Using trace elements of magnetite to constrain the origin of the Pingchuan hydrothermal low-Ti magnetite deposit in the Panxi area, SW China

The Pingchuan iron deposit, located in the Yanyuan region of Sichuan Province, SW China, has an ore reserve of 40 Mt with ~60 wt% Fe. Its genesis is still poorly understood. The Pingchuan iron deposit has a paragenetic sequence of an early Fe-oxide–Pyrite stage(Ⅰ) and a late Fe-oxide–pyrrhotite stage(Ⅱ). Stage Ⅰ magnetite grains are generally fragmented, euhedral–subhedral, largesized crystals accompanying with slightly postdated pyrite.Stage Ⅱ magnetite grains are mostly unfragmented, anhedral, relatively small-sized grains that co-exist with pyrrhotite. Combined with micro-textural features and previously-obtained geochronological data, we consider that these two stages of iron mineralization in the Pingchuan deposit correspond to the Permian ELIP magmatism and Cenozoic fault activity event. Both the Stage Ⅰ and Ⅱ magnetites are characterized with overall lower contents of trace elements(including Cr, Ti, V, and Ni) than the ELIP magmatic magnetite, which suggests a hydrothermal origin for them. ‘‘Skarn-like'' enrichment in Sn, Mn, and Zn in the Stage Ⅰ magnetite grains indicate significant material contributions from carbonate wall-rocks due to water–rock interaction in ore-forming processes. Stage Ⅱ magnetite grains contain higher Mn concentrations than Stage Ⅰ magnetite grains, which possibly implies more contribution from carbonate rocks. In multiple-element diagrams, the Stage Ⅰ magnetite shows systematic similarities to Kiruna-type magnetite rather than those from other types of deposits. Combined with geological features and previous studies on oxygen isotopes, we conclude that hydrothermal fluids have played a key role in the generation of the Pingchuan low-Ti iron deposit.

Platinum-group element geochemistry of mafic rocks from the Dongchuan area,southwestern China

Mafic intrusions and dykes are well preserved in the Yinmin and Lanniping districts, located within the western margin of the Yangtze Block, SW China. Although these mafic rocks from the two areas formed during different periods, they share similar ranges of PGE concentration. Most of the Yinmin gabbroic dykes contain relatively high PGE concentrations （PGEs=13.9-87.0 ppb） and low S contents （0.003 %-0.020 %）, higher than the maximum PGE concentrations of mafic magmas melting from the mantle. Two exceptional Yinmin samples are characterized by relatively low PGE （PGEs = 0.31-0.37 ppb）and high S （0.114 %-0.257 %） contents. In contrast, most samples from the Lanniping gabbroic intrusion have low PGE con- centrations （PGEs = 0.12-1.02 ppb） and high S contents （0.130 %-0.360 %）, except that the three samples exhibit relatively high PGE （PGEs=16.3-34.8 ppb） and low S concentrations （0.014 %-0.070 %）. All the Yinmin and Lanniping samples are characterized by the enrichment of PPGE relative to IPGE in the primitive-mantle normalized diagrams, and the high-PGE samples exhibit obvious Ru anomalies. This study suggests that during the ascent of the parental magma, removal of Os-Ir-Ru alloys and/or chro- mite/spinel leads to high Pd/Ir ratios and Ru anomalies for the Yinmin high-PGE samples and relatively lower Pd/lr ratios and Ru anomalies for the Lanniping low-PGE samples. We propose that the magmas parental to the Yinmin gabbroic dykes are initially S-unsaturated, and subsequently, minor evolved magma reached sulfur saturation and led to sulfide segregation. Although the Lanniping parental magmas are originally not saturated in S, the high Cu/Pd ratios （3.8× 10^4 to 3.2 × 10^6） for most of the Lanniping samples indicate the S-saturated state and sulfide segregation. A calculation shows that the PGE-poor magmas might have experienced 0.01%-0.1%sulfidesegregationinthemagma chamber. Therefore, our study provides a possible opportunity to discover PGE-enriched sulfide mineralization some- where near or within the Lanniping mafic intrusion.