The Major Ore Clusters of Super‐Large Iron Deposits in the World, Present Situation of Iron Resources in China, and Prospect

The metamorphosed sedimentary type of iron deposits (BIF) is the most important type of iron deposits in the world, and super‐large iron ore clusters of this type include the Quadrilatero Ferrifero district and Carajas in Brazil, Hamersley in Australia, Kursk in Russia, Central Province of India and Anshan‐Benxi in China. Subordinated types of iron deposits are magmatic, volcanic‐hosted and sedimentary ones. This paper briefly introduces the geological characteristics of major super‐large iron ore clusters in the world. The proven reserves of iron ores in China are relatively abundant, but they are mainly low‐grade ores. Moreover, a considerate part of iron ores are difficult to utilize for their difficult ore dressing, deep burial or other reasons. Iron ore deposits are relatively concentrated in 11 metallogenic provinces (belts), such as the Anshan‐Benxi, eastern Hebei, Xichang‐Central Yunnan Province and middle‐lower reaches of Yangtze River. The main minerogenetic epoches vary widely from the Archean to Quaternary, and are mainly the Late Archean to Middle Proterozoic, Variscan, and Yanshanian periods. The main 7 genetic types of iron deposits in China are metamorphosed sedimentary type (BIF), magmatic type, volcanic‐hosted type, skarn type, hydrothermal type, sedimentary type and weathered leaching type. The iron‐rich ores occur predominantly in the skarn and marine volcanic‐hosted iron deposits, locally in the metamorphosed sedimentary type (BIF) as hydrothermal reformation products. The theory of minerogenetic series of mineral deposits and minerogenic models has applied in investigation and prospecting of iron ore deposits. A combination of deep analyses of aeromagnetic anomalies and geomagnetic anomalies, with gravity anomalies are an effective method to seeking large and deep‐buried iron deposits. China has a relatively great ore‐searching potential of iron ores, especially for metamorphosed sedimentary, skarn, and marine volcanic‐hosted iron deposits. For the lower guarantee degree of iron and steel industry, China should give a trading and open the foreign mining markets.