Journal of Geosciences, 59 (2014), 255–274 DOI: 10.3190/jgeosci.173 Review paper Mid–Late Paleozoic metallogenesis and evolution of the Chinese Altai and East Junggar Orogenic Belt, NW China, Central Asia Chunming Han1*, Wenjiao XIaO2,1, Guochun ZHaO3, Benxun Su1, 3, Patrick asamoah SakyI4, Songjian aO1, Bo Wan1, Jien ZHanG1, Zhiyong ZHanG1, Zhongmei WanG1 1 Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China;
[email protected] 2 Xinjiang Research Center for Mineral Resources, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, China 3 Department of Earth Sciences, The University of Hong Kong, Pokfulam Road, Hong Kong, China 4 Department of Earth Science, University of Ghana, P.O. Box LG 58, Legon-Accra, Ghana * Corresponding author The Chinese Altai–East Junggar collage in southern Altaids is one of the largest and most important metallogenic pro- vinces in China. It is composed of five major types of Middle to Late Paleozoic metal deposits: (1) VMS Cu–Pb–Zn, (2) porphyry Cu–Au, (3) magmatic Cu–Ni-sulfide, (4) skarn Cu–Mo–Fe and (5) orogenic Au. Tectonically, the development of these metal deposits was closely associated with accretionary and convergent processes that occurred along the southern margin of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). The formation of the deposits involved three main stages, briefly described as follows: (i) Those formed during extensional back-arc volcanism along the Paleozoic active margin of