Review on Research of Bauxite Geology and Genesis in China

Bauxite deposits in China are characterized by widespread temporal-spatial distribution and a broad spectrum of types with various genetic mechanisms.Researches of their geological features and genesis are of considerable significance for bauxite geology.In this paper,we reviewed research of bauxite geology from the aspects of deposit classification,orebody morphology and structures,mineral composition,source rocks,ore-forming environments and mechanisms.Some features of the bauxite deposits in China are also illustrated,and new research methods and opinions obtained in recent years are further presented.The source rocks of kasrtic bauxite areas can be distinguished by utilizing the U-Pb and Lu-Hf isotopes of the detrital zircons in the bauxite ores.Most source materials of the China's karstic bauxites are allochthonous,and their formation has an intimate genetic relationship with regional geological events.The formation of the bauxite in China was resulted from the a serial of ocean-continent subduction,continental drift,source rock weathering and weathered remnants transportation.The transportation mechanism of the karstic bauxites in China is regionally varied.In the North China Block,the Carboniferous ores were formed via both ion crystallization and clastic deposition,while the Permian karstic bauxite in the South China Block was dominated by ion crystallization in generation.