Abstract:
Selenium is one of the strategic emerging minerals with significant applications in various industries, including electronics, chemicals, medicine, semiconductors, photovoltaics, and space exploration. However, there is a severe supply-demand contradiction in China’s selenium resources. Further exploring the reserves of selenium resources and reasonably utilizing and developing of selenium resources are crucial for ensure the security of national selenium resources and promote related industries towards high-quality development. This paper compiles data on 92 selenium deposits in China, providing insights into its genetic types, spatiotemporal distribution characteristics, and resource potential. Genetic types of selenium deposits in China encompass magmatic molten, skarn, porphyry, magmatic hydrothermal, marine volcanic rock, continental volcanic rock, epi-medium-low-temperature hydrothermal, and chemical or biochemical sedimentary types. Selenium deposits in China formed from the Proterozoic period to the Cenozoic period, predominantly concentrated in the Mesozoic period, followed by late Paleozoic period and early Paleozoic period. In other periods, the number of selenium deposits is relatively scarce. There are eight potential selenium deposit districts include South Altay-North Junggar, Eastern Tianshan, Alxa, Northern Qilian, South Subzone of Western Qinling, Eastern Qinling, Western Hunan-Hubei and Central-Southern Guizhou, and Middle-Lower Yangtze Valley divided based on the types and distribution characteristics of selenium deposits in China.