Detrital zircon records in bauxite deposits of China: Implication for the provenance model and ore deposits classification of bauxite

Based on 3439 detrital zircon U-Pb datapoints collected from the bauxite deposits of China and 297 detrital zircon U-Pb datapoints from underlying clastic rocks,this study reviews the recent progress in the detrital zircon U-Pb geochronology of bauxite deposits in China. Stability assessment of zircon grains in modern tropical weathering profiles proves the chemical and physical stability during the and intense weathering and bauxitization,which makes zircon become a good provenance indicator. Sedimentary provenance study of bauxite deposits in China indicates that even the bauxite deposit developed on the carbonate rocks,there was still considerable input of the weathering aluminosilicate materials. Previous classifications of bauxite deposit are mainly based on the lithology of basement rock and features of ore body,applications of these classifications will cause ambiguities and uncertainties. For widespread parautochthonous and allochthonous detrital zircon grains within Chinese bauxite deposits,parautochthonous and allochthonous criterion is invalid in classification of Chinese bauxite deposits. Here we suggest that the bauxite study requires a new classification of ore deposit,which should consider the weathering process of bauxite deposits as well as the position of bauxite deposit in the sedimentological framework. Although detrital zircon study provides important constrains for the provenance of bauxite deposits,combination of regional geological background and the geochemical characteristics are still essential for the comprehensive cognition of source materials.