Objective It is poorly studied regarding the metallogenic patterns of Qinghai Province, and the metallogenic laws and characteristics of Qinghai Province are unknown.

Methods Based on the collection of previous data, this paper systematically summarizes the characteristics of the spatial and temporal distribution of the major mineral deposits in Qinghai Province and the metallogenetic pattern, and establishes the metallogenetic pattern of the major minerals in Qinghai Province.

Results Qinghai Province is famous for its abundant mineral resources, mainly including Ni, Au, Li, Ag, Cu, Zn and Pb, all of which are superior metal minerals. The mineralization mainly occurred in Silurian−Devonian, Carboniferous−Permian, Triassic, Paleogene, Neogene and Quaternary. The types of ore deposits that form main superior metal minerals include magmatic Cu−Ni−Co deposits, carbonatite−type Nb deposits, porphyry−skarn−type Cu−Mo−Pb−Zn deposits, orogenic−type Au deposits, epithermal Ag deposits, sedimentary exhalative (SEDEX) Cu−Pb−Zn−Co deposits, and Mississippi Valley Type (MVT) Pb−Zn deposits. Among these deposits, among which magmatic Cu−Ni deposits and orogenic−type Au deposits reached world−class large and super−large deposits. According to the geological environments of their formation, they are divided into 13 secondary tectonic units and 6 metallogenic provinces, which experienced the tectonic evolution of five periods.

Conclusions The formation of mineral deposits, which were closely related to the evolution of Proto−, Paleo− and Neo−Tethys Oceans, These deposits formed under complex environments characterized by the metallogeny of multiple−stages, multiple ore types, and multiple sources of ore−forming materials.