The sources of karstic bauxite are complex and have not been so far addressed by multi-proxy provenance studies that interrogate bauxite sources. The Carboniferous bauxite in the North China Craton, which is the largest karstic bauxite area in the world, contains considerable quantities of detrital heavy minerals, including zircon, rutile, tourmaline, and moissanite, allowing multi-proxy provenance studies. In this study, geological, mineralogical, geochemical analyses, and detrital heavy mineral analyses were conducted for the Jiagou and Kuancaoping bauxite deposits located in the southern and northern parts of the North China Craton, respectively. Coupled with previously published geological, geochemical, and detrital mineral data, this study aims to thoroughly clarify the provenance of karstic bauxites in the North China Craton. In general, the ore-bearing rock series contains three units: lower iron-bearing claystone consisting of illite, chamosite, and goethite; middle bauxite ore dominated by diaspore, kaolinite, illite, chamosite, and anatase; and upper bauxitic claystone composed of kaolinite, diaspore, and anatase. Immobile trace element ratios and Rare Earth Element patterns of the bauxites throughout the North China Craton revealed that the lower iron-bearing claystone was autochthonous and directly sourced from the underlying limestone. The isotope data of detrital zircon along with chemical compositions and morphological features of detrital rutile, tourmaline, and moissanite in the bauxite ores revealed that the bauxite ore and bauxitic claystone were mainly para-allochthonous and derived from regional multi-sources. The multi-sources origin is also shared by other karst bauxites in the world. The results indicate that the bauxite deposits in the northern and southern parts of the North China Craton have distinct source materials. The provenance of the bauxite in the northern part of the North China Craton is mainly from the northern margin craton orogenic belt and the adjacent intraplate paleo-uplifts, whereas in the southern part, it is dominated by the North Qinling orogenic belt and the nearby paleo-uplifts. Consequently, the Carboniferous karstic bauxites in the North China Craton are characterized by the autochthonous origin of the lower iron-bearing claystone and the para-allochthonous origin of the upper bauxite ore and bauxitic claystone. This clearly illustrates the dependence of provenance information on mineral proxy choice and underlines the preponderance of multiproxy provenance studies to solve the complex source issue of karst bauxites in North China Craton.

岩溶铝土矿的来源很复杂，到目前为止还没有通过询问铝土矿来源的多代理来源研究来解决。华北克拉通石炭系铝土矿是世界上最大的岩溶铝土矿区，含有大量碎屑重矿物，包括锆石、金红石、电气石和莫桑石，可以进行多代理物源研究。本研究分别对位于华北克拉通南部和北部的夹沟和宽草坪铝土矿床进行了地质、矿物学、地球化学分析和碎屑重矿物分析。结合先前发表的地质、地球化学和碎屑矿物数据，本研究旨在彻底阐明华北克拉通岩溶铝土矿的物源。一般来说，含矿岩系包含三个单元：下层含铁粘土岩，由伊利石、菱铁矿和针铁矿组成；中铝土矿以硬水铝石、高岭石、伊利石、菱镁矿和锐钛矿为主；上部铝土质粘土岩，由高岭石、硬水铝石和锐钛矿组成。整个华北克拉通铝土矿的固定微量元素比率和稀土元素模式表明，下部含铁粘土岩是本土的，直接来源于下伏的石灰岩。铝土矿矿石中碎屑锆石同位素数据以及碎屑金红石、电气石和莫桑石的化学成分和形态特征表明，铝土矿矿石和铝土矿粘土岩以准外源为主，来源区域多。世界上其他岩溶铝土矿也具有多源产地。结果表明，华北克拉通北部和南部的铝土矿矿床具有不同的源物质。华北克拉通北部铝土矿的物源主要来自北缘克拉通造山带及邻近的板内古隆起，而南部则以北秦岭造山带及附近古隆起为主。 - 隆起。因此，华北克拉通石炭系岩溶铝土矿具有下层含铁粘土岩自地成因和上层铝土矿和铝土质粘土岩准异地成因的特征。