Metallogenic Characteristics and Prospecting Areas in the Western Kunlun Metallogenic Belt

The western Kunlun mountains, in an area of 18, 000 km², are located on the southwestern margin of the Tarim massif in NW China.The unfavorable working conditions have resulted in a backward geological study.With the implementation of national survey projects for land and resources in recenty ears, a series of regional surveys have been conducted and more and more ore deposits have been reported, from which, a grat metallogenic potential has emerged.This paper, based on synthetic analyses of geological settings and metallogenic characteristics as well as elemental geochemistry, discusses prospecting potential and suggests 8 target areas for exploration in the near future.