China Geology最新文献

{"title":"Mineralogical characteristics, formation processes, and prospecting potential of Early–Middle Triassic lithium-rich claystone in the Sichuan Basin, South China","authors":"Rui Su ,&nbsp;Zhen-dong Wang ,&nbsp;Wen-hui Huang ,&nbsp;Xian-hua Hou ,&nbsp;Simon M. Jowitt ,&nbsp;Simon A.T. Redfern ,&nbsp;Chun-liang Gao ,&nbsp;Yong-jie Lin","doi":"10.31035/cg2024140","DOIUrl":"10.31035/cg2024140","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Early to middle Triassic sedimentary units within the Sichuan Basin of southwest China contain extensive occurrences of lithium (Li)-rich clay layers (the so-called “Green bean rock”, or GBR) that have significant economic potential as a result of their substantial scale. However, a comprehensive understanding of the genesis and processes involved in the formation of these clay layers remains elusive. This study presents the results of a systematic investigation of three typical Li-rich clay profiles within the basin, using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for mineralogical characterization and analysis. The presence of micron-scale primary high-temperature quartz and iron microspherules suggests that these Li-rich clay deposits have a volcanic origin. XRD analysis indicates that bulk rock samples of GBR are predominantly composed of quartz, clay minerals, and either calcite or gypsum, with the clay mineral assemblage dominated by illite and/or illite/smectite (I/S). Specifically, the GBR of the northeastern Sichuan Basin has a higher level of illitization compared to its southern counterpart, representing differences in sedimentary facies that are also found in other Li environments such as the Li deposits of Nevada. The northeastern GBR contains gypsum and clay minerals, whereas the southern counterpart consists mainly of carbonate lithologies with minor amounts of clay. This indicates that the sedimentological controls on the formation of clay mineral assemblages also influence the formation of clay-type Li deposits and Li enrichment processes. The composition of the clay components is indicative of probable derivation from smectite during diagenesis after originally being generated by the submarine modifications of volcanic materials. The later formation of I/S formation was also most likely the result of the illitization of volcanogenic smectite. The widespread presence of clay-type Li deposits indicates extensive eruptions of volcanic ash during Early to Middle Triassic volcanic events. The Li trapped within the illite and I/S is thought to have been sourced from volcanogenic materials via transportation in a composite fluid comprising meteoric, porewater, and hydrothermal fluids. These economically significant Li-rich clay minerals, found within a marine basin, represent a promising target for lithium exploration as a result of the extractable metal content. This research provides new insights into the processes involved in the formation mechanisms of clay-type lithium deposits and discusses the prospecting potential of volcanic clay-type Li deposits in the Sichuan Basin, contributing to the critical assessment of the Li resources needed for the energy transition and sustainable energy initiatives.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":45329,"journal":{"name":"China Geology","volume":"9 2","pages":"Pages 257-274"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147994706","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Destruction of the North China Craton: Evidence from the electrical structure and fluid content","authors":"Bao-chun Li ,&nbsp;Gao-feng Ye ,&nbsp;Shao-huai Sun ,&nbsp;Le-tian Zhang ,&nbsp;Sheng Jin ,&nbsp;Wen-bo Wei ,&nbsp;Hao Dong","doi":"10.31035/cg2024038","DOIUrl":"10.31035/cg2024038","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The three-dimensional resistivity model of the lithosphere and fluid content plays a significant role in analyzing the spatiotemporal distribution and dynamic reasons for the North China Craton (NCC) destruction. The conductivity is related to temperature and melt fraction using laboratory experiments. The Hashin-Shtrikman (<em>HS</em>) bounds are used to constrain the conductivity range of rocks in the solid and solid-melt systems. The authors established the lithospheric conductivity-temperature relationship by combining the mineral composition obtained from the analysis of xenoliths, the steady-state heat conduction equation, water, and carbon dioxide. To discuss the destruction of the NCC, the three-dimensional resistivity structure model obtained from the magnetotelluric sounding (MT) array inversion of the NCC is compared with the model calculated using the <em>HS</em> bounds. The research results show that the higher the volatile water and carbon dioxide content in the fluid, the lower the mantle solidus. Based on the melt fractions of the Ordos Block, Trans-North China Orogen, and Bohai Bay Basin, the speculated lithosphere-asthenosphere boundary (LAB) exhibits the characteristics of deep in the west and shallow in the east. The partial melting of the Bohai Bay Basin began at a shallower depth than other places, with a more significant difference in fluid content in the depth.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":45329,"journal":{"name":"China Geology","volume":"9 2","pages":"Pages 243-256"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147994704","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Spatial distribution patterns and hazard assessment of co-seismic landslides triggered by the 2022 Luding earthquake (MS 6.8): An RF-AdaBoost model approach","authors":"Li-ying Gu ,&nbsp;Guo-liang Du ,&nbsp;Ling Zou ,&nbsp;Xin Wang","doi":"10.31035/cg2024117","DOIUrl":"10.31035/cg2024117","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>On September 5, 2022, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Luding County, Sichuan Province, China, at a depth of 16 km, triggering numerous co-seismic landslides. Using multi-temporal satellite imagery, the authors identified 7463 co-seismic landslides with varying spatial distributions. Focusing on the differences between the western and eastern sections of the Xianshuihe fault zone, the influences of elevation, slope, aspect, topographic wetness index (TWI), stream power index (SPI), distance to river, distance to seismogenic fault, seismic intensity, lithology, and land surface temperature (LST) on the co-seismic landslide distribution were analyzed. Random Forest-Adaptive Boosting (RF-AdaBoost), Support Vector Machine (SVM) and Back Propagation Neural Network (BP) models were used to assess landslide hazards in the region. The RF-AdaBoost model performed the best, achieving an Area Under the Curve (AUC) of 0.954. The zones of high co-seismic landslide hazard were primarily concentrated along the Xianshuihe fault zone and Dadu River. These findings provide valuable insights into seismic landslide hazard assessments and offer scientific guidance for disaster prevention and mitigation strategies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":45329,"journal":{"name":"China Geology","volume":"9 2","pages":"Pages 349-365"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147994705","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Geology and mineralization of quartz vein-type and altered rock-type gold deposits in the Linglong gold orefield (916 t), Jiaodong Peninsula, China: A review","authors":"Jie Li ,&nbsp;Tian-hui Bai ,&nbsp;Ming-chun Song ,&nbsp;Xiu-zhang Li ,&nbsp;Mei-yun Wang ,&nbsp;Li-peng Zhang ,&nbsp;Shi-yong Li ,&nbsp;Huai-hong Wang ,&nbsp;Wen Zhang ,&nbsp;Ji-lei Gao ,&nbsp;Yu-xin Xiong ,&nbsp;Zhen-liang Yang ,&nbsp;Yong-qing Wang ,&nbsp;Jia-meng Fan ,&nbsp;Wen-xuan Hu","doi":"10.31035/cg2024062","DOIUrl":"10.31035/cg2024062","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Jiaodong Peninsula in North China Craton as the world’s third largest gold metallogenic region, holding gold deposits primarily of the altered rock type and the quartz vein type. The Linglong gold orefield, with 916 t of proven gold resources presently, is a typical birthplace of quartz vein-type gold deposits in the Jiaodong Peninsula and develops altered rock type gold deposits. This study elaborated on the characteristics of deposits and the spatial distributions of orebodies in the Linglong gold orefield, analyzing control factors, geochemical characteristics, mineralization era, and mineralization mechanism. Comprehensive research has found that: The altered rock-type gold deposits have gentle dip angle and large scale, fine grain size of the gold ore, low average ore grades, low metal sulfide content, which is about 1/3 compared to the quartz vein-type gold deposits. Their gold minerals primarily occur as intercrystalline gold. In contrast, the quartz vein-type gold deposits occur in the steeply dipping tensile fissures in the footwall of main faults. Their orebodies exhibit steep dip angles and small scales but high average ore grades and metal sulfide content, with gold minerals primarily occurring as inclusion gold. The Linglong gold orefield experienced gold mineralization at about 120 Ma, with ore-forming fluids belonging to a moderate- to high-temperature, low-salinity, and reducing H₂O-CO₂-NaCl±CH₄ system. The ore-forming fluid mainly comes from the mixture of magmatic water and meteoric water. The ore- forming materials primarily originated from the lower crust, supplemented by some mantle-derived components. The comprehensive analysis leads to the following conclusions: Extensive crust-mantle mixing provided thermodynamic conditions, migration pathways, and partial fluid sources for ore-forming fluid activity in the Jiaodong region. The rapid magma ascent led to the formation of detachment faults and associated tensile structures in the shallow crust, which create favorable space for fluid migration and the enrichment and precipitation of ore-forming elements. The pressure fluctuation of fluids arising from changes in the dip angles of faults is the main cause of the stepped metallogenic pattern. The quartz vein- and altered rock-type gold deposits are the product of the same metallogenic event under different metallogenic modes and tectonic locations. Based on the deep metallogenic regularity, this study established a geological-geophysical prospecting model for altered rock-type gold deposits, of which the critical factors include ore-hosting faults, high-precision geophysical exploration, and a stepped metallogenic pattern.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":45329,"journal":{"name":"China Geology","volume":"9 2","pages":"Pages 400-429"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147994702","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Machine learning-based analysis of factors controlling the reservoir productivity of the Maokou Formation, Sichuan Basin","authors":"Fu-hong Zhang ,&nbsp;Hu Zhao ,&nbsp;Xu-ri Huang ,&nbsp;Rong-rong Zhao ,&nbsp;Huan Yu ,&nbsp;Xiang-qian Huang","doi":"10.31035/cg2025144","DOIUrl":"10.31035/cg2025144","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>By 2024, the proven natural gas reserves of the Maokou Formation in the central Sichuan Basin had exceeded 1.5×10¹¹ m³, suggesting great potential for hydrocarbon exploration. However, this formation exhibits small reservoir thicknesses and pronounced lateral heterogeneity due to sedimentation and erosion. These characteristics lead to significantly varying single-well production, complicating the identification of major controlling factors in high production and reducing the prediction accuracy of sweet spots. To identify the key geological factors controlling the gas production in the Maokou Formation, this study investigated the geological and seismic characteristics of the dolomite reservoirs in this formation. The primary geological factors influencing single-well production were explored using a machine learning approach—an enhanced random forest (RF) prediction model based on Shapley additive explanations (SHAP) values (also referred to as the SHAP-enhanced RF model). Accordingly, an optimal combination of geological parameters for high production was determined, followed by the identification of sweet spots. The results demonstrate that the SHAP-enhanced RF model allows for the effective quantification of the relative importance of various factors. The most critical factors affecting the gas production in the Maokou Formation include burial depth, natural gamma-ray value, the spatial distance of bright spots (defined as the time thickness of bright spots relative to the base of the second member of the Maokou Formation), and paleogeomorphology. High-yielding wells typically feature a joint advantage of multiple critical factors. A strong synergistic effect is prone to occur when several optimal factors fall within their optimal ranges simultaneously. In this case, high production capacity might be achieved. Compared to an equal-weight RF model, the SHAP-enhanced RF model yielded a mean absolute error (MAE) decreasing by 18.6%, thereby enhancing prediction accuracy and reliability. The findings of this study can serve as a valuable guide for production planning and well placement optimization in the Maokou Formation.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":45329,"journal":{"name":"China Geology","volume":"9 2","pages":"Pages 275-289"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-04-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147994799","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Bridging Land and Ocean–An initiative for coastal wetland carbon sequestration under the UN Ocean Decade Global ONCE Program","authors":"Si-yuan Ye ,&nbsp;Hans Brix ,&nbsp;Liu-juan Xie ,&nbsp;Brian Keith Sorrell ,&nbsp;Carles Ibáñez ,&nbsp;Nian-zhi Jiao","doi":"10.31035/cg2025189","DOIUrl":"10.31035/cg2025189","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":45329,"journal":{"name":"China Geology","volume":"9 1","pages":"Pages 219-220"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147425192","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Cassiterite U-Pb dating of the Nasarawa lithium deposit, Central Nigeria","authors":"Gao-jie Liu ,&nbsp;Xiang-ping Chen ,&nbsp;Peng-fei Wang ,&nbsp;Jian-qing Wang ,&nbsp;Yu-yu Tang ,&nbsp;Peng Hu ,&nbsp;Liang Cao ,&nbsp;Jun-sheng Jiang ,&nbsp;Binta Fatima Etsu ,&nbsp;Ji-kun Wang","doi":"10.31035/cg2024040","DOIUrl":"10.31035/cg2024040","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":45329,"journal":{"name":"China Geology","volume":"9 1","pages":"Pages 217-218"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147425193","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"2025 global progress in rare earth exploration","authors":"Hui Guo,&nbsp;Jie Meng,&nbsp;Ya-ping Li,&nbsp;Bo-ran Guo,&nbsp;Zi-guo Hao","doi":"10.31035/cg2026010","DOIUrl":"10.31035/cg2026010","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":45329,"journal":{"name":"China Geology","volume":"9 1","pages":"Pages 221-226"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147425213","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Geology, carbon emission reduction potential, and development progress of hot dry rock in China","authors":"Wen-jing Lin ,&nbsp;Ya-ru Wang ,&nbsp;Rui Lu ,&nbsp;Sheng-sheng Zhang ,&nbsp;Gui-ling Wang","doi":"10.31035/cg2024100","DOIUrl":"10.31035/cg2024100","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The available heat content (stored heat energy) of hot dry rock (HDR) at a depth of 1–10 km in the global land crust is estimated to be 5.06 × 10⁸ EJ, attracting considerable global attention. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the geological framework, HDR resource potential, exploration advancements, and the development of enhanced geothermal systems (EGSs) in China. HDR resources are extensively distributed across China. Within the depth range of 3–10 km, China's estimated potential approximates 2.29 × 10⁷ EJ, with a theoretical power generation capacity of approximately 1.67 × 10¹⁶ kWh. Replacing coal power with HDR can help to achieve a net emission reduction of 1.34 × 10¹⁶ kg CO₂ (approximately 1.34 × 10¹³ t), representing an emission reduction efficiency of 94.4%. Based on a development cycle of 100 years, the average annual emission reduction reaches 1.34 × 10¹⁰ t CO₂, equivalent to 117% of China's annual carbon emissions in 2022. Furthermore, in the context of global warming, the development and utilization of HDR, which is feasible in virtually any region worldwide, offers significant potential to support global carbon reduction efforts. China has made substantial progress in HDR exploration in recent years. This paper systematically classifies China's HDR resources into four genetic types —highly radioactive heat-producing, sedimentary basin, active volcanic, and intensely tectonic zones—and offers detailed exploration insights for each category. Each classification exhibits distinct geological and tectonic characteristics that influence heat source mechanisms and resource distribution. Furthermore, this paper documents significant advances in EGS construction, particularly in the Gonghe Basin on the northeastern margin of the Qianghai-Xizang Plateau and the Matouying uplift in the North China Basin, where successful reservoir stimulation, microseismic monitoring, and experimental power generation have been achieved. Despite these developments, challenges persist, including technical adaptability under complex geological conditions and the economic viability of large-scale HDR development. This paper suggests that future initiatives should emphasize resource exploration, technological research, and policy support to foster sustainable HDR resource development in China, thereby contributing to the global energy transition and environmental sustainability.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":45329,"journal":{"name":"China Geology","volume":"9 1","pages":"Pages 175-194"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147425211","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Groundwater hydrodynamics and supply sustainability in Punjab, Pakistan: A geological statistical approach using the GAMEAS algorithm based on data from 1105 boreholes","authors":"Muhammad Afzal ,&nbsp;Tie Liu ,&nbsp;An-ming Bao ,&nbsp;Xi Chen ,&nbsp;Xiao-hui Pan ,&nbsp;Solange Uwamahoro ,&nbsp;Ahmad Mujtaba ,&nbsp;Adeel Ahmed Nadeem ,&nbsp;Asim Qayyum Butt","doi":"10.31035/cg2024066","DOIUrl":"10.31035/cg2024066","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Effective groundwater management is crucial for economic sustainable development, particularly as climate change and population growth increase the uncertainty of aquifer dynamics. Due to limited geological data, Punjab's complex hydrogeological conditions and Quaternary alluvial deposits present significant challenges for groundwater management. This study employs cost-effective numerical techniques as alternatives to traditional methods to safeguard groundwater quality, quantity, and accessibility. It introduces an edit-embedded transition frequency model that integrates regional datasets and utilizes algorithms such as GAMEAS, MCMOD, and TSIM to evaluate aquifer heterogeneity and simulate spatial variations using one-dimensional and three-dimensional Markov chains. Findings show that sand exhibits the highest self-transition (33.112 m), indicating strong stability, followed by silt, clay, and gravel, suggesting overall hydrofacies stability both horizontally and vertically. The model's predictions are largely consistent with actual material distribution, with a slight under-prediction of clay (−0.750%) and an over-prediction of sand (2.985%), which accounts for 58.77% of the aquifer material. It also highlights significant heterogeneity in the northern mountainous regions and minor variations in the south. The study emphasizes Punjab's severe water crisis, with groundwater reserves of 3502.3 BCM, declining water levels (0.38–33.62 m), and low hydraulic conductivity, urging government action on rainwater harvesting and sustainable groundwater management policies.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":45329,"journal":{"name":"China Geology","volume":"9 1","pages":"Pages 44-59"},"PeriodicalIF":4.7,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147426954","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}