Abstract:

The Shuigou vanadium deposit occurs in the black rock series of Lower Cambrian Shuigoukou Formation in southern Qinling. The black rock series is a suit of carbon silicon mudstone formation, formed in the passive continental margin of northern Yangtze Plate during the Early Cambrian. This vanadium ore body is controlled by the strata of black rock series. The orehosted rocks are silicalite intercalated with carbargillite. Via comparing lithologic association with vanadium content, it is concluded that the vanadium content is positive correlation with the frequency of carbargillite occurrence in ore bearing rocks. Testing the rich vanadium ore in X-ray diffraction, vanadium mainly occurs in the roscoelite in the carbargillite. The characteristics of major elements, trace elements, REE and oxygen isotopes of vanadium ore indicate that Shuigou vanadium deposit formed in the anoxic sedimentary environment in the intermediate zone between continental margin and deepsea, the sediment come from the mixed zone between the submarine hydrothermal spring and the landsource area, biological activities have an important effect on the conglomeration and precipitation of the oreforming materials. It is concluded that the vanadium deposit should be of biological and hydrothermal sedimentary origin.

Key words: southern Qinling, black rock series, vanadium deposit, geochemical characteristics, biological and hydrothermal sediment