Diversity of Gold Deposits, Geodynamics and Conditions of Formation: A Perspective View

摘要

Gold occurs in a wide range of deposit types and settings. In the last decade, significant progress has been made in the definition, classification, characterization, thereby aiding understanding of the main gold deposit types. The present work aims to provide an update on the current state of knowledge on the different types of gold deposits models, geodynamics, their mode of formation and the condition suitable for their formation Several subsets of gold deposits are distinguished from one another on the bases of and their main geological models and their mode of formation described. Gold deposits of magmatic-hydrothermal origin are classified into Porphyry, Epithermal, Skarn, Iron Oxide-Copper-Gold and Intrusion related deposits;those of hydrothermal origin are Orogenic, Volcanogenic Massive Sulphide deposits, and Carlin-type;while those of Sedimentary Origin are placers. In terms of the major Period of gold deposit formation, the Mesoarchean was the largest gold period. Other gold peaks followed, particularly in the Neoarchean, Paleoproterozoic and Paleozoic while numerous and diverse gold deposit types were formed during the Cenozoic era.Wide varieties of geodynamic contexts in which each of the gold deposits are formed being explained while the conditions favourable for its formation are also being summarized. With the recent rise in the price of gold, mining companies and research centers continue to provide lighting of the key geology features of then ore-forming environments and the key geologic manifestations of the different deposit types.