METALLOGENY OF CONTINENTAL MARGIN

The continental crust was formed through the continental nucleus, platform, Pangea, continental splitting, continental accretion, intercontinental collision and orogeny in its progress. The crust was split into continental crust and oceanic crust by inhomogeneous differentiation. Continental margins that have different tectonic features were formed by continental splitting, oceanic crust subduction or intercontinental collision. Five marginal tectonic belts, thirteen secondary tectonic regions and fifty-three space-time distribution structures were decided according to the distribution of three intercontinental collision belts. The probabilities for discovering ore deposits in tectonic regions were calculated based on existing deposits. Continental margins were divided into divergence type, convergence type, collision type and transform type, and their metallogenetic serial specialization was summarized. It's very important for metallogeny to occur where advantaged metallogenetic multiple factors were coupled. Their coupling mechanism and space-time distribution in continental margin are key to outlining advantaged metallogenetic area.