The world-class Jinding Zn–Pb deposit: ore formation in an evaporite dome, Lanping Basin, Yunnan, China

The Jinding Zn–Pb sediment-hosted deposit in western Yunnan, China, is the fourth largest Zn deposit in Asia. Based on field observations of the ore textures, breccias, and the sandstone host rocks, the ores formed in a dome that was created by the diapiric migration of evaporites in the Lanping Basin during Paleogene deformation and thrust loading. Most of the ore occurs in sandstones that are interpreted to be a former evaporite glacier containing a melange of extruded diapiric material, including breccias, fluidized sand, and evaporites that mixed with sediment from a fluvial sandstone system. A pre-ore hydrocarbon and reduced sulfur reservoir formed in the evaporite glacier that became the chemical sink for Zn and Pb in a crustal-derived metalliferous fluid. In stark contrast to previous models, the Jinding deposit does not define a unique class of ore deposits; rather, it should be classified as MVT sub-type hosted in a diapiric environment. Given that Jinding is a world-class ore body, this new interpretation elevates the exploration potential for Zn–Pb deposit in other diapir regions in the world.