The Geology and Tectonic Settings of China's Mineral Deposits by Franco Pirajno

China is the third largest country in the world, with a land area of about 9.6 million km2. It is endowed with abundant mineral resources, and the metal mining activity can be traced back to ca. 8000 years ago. However, due to language barrier, little has been known about the geology and tectonics to the outside world until 1980s. In the last three decades, a great deal of knowledge has been gained, enhanced by a vigorous cooperation between Chinese and Western geologists. Research papers about geological, geochemical, and geochronological features of mineral deposits of China are widely published and cited in international journals. A comprehen- sive and comprehensible English literature that summarises the features of mineral deposits in China, however, is still lacking.

Determination of 3-D Velocity Anomalies of the Nanbei Tectonic Zone of China Based on Local Earthquakes

: In this paper, 3-D velocity images of the crust and upper mantle beneath the Nanbei tectonic zone of China are constructed using P-wave travel time residuals of earthquakes, with the data supplied by China's seismic networks and the International Seismic Centre.

Tectonic Related Lithium Deposits Another Major Region Found North East Tanzania—A New Area with Close Association to the Dominant Areas: The Fourth of Four

The current “mega” interest in Lithium resources was spurred by the development of Lithium-Ion batteries to aid in restructuring the world’s reliance on carbon spewing power petroleum reserves. Current resources of lithium recovery have fallen into two main categories—Pegmatite, found worldwide associated with felsic intrusions and Brine Related, and now with development in the Southwest United States of America (SWUS), a third category— Tertiary Volcanic clays, are specifically associated with Tertiary volcanics and major Tectonic Plate interactions. “Active” Plate tectonics is important as both the SWUS, the Lithium Triangle of South America (LTSA) and the Tibetan Plateau of China (TPC) producing tertiary (Miocene) volcanism that is important to the development of Lithium resources. The Tanzanian part of the East Africa Rift System (EARS) has features of both the SWUS, tertiary volcanic related “playas” and Continental rifting, the LTSA, tertiary volcanic related “Brines” and a major Tectonic plate event (subduction of an Oceanic Plate beneath the Continental South American Plate) and the TPC, tertiary volcanics (?) and major tectonic plate event (subduction of the Indian Continental Plate under the Eurasian Continental Plate). As well as the association of peralkaline and metaluminous felsic volcanics with Lithium playas of the SWUS and the EARS (Tanzania) “playas”. These similarities led to an analysis of a volcanic rock in Northeast Tanzania. When it returned 1.76% Lithium, a one-kilometer spaced soil sampling program returned, in consecutive samples over 0.20% Lithium (several samples over 1.0% lithium and a high of 2.24% lithium). It is proposed that these four regions with very similar past and present geologic characteristics, occur nowhere else in the world. That three of them have produced Lithium operations and two of them have identified resources of Lithium clay and “highly” anomalous Lithium clays should be regarded as more than “coincidental”.

Gravity variation before the Akto Ms6.7 earthquake, Xinjiang

The relationship between gravity variation and the Akto Ms6.7 earthquake on November 11, 2016, was studied by use of mobile gravity observation data from the China continental structural environmental monitoring network. The result revealed that before the Akto earthquake, a high positive gravity variation was observed in the Pamir tectonic knots region （within a maximum magnitude of approximately ＋80 microgal）, which was consistent with the existing knowledge of gravity abnormality and the locations of strong earthquakes. In view of the recent strong seismic activities in the Pamir tectonic knots region, as well as the strong upward crust movement and compressive strain, it is believed that gravity change in the Pamir tectonic knots region reflects the recent strong seismic activities and crust movement.