Orogenic gold deposits: A proposed classification in the context of their crustal distribution and relationship to other gold deposit types

The so-called `mesothermal' gold deposits are associated with regionally metamorphosed terranes of all ages. Ores were formed during compressional to transpressional deformation processes at convergent plate margins in accretionary and collisional orogens. In both types of orogen, hydrated marine sedimentary and volcanic rocks have been added to continental margins during tens to some 100 million years of collision. Subduction-related thermal...