Ore-controlling structures of granite-related uranium deposits in South China: A review

Abstract Granite-related uranium deposits constitute a significant uranium resource in South China. This study focuses on the ore-controlling structural characteristics of five major uranium ore fields (Motianling, Miaoershan, Taoshan, Zhuguangshan, and Lujing) within the region’s two principal granite-related uranium belts, the Chenzhou-Qinzhou and Taoshan-Zhuguangshan belts. Uranium-bearing granites in South China are emplaced episodically from the Early Triassic to Late Cretaceous (250–80 Ma), with predominant magmatism occurring in the Triassic and Jurassic. Crucially, uranium mineralization is temporally linked to specific tectonic stages. The most significant regional uranium mineralization occurred during the Late Yanshanian (Late Cretaceous, 100–65 Ma) in an extensional tectonic regime, forming large deposits within composite plutons such as Taoshan, Zhuguang, and Guidong. The research highlights that understanding the temporal sequence and spatial response of uranium mineralization to specific tectonic stages within the broader tectonic evolution is crucial. Specifically, our findings demonstrate that the most significant uranium mineralization occurs during distinct extensional phases (e.g., Late Yanshanian), subsequent to granite emplacement and is structurally controlled within favorable settings of composite plutons.