ABSTRACT
This paper discusses geological environment of Zn-Pb ore deposits in Silesia-Cracow region (southern Poland). The role of a deep tectonic fold zone in the distribution of the ore in Triassic and Devonian formations was also stressed. The forms in which Zn-Pb ore bodies were described and the significance of hy-drothermal karst as the determinant direction of ore-creating hydrothermal flows and consequently, in the formation of Zn-Pb were discussed. Distribution and intensity of mineralization of currently exploited deposits were compared with those in the prospective deposits in Klucze and Zawiercie. The structure of ore bodies in Triassic and Devonian vary. Ores in Devonian carbonate formations are only weakly prospected and have never been exploited. The paper also pointed out high levels of Zn, Pb, Cd, and Ag in Klucze and Zawiercie deposits. Finally, the paper described some elements of the geological structure of these deposits which can hinder their future exploitation and reduce the economic viability of exploitation.
