Mineralization of Zn-Pb-Ag and associated critical metals: An introduction

The combination of zinc (Zn), lead (Pb), and/or silver (Ag) is widely developed in various types of deposits. They also form various types of independent deposits and are associated with a variety of critical metals, such as germanium (Ge), cadmium (Cd), gallium (Ga), and thallium (Tl). The Zn-Pb-Ag deposits make an important group of mineral deposits worldwide, including volcanic-hosted massive sulfide (VHMS), magmatic-hydrothermal-associated skarn and/or epithermal, sedimentary rocks-hosted (e.g., Sedimentary Exhalative, SEDEX; carbonate-hosted epigenetic/Mississippi-Valley-type, MVT; Sandstone/shale-hosted epigenetic, SST), and hydrothermal-vein types. This Special Issue aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of Zn-Pb-Ag deposits and associated critical metals in a variety of geological settings, and promote global prospecting. This Special Issue contains 61 papers (including reviews) covering major Zn-Pb-Ag metallogenic provinces/zones worldwide. The publications provide a comprehensive and systematic analysis including ore deposit geology, geochemistry, geochronology, ore-forming dynamics process and background, big data and deep learning, metallogenic prognosis and ore genesis of Zn-Pb-Ag deposits, as well as the occurrence status and enrichment mechanisms of associated critical metals. These achievements will help to establish more practical mineralization and prospecting models. Equally, they promote the understanding of the genesis of Zn-Pb-Ag deposits, develop new mineralization theory for Zn-Pb-Ag deposits, and provide a theoretical basis for the comprehensive utilization of associated critical metals.