Molybdenite Re-Os,titanite and garnet U-Pb dating of the Magushan skarn Cu-Mo deposit,Xuancheng district,Middle-Lower Yangtze River Metallogenic Belt

The Magushan skarn Cu-Mo deposit is a representative example of the skarn mineralization occurring within the Xuancheng ore district of the Middle-Lower Yangtze River Metallogenic Belt of eastern China.The precise age of an ore deposit is important for understanding the timing of mineralization relative to other geological events in a region and to fully place the formation of a mineral deposit within the geological context of other processes that occur within the study area.Here,we present new molybdenite Re-Os and titanite and andradite garnet U-Pb ages for the Magushan deposit and use these data to outline possible approaches for identifying genetic relationships in geologically complex areas.The spatial and paragenetic relationships between the intrusions,alteration,and mineralization within the study area indicates that the formation of the Magushan deposit is genetically associated with the porphyritic granodiorite.However,this is not always the case,as some areas contain complexly zoned plutons with multiple phases of intrusion or mineralization may be distal from or may not have any clear spatial relationship to a pluton.This means that it may not be possible to determine whether the mineralization formed as a result of single or multiple magmatic/hydrothermal events.As such,the approaches presented in this study provide an approach that allows the identification of any geochronological relationships between mineralization and intrusive events in areas more complex than the study area.Previously published zircon U-Pb data for the mineralization-related porphyritic granodiorite in this area yielded an age of 134.2±1.2 Ma(MSWD=1.4)whereas the Re-Os dating of molybdenite from the study area yielded an isochron age of 137.7±2.5 Ma(MSWD=0.43).The timing of the mineralizing event in the study area was further examined by the dating of magmatic accessory titanite and skarn-related andradite garnet,yielding U-Pb ages of 136.3±2.5 Ma(MSWD=3.2)and 135.9±2.7 Ma(MSWD=2.5),respectively.The dating of magmatic and hydrothermal activity within the Magushan area yields ages around 136 Ma,strongly suggesting that the mineralization in this area formed as a result of the emplacement of the intrusion.The dates presented in this study also provide the first indication of the timing of mineralization within the Xuancheng district.providing evidence of a close genetic relationship between the formation of the mineralization within the Xuancheng district and the Early Cretaceous magmatism that occurred in this area.This in turn suggests that other Early Cretaceous intrusive rocks within this region are likely to be associated with mineralization and should be considered highly prospective for future mineral exploration.This study also indicates that the dating of garnet and titanite can also provide reliable geochronological data and evidence of the timing of mineralization and magmatism,respectively,in areas lacking other dateable minerals(e.g.,molybdenite)or where the relationship between mineralization and magmatism is unclear,for example in areas with multiple stages of magmatism,with complexly zoned plutons,and with distal skarn mineralization.

Geochemical characteristics and tectonic setting of the Tuerkubantao mafic-ultramafic intrusion in West Junggar,Xinjiang,China

Mineral chemistry, whole-rock major oxide, and trace element compositions have been determined for the Tuerkubantao mafic-ultramafic intrusion, in order to understand the early Paleozoic tectonic evolution of the West Junggar orogenic belt at the southern margin of the Central Asian orogenic belt. The Tuerkubantao mafic-ultramafic intrusion is a well-differentiated complex comprising peridotite, olivine pyroxenite, gabbro, and diorite. The ultramafic rocks are mostly seen in the central part of the intrusion and surrounded by mafic rocks. The Tuerkubantao intrusive rocks are characterized by enrichment of large ion lithophile elements and depleted high field strength elements relative to N-MORB. In addition, the Tuerkubantao intrusion displays relatively low Th/U and Nb/U （1.13-2.98 and 2.53-7.02, respectively） and high La/Nb and Ba/Nb （1.15 4.19 and 37.7-79.82, respectively）. These features indicate that the primary magma of the intrusion was derived from partial melting of a previously metasomatized mantle source in a subduction setting. The trace element patterns of peridotites, gabbros, and diorite in the Tuerkubantao intrusion have sub-parallel trends, suggesting that the different rock types are related to each other by differentiation of the same primary magma. The intrusive contact between peridotite and gabbro clearly suggest that the Tuerkubantao is not a fragment of an ophiolite. However, the Tuerkubantao intrusion displays many similarities with Alaskan-type mafic-ultramafic intrusions along major sutures of Phanerozoic orogenic belts. Common features include their geodynamic setting, internal lithological zoning, and geochemistry. The striking similarities indicate that the middle Devonian Tuerkubantao intrusion likely formed in a subduction-related setting similar to that of the Alaskan-type intrusions. In combination with the Devonian magmatism and porphyry mineralization, we propose that subduction of the oceanic slab has widely existed in the expansive oceans during the Devonian around the Junggar block.

Analysis on factors of glacier velocity:A case study of the Qiyi Glacier,Qilian Mountains

Glacier shape factors （area, length, and thickness）, climatic factors （annual temperature and precipitation）, mass balance, and other influence factors, of the Qiyi glacier velocity and their intensity were analyzed with the application of the path analysis method during 1958-2007. Results indicate that glacier velocity was mainly influenced by glacier shape, followed by mass balance and climatic conditions. Among the influence factors, glacier area and thickness are most significant, and direct and indirect path coef- ficients are respectively 6.56, 4.71, 19.29 and 13.57. This research provides information for further understanding glacier velocity and its influencing factors.

Combined garnet,scheelite and apatite U-Pb dating of mineralizing events in the Qiaomaishan Cu-W skarn deposit,eastern China

Determining the precise timing of mineralization and mineralizing events is crucial to understanding regional mineralizing and other geological events and processes.However,there are a number of mineralogical and analytical limitations to the approaches developed for the absolute dating of mineralizing systems,such as molybdenite Re-Os and zircon and garnet U-Pb,among others.This means that the precise and accurate dating of mineralizing systems that may not contain minerals suitable for dating using existing approaches requires the development of new(and ideally in situ)approaches to absolute dating.This study outlines a new in situ analytical approach that has the potential to rapidly and accurately evaluate the timing of ore formation.Our study employs a novel application of in situ scheelite U-Pb dating analysis using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry(LA-ICP-MS)and samples from the Qiaomaishan deposit,a representative example of skarn mineralization within the Xuancheng ore district of eastern China.Our approach to scheelite dating of the deposit is verified by cross-comparison to dating of cogenetic garnet and apatite,proving the effectiveness of this approach.Our new approach to dating of scheelite-bearing geological systems is rapid,cheap,requires little sample preparation,and is undertaken in situ,allowing crucial geological and mineralogical context to be retained during analysis.The approaches outlined here not only allow the determination of the absolute timing of formation of the Qiaomaishan deposit through the U-Pb dating of scheelite[138.6±3.2 Ma,N=39,mean square weighted deviation(MSWD)=1.17],garnet(138.4±1.0 Ma,N=40,MSWD=1.3),and apatite(139.6+3.3 Ma,N=35,MSWD=0.72),but also further supports the theoretical genetic links between this mineralization and the emplacement of a proximal porphyritic granodiorite intrusion(zircon U-Pb age:139.5±1.2 Ma,N=23,MSWD=0.3).Moreover,our research indicates that the higher the concentrations of U within scheelite,the more suitable that scheelite is for U-Pb dating,with the main factor controlling the U content of scheelite seemingly being variations in oxygen fugacity conditions.This novel approach provides a potentially powerful tool,not just for the dating of skarn systems but also with potential applications in orogenic and intrusion-related gold,porphyry W-Mo,and greisen mineralizing systems as well as other scheelite-bearing geological bodies or geological systems.