MODERN SUBMARINE MINERALIZATION AND ITS ENLIGHTENMENT FOR THE STUDY OF LITHIFIED ORE DEPOSITS

The existence of the large-scale submarine hydrothermal water circulation system and metal-rich accumulation is one of the recent important discoveries of the mankind. They are distributed along the rapidly developing Eastern Pacific mid-ocean ridge. The newly formed basaltic oceanic crust as the metal source, the fissure system produced by crustal extension and the heat source driving the seawater circulation are three necessary conditions for the formation of ore deposits. But whether this kind of product can be preserved also depends on ther factors such as the development of ocean currents and the amount supplement of terrigenous sediments. To sum up, early-stage small oceanic basin’s and back-ar basins such as the Red Sea, the California Gul and other taphrogenies are most favorable for looking for such kind of mineral deposit. The enlighement of the discovery of modern submarine hydrothermal mneralizaon f the study of subaerial lithified ore deposis is that so long as conditins are available similar mineralization may occur within the realm of continental crust. The examples are the Middle and Late Devonian stratabound deposits in South China and the Qinling Mountains.