Two series of copper-gold deposits in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River area (MLYRA) and the hydrogen,oxygen, sulfur and lead isotopes of their ore-forming hydrothermal systems

Based on studies on the geological characteristics of the copper-gold deposits in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River area (MLYRA) and their hydrogen, oxygen, sulfur and lead isotope compositions, it is concluded that there existed two series of copper-gold deposits. They are evolutional products of two ore-forming hydrothermal systems in different geodynamic settings and geological era. Series I is stratiform or stratabound copper-gold deposits. These deposits were formed by submarine exhalation and sedimentation of hydrothermal solutions in Hercynian tensional tectonic environment after bot brine ascending along contemporaneous faults and exhaled into the sea-floor. Series II consists of copper-gold deposits related to medium and acidic magmatic intrusions. Their mineralizations took place in Yanshanian in a tensional or a transitional period to the tensional tectonic environment from the composite of the tethys tectonic regime and the Paleo-Pacific ocean tectonic regime, as well as in the upper mantle doming and crustal thinning environment. Copper-gold deposits were formed from the hydrothermal fluids, mixtures of magmatic water and part of meteoric water, by complex water-rock interactions and coupling dynamic processes of transport-chemical reactions. Superposition is an important condition for the formation of the large-scale copper-gold ore deposits.