermal stages. We show (1) an increase of δ34S values from the inner potassic core (−4.8 to −0.4‰, n = 37)

Chalcocite, bornite, and chalcopyrite are the main copper minerals in the world-class Olympic Dam Cu-U-Au-Ag deposit, South Australia. Olympic Dam is characterized by systematic, inwards and upwards zonation of Cu-Fe-sulfide assemblages, encompassing chalcopyrite-pyrite, bornite-chalcopyrite, bornite-chalcocite and chalcocite-only zones. Trace element analysis of Cu-(Fe)-sulfides (~ 3500 spot analyses)

Sunnyside is a well-preserved Miocene polymetallic vein deposit located in the Western San Juan Mountains of Colorado, USA. The steeply dipping veins extend vertically for ~ 600 m and can be traced laterally over a combined length of ~ 2100 m. Fracture-controlled fluid flow dominated during the pre-ore stage. Subsequent ore deposition along major extensional structures took place at far-from-equilibrium

In a gold deposit near Nassara, southern Burkina Faso, gold occurs closely associated with pyrite within a network of veins hosted by metavolcanic and metasedimentary rocks. Using SEM and LA-ICP-MS analyses, we identified three generations of pyrite with distinct roles in gold mineralization. Pyrite 1 (Py1) formed early during mineralization, replacing alteration minerals like ankerite in metabasalt

Stibnite is a relatively common mineral in epithermal deposits, with little known about Sb transport and efficient stibnite precipitation. The famous Kremnica Au-Ag low-sulfidation deposit and Zlatá Baňa intermediate-sulfidation Pb-Zn-Cu-Au-Ag-Sb deposit are hosted in two different Neogene volcanic fields in Western Carpathians, Slovakia. In both deposits, stibnite-rich veins occur outside of major

Bulk rock geochemistry and SWIR reflectance spectroscopy are widely used by companies for rapid and cost-effective exploration of volcanic-hosted massive sulfide (VHMS) deposits. However, few studies have integrated bulk-rock geochemistry with hyperspectral reflectance spectroscopy in greenstone belts that have undergone high-grade metamorphism. Here we present an extensive dataset combining bulk-rock

Sedimentary Fe deposits are both scientifically and economically important. As a major ore mineral of these deposits, siderite is generally assumed to have been formed via diagenetic transformation of other Fe-bearing minerals. The Devonian Daxigou sedimentary siderite deposit, Central China, contains ca. 500 Mt Fe with an average ore grade of ca. 30 wt% FeOT but is poorly known in the literature.

The Gondpipri layered mafic–ultramafic intrusion at the western margin of the Bastar Craton in Central Indiacomprises leucogabbro, gabbronorite, and websterite. The intrusion hosts both magmatic and hydrothermal Ni-platinum group element (PGE)mineralisation. In this study, we use in-situ measured trace element composition of pyrite and magnetite and zircon U–Pb geochronology to elucidate hydrothermal

Epithermal precious metal deposits are uncommon within the Archean rock record, as are detailed descriptions of their associated features and modes of formation. The Vent prospect is a Neoarchean Au–Ag occurrence within the Eastern Wabigoon Subprovince of the Superior Province in Ontario. It is hosted by aphyric, and quartz ± feldspar-porphyritic aphanitic dacitic flows that show remnants of spine-like

We provide timestamps for the major zinc-lead (Zn-Pb) Mississippi Valley-type Black Angel deposit (Greenland) based on new pyrite rhenium-osmium (Re-Os) isotope geochemistry data: (1) a Re-Os isochron age 1,884 ± 35 million years ago (Ma – 2σ, 1.8%) for subhedral pyrite cemented by sphalerite ± galena in dolomitized clean limestone, and, (2) a Re-Os model age 1,828 ± 16 Ma (2σ, 0.9%) for epigenetic

Porphyry deposits of the Cu-Mo-Au-Re metal spectrum mainly occur in arc settings, but only some segments of the same arc host significant metal resources. The factors controlling the variable metal endowment in magmatic arcs remain unclear. Here, we conducted zircon U-Pb age, trace element, and Hg isotope studies on the ore-bearing (i.e., fertile) and coeval barren granitic rocks from the Upper Triassic

Tungsten enrichment during the formation of giant W deposits is thought to be related to magmatic and hydrothermal processes. However, the mechanisms of W enrichment and their role in controlling ore formation remain unclear. Zircon is a ubiquitous accessory mineral that can provide a record of the physicochemical conditions during mineralization. Dahutang in South China is a giant W deposit (1.89