SHRIMP Dating and Recrystallization of Metamorphic Zircons from a Granitic Gneiss in the Sulu UHP Terrane

An unusual zircon SHRIMP dating result of a granitic gneiss from the Qinglongshan eclogite-gneiss roadcut section is presented in this paper. The very peculiar and complicated internal structures, as well as the very low Th/U ratios (0.01-0.08) of the zircons indicate that they were formed by metamorphic recrystallization. Strongly in contrast with previously published zircon U-Pb ages of the Dabie-Sulu UHP metamorphic rocks where protolith ages of 600-800 Ma are commonly recorded, only metamorphic age of 218±5 Ma, defined by 18 analytical spots either in rim or in core of zircons, are recorded in this granitic gneiss. This age represents the time of the complete metamorphic recrystallization overprint on primary magmatic zircons. The recrystallization was derived by the UHP metamorphism, and was strengthened by the early stage of retrograde metamorphic fluid activity.

The Key Influence of Fluid in Metamorphic Rock Preserves, Mineral Assemblages, Compositions and Structures: Study from High-Pressure Eclogite and Its Amphibolization in the Western Dabie Mountains,Central China

The most of high/ultrahigh-pressure(HP/UHP)terranes of the world are characterized by the occurrence of numerous pods,lenses or layered blocks of eclogite and amphibolites(e.g.O’Brien,1997;Elvevold and Gilotti,2000;Zhang et al.,2003;and references there in).Field and petrological features suggest that amphibolites should

The giant Jiaodong gold province： The key to a unified model for orogenic gold deposits？

Although the term orogenic gold deposit has been widely accepted for all gold-only lode-gold deposits,with the exception of Carlin-type deposits and rare intrusion-related gold systems,there has been continuing debate on their genesis.Early syngenetic models and hydrothermal models dominated by meteoric fluids are now clearly unacceptable.Magmatic-hydrothermal models fail to explain the genesis of orogenic gold deposits because of the lack of consistent spatially- associated granitic intrusions and inconsistent temporal relationships.The most plausible,and widely accepted,models involve metamorphic fluids,but the source of these fluids is hotly debated.Sources within deeper segments of the supracrustal successions hosting the deposits,the underlying continental crust,and subducted oceanic lithosphere and its overlying sediment wedge all have their proponents.The orogenic gold deposits of the giant Jiaodong gold province of China,in the delaminated North China Craton,contain ca.120 Ma gold deposits in Precambrian crust that was metamorphosed over 2000 million years prior to gold mineralization.The only realistic source of fluid and gold is a subducted oceanic slab with its overlying sulfide-rich sedimentary package,or the associated mantle wedge.This could be viewed as an exception to a general metamorphic model where orogenic gold has been derived during greenschist- to amphibolite-facies metamorphism of supracrustal rocks：basaltic rocks in the Precambrian and sedimentary rocks in the Phanerozoic.Alternatively,if a holistic view is taken,Jiaodong can be considered the key orogenic gold province for a unified model in which gold is derived from late-orogenic metamorphic devolatilization of stalled subduction slabs and oceanic sediments throughout Earth history.The latter model satisfies all geological,geochronological,isotopic and geochemical constraints but the precise mechanisms of auriferous fluid release,like many other subduction-related processes,are model-driven and remain uncertain.

A Fluid Inclusion Study of Vein-type Copper Mineralization in the East Wulasigou Pb-Zn-Cu Deposit,Altay,Northwestern China

The Wulasigou Cu-Pb-Zn deposit,located 15 km northwest of Altay city in Xinjiang,is one of many Cu-Pb-Zn polymetallic deposits in the Devonian Kelan volcanic-sedimentary basin in southern Altaids.Two mineralizing periods can be distinguished：the marine volcanic sedimentary PbZn mineralization period,and the metamorphic hydrothermal Cu mineralization period,which is further divided into an early bedded foliated quartz vein stage（Q1） and a late sulfide-quartz vein stage（Q2） crosscutting the foliation.Four types of fluid inclusions were recognized in the Q1 and Q2 quartz from the east orebodies of the Wulasigou deposit：H2O-CO2 inclusions,carbonic fluid inclusions,aqueous fluid inclusions,and daughter mineral-bearing fluid inclusions.Microthermometric studies show that solid CO2 melting temperatures（T（m,CO2）） of H2O-CO2 inclusions in Ql are from-62.3℃ to-58.5C,clathrate melting temperatures（T（m,clath）l） are from 0.5 C to 7.5 C,partial homogenization temperatures（T（h,CO2）） vary from 3.3℃ to 25.9℃（to liquid）,and the total homogenization temperatures（T（h,tot）） vary from 285℃ to 378℃,with the salinities being 4.9%-15.1%NaCl eqv.and the CO2-phase densities being 0.50-0.86 g/cm-3.H2O-CO2 inclusions in Q2 have T（m,CO2） from-61.9℃ to-56.9℃,T（m,clath）from 1.3℃ to 9.5℃,T（h,CO2） from 3.4℃ to 28.7℃（to liquid）,and T（h,tot） from 242℃ to 388℃,with the salinities being 1.0%-15.5%NaCl eqv.and the CO2-phase densities being 0.48-0.89 g/cm-3.The minimum trapping pressures of fluid inclusions in Q1 and Q2 are estimated to be 260-360 MPa and180-370 MPa,respectively.The δ-（34）S values of pyrite from the volcanic sedimentary period vary from2.3‰ to 2.8‰（CDT）,and those from the sulfide-quartz veins fall in a narrow range of-1.9‰ to 2.6‰（CDT）.The δD values of fluid inclusions in Q2 range from-121.0‰ to-100.8‰（SMOW）,and theδ-（18）O（H2O） values calculated from δ-（18）O of quartz range from-0.2‰ to 8.3‰（SMOW）.The δD-δ-（18）O（H2O）data are close to the magmatic and metamorphic fields.The fluid inclusion and stable isotope data documented in this study indicate that the vein-type copper mineralization in the Wulasigou Pb-Zn-Cu deposit took place in an orogenic-metamorphic enviroment.

An oxygen isotope study of quartz veins within eclogites from the Dabie terrane

The oxygen isotope composition of minerals from quartz veins and host eclogites in the Dabie terrane was measured in order to place geochemical constraints on the origin and transport of metamorphic fluid. The results are discussed together with structural and petrological relationships between quartz vein and wallrock. The quartz veins can be temporally classified into three groups: (1) synmetamorphic vein which would be formed prior to eclogite-facies recrystallization when they were exhumated from mantle depths to deep crustal levels; (2) early retrogressive vein which was formed in the early stage of eclogite exhumation subsequent to the recrystallization, the vein-forming fluid is still relevant to the eclogites; (3) late retrogressive vein which was formed in the late stage of eclogite exhumation from deep crustal to upper crustal levels, oxygen isotope fractionation between vein quartz and host eclogite significantly deviates from equilibrium values and the vein-forming fluid was principally derived from granitic gneiss hosting the eclogites. For the synmetamorphic vein, it appears that local advective transport of fluid is the predominant mechanism in the processes of vein precipitation; the scale of oxygen isotope homogenization within the veins is much larger than that within the associated eclogites. The vein-forming fluid would be derived from the exsolution of dissolved hydroxyls within eclogite minerals due to significant pressure decrease. Fluid flow prior to the eclogite-facies recrystallization and the early retrogression may occur mainly along pressure gradients.