Ore‐forming Conditions and Prospecting in the West Kunlun Area, Xinjiang, China

Abstract

Abstract The West Kunlun ore‐forming belt is located between the northwestern Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau and southwestern Tarim Basin. It situated between the Paleo‐Asian Tectonic Domain and Tethyan Tectonic Domain. It is an important component of the giant tectonic belt in central China (the Kunlun‐Qilian‐Qinling Tectonic Belt or the Central Orogenic Belt). Many known ore‐forming belts such as the Kunlun‐Qilian Qinling ore‐forming zone, Sanjiang (or Three‐river) ore‐forming zone, Central Asian ore‐forming zone, etc. pass through the West Kunlun area. Three ore‐forming zones and seven ore‐forming subzones were classified, and eighteen mineralization areas were marked. It is indicated that the West Kunlun area is one of the most favorable region for finding out large and superlarge ore deposits.