‘Qianzhong Uplift’ and evolution of the Late Paleozoic palaeogeography and its control on formation of bauxite in Guizhou Province

The Early Paleozoic regional uplift(e.g.,the Qianzhong Uplift)and sea-level changes had obviously controlled the evolution of the Late Paleozoic palaeogeography and paleogeomorphology in Guizhou Province. However,the formation time and evolution of the Qianzhong Uplift is still in debate,which limits the understanding of the Permo-Carboniferous paleogeographic and paleogeomorphologic evolution that formed bauxite in Guizhou. In this paper,based on field surveys and data collection,we established the palaeogeography of several important geological periods from the Late Cambrian to Permian in Guizhou,and re-recognized the formation time and evolution of the Qianzhong Uplift,and revealed the coupling relationship between the Qianzhong Uplift and Guizhou bauxite formation. During the Cambrian to early-middle Early Silurian,the continent-marine transitional facies were missed in the northern margin of the Qianzhong Uplift,central Guizhou Province,such as Bijie,Jinsha and Zunyi. The large-scale uplift of the central Guizhou Province should begin with the tidal flat deposits of the Hanchiatien Formation in the Early Silurian. Because of the Qianzhong Uplift,the central Guizhou and Zunyi areas experienced long-lasting and intense weathering and erosion,forming karst depressions,funnels,and canyons in the Early Carboniferous. The karst landform provided material conditions and location for the formation of bauxite deposits in the Early Carboniferous. The bauxite ore formed under intense chemical wreathing and leaching induced by the glacio-eustasy and paleoclimate fluctuations. The early long-lasting and intense weathering and erosion occurred in the northern Guizhou along with the Permo-Carboniferous glacio-eustasy,had leaded to the formation of coastal wetland and depressions,which were favorable places for the Early Permian bauxite formation. The Early Permian bauxite ores in Guizhou Province have an obvious coupling relationship with the Late Paleozoic Ice Age.