Preliminary discussion on the theory of ore-forming field and its significant role for mineral exploration

The ore-forming field is a geological term including the stress field that caused rock deformation in a certain ore-forming area, the fluid field that controlled the migration of ore-forming fluids, and the material field that consisted of migration, precipitation, enrichment and superimposition of ore-forming elements in a certain geological period.The spatial relations, research contents and research methods of stress field, fluid field and material field in a metallogenic area are studied.According to the metallogenic background, controlling factors and metallogenic environment, ore-forming field can be divided into seven types, namely thrust (nappe)-post extensional tectonic setting, strike slip-extensional (extensional-strike slip) tectonic setting, intermediate acid volcanic (subvolcanic) magmatism environment, mafic-ultramafic magmatism context, basin rift-submarine exhalation setting, exogenetic marine sedimentary formation environment, and exogenetic continental sedimentary formation context.The first five categories (dominantly endogenous mineralization) are systematically elaborated.The key geological factors in the mineral exploration process for these five types of ore forming fields are then summarized, which are important in guiding the specific mineral exploration work.