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Seamount subduction drives bonanza-grade gold mineralization
Yanhong H Liu1, Bo Wan1, Ross N Mitchell1
1State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric and Environmental Coevolution, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China.
Science Advances
|July 17, 2026
Summary
Giant gold deposits are linked to seamount subduction. Mantle plumes deliver gold to seamounts, which release it during subduction, forming deposits in the shallow crust.
Area of Science:
- Geology
- Economic Geology
- Geochemistry
Background:
- Giant gold (Au) deposits are linked to orogenesis, but the exact causal relationship is unclear.
- A spatiotemporal correlation exists between giant gold deposits and seamount subduction zones globally.
- The South Tianshan province provides a key example of this association.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of seamount subduction in the formation of giant gold deposits.
- To quantify gold content in mafic rocks within an accretionary complex.
- To elucidate the gold transport and deposition mechanisms.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of gold content in mafic rocks across various metamorphic grades.
- Utilizing ultra-low-detection-limit analytical techniques.
- Geological mapping and geochemical analysis of accretionary complexes.
Main Results:
- Mafic rocks modified by mantle plumes show higher gold concentrations.
- Gold content decreases with increasing metamorphic grade.
- A three-step model for gold mobilization and concentration during seamount subduction is proposed.
Conclusions:
- Seamount subduction is a primary driver for giant gold deposit formation.
- The proposed model explains the global correlation between subducted seamounts and gold deposits over the past 600 million years.
- Understanding this process is crucial for exploring new gold resources.
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