Geological Features and Ore Formation Pattern of Jinzhong Bauxite Mine, Shanxi Province, China

Bauxite is located in the lower part of the Benxi Formation, and the prospecting project shows that the distribution of bauxite ore bodies in the area is discontinuous, and there are differences in the thickness of the ore bodies. To have a clearer understanding of the bauxite ore bodies and metallogenic pattern in the census area, this study has made use of the prospecting project data, sample analysis results, etc., and combined with the geological and tectonic background of the area, the stratigraphic spreading characteristics of the bauxite ore body spatial spreading, ore characteristics and ore controlling factors in the area have been explored and researched. The bauxite ore bodies in the study area are stratified but the ore-bearing rock system is influenced by the Ordovician paleokarst geomorphology and intermittently distributed horizontally, which can be distinguished into three different ore bodies. The bauxite ore body and Shanxi-style iron ore are associated with hard clay ore, in which the ore minerals are mainly monohydrate duralumin. The natural ore type can be divided into dense bauxite and oolitic bauxite. Bauxite in this area mainly originated from the basal Ordovician carbonate rocks, with a combination of iron-rich and aluminum-rich layers, and is a typical carbonate rock sedimentary deposit of ancient weathering crust.