New Discovery and Exploration Methods of Porphyry and Epithermal Mineral Deposits, 2nd Edition

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineral Deposits".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 September 2026 | Viewed by 519

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
Interests: geology and genesis of porphyry-related deposits; stable isotopes; indicator minerals for exploration and porphyry fertility
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Guest Editor
College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
Interests: minerals’ hyperspectral and geochemical characteristics for exploration

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
Interests: porphyry–epithermal deposit; rare metal deposit; indicator minerals
College of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Chengdu University of Technology, Chengdu 610059, China
Interests: exploration and metallogenesis of porphyry-related deposits

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Following the success of the first Special Issue on the “New Discovery and Exploration Methods of Porphyry and Epithermal Mineral Deposits”, we are pleased to announce a second edition that builds upon the high-quality and innovative research previously published. The first edition brought together a diverse range of contributions from several countries including Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Hungary, Russia, and Turky, covering advanced mineralogical, geochemical, geophysical, and spectroscopic characterizations of many significant porphyry and epithermal deposits. We feel that there is more to explore in this topic to keep the porphyry–epithermal industry and academia updated with knowledge of recent discoveries and progress in metallogeny and exploration methods. We are delighted to organize the second edition of this Special Issue to disseminate knowledge about the geology, geochronology, hydrothermal processes, indicator minerals, geochemistry, geophysics, and spectroscopy of porphyry and epithermal deposits. The topics of interest for this second edition of Special Issue of Minerals, “New Discovery and Exploration Methods of Porphyry and Epithermal Mineral Deposits”, include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. Geology of recently discovered porphyry and/or epithermal deposits;
  2. Formation processes of porphyry and epithermal deposits;
  3. New exploration tools for porphyry and epithermal deposits.

Dr. Chao Yang
Prof. Dr. Na Guo
Dr. Fuwei Xie
Dr. Xuhui Wang
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • porphyry
  • epithermal
  • formation
  • geology
  • exploration

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

20 pages, 12376 KB  
Article
In Situ LA-ICP-MS Trace-Element and Sulfur Isotope Characteristics of Sulfides from Pb-Zn Ore Bodies in the Gariatong W-Mo Polymetallic Metallogenic System, Xizang, and Their Geological Implications
by Run Cao, Fuwei Xie, Ming Jia, Yang Cao and Lutong Gao
Minerals 2026, 16(4), 424; https://doi.org/10.3390/min16040424 - 20 Apr 2026
Viewed by 305
Abstract
The peripheries of rare-metal metallogenic systems frequently host skarn-type or hydrothermal vein-type Pb-Zn deposits, though their genetic connections with parental systems remain debated. The newly identified Gariatong W-Mo polymetallic metallogenic system in the Lhasa Terrane displays well-defined Nb-Ta-Rb, Mo-W, W-Mo, W-Bi, and Pb-Zn-Ag [...] Read more.
The peripheries of rare-metal metallogenic systems frequently host skarn-type or hydrothermal vein-type Pb-Zn deposits, though their genetic connections with parental systems remain debated. The newly identified Gariatong W-Mo polymetallic metallogenic system in the Lhasa Terrane displays well-defined Nb-Ta-Rb, Mo-W, W-Mo, W-Bi, and Pb-Zn-Ag metallogenic zoning, establishing it as an exemplary site for investigating genetic relationships between Pb-Zn and rare-metal mineralization. This investigation targets skarn-type Pb-Zn deposits spatially associated with rare-metal orebodies at Gariatong, utilizing integrated analytical approaches, including in situ LA-ICP-MS trace-element analysis of sulfides, sulfur isotope geochemistry, and LA-ICP-MS elemental mapping of sphalerite, to constrain metal sources, characterize fluid evolution, and establish genetic correlations with the rare-metal system. Key findings include the following: (1) sphalerite shows enrichment in Fe, Mn, Co, and Cd, while pyrite contains elevated As, Pb, Co, Cu, and Mn. Fe, Cd, and Mn primarily occur as solid solutions or nanoparticles, whereas As and Pb exist as micro-inclusions. (2) Sphalerite Zn/Cd ratios (73.6–184) and Co-Ni-As ternary diagrams confirm a magmatic–hydrothermal skarn origin. (3) Mineralization occurred under moderate-temperature, mildly oxidized conditions, as constrained by sphalerite Fe contents and mineral assemblages. Sulfur isotope compositions (δ34S = −1.0‰ to 3.2‰; mean: 1.9‰) indicate a magmatic sulfur source. This study reveals that the Nb-Ta-Rb mineralization, quartz-vein- and greisen-type W-Mo deposits, and skarn-type Pb-Zn orebodies—all genetically associated with highly fractionated granites—constitute an integrated magmatic–hydrothermal system with vertical (depth-related) zoning relative to the granitic intrusion. These results provide critical constraints for understanding rare-metal–Pb-Zn genetic associations and suggest that Pb-Zn mineralization may serve as a key exploration indicator for rare metals in the Lhasa Terrane. Full article
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