Geological and geochemical characteristics of the Hongniu copper deposit in Zhongdian area, northeastern Yunnan Province

Abstract：The Hongniu deposit is located in the Zhongdian island arc belt of northwest Yunnan and lies in the middle part of southwest Sanjiang region, belonging to the southern segment of the Triassic Yidun island arc belt. This ore deposit is one of the promising copper-polymetallic deposits with vast potential, and its Cu reserves have reached the middle size. Geological features of the ore bodies and element geochemical characteristics indicate that Hongniu is a typical skarn-hornfels type copper polymetallic ore deposit. It has typical alteration zoning and metallogenic element zoning of the skarn type deposit in both vertical and horizontal directions. The?element geochemical characteristics of the skarn are obviously affected by the elements of marble and quartz monzonite porphyry. According to geological features of the ore bodies, the authors also infer that the deep porphyry bodies have great metallogenic potential.