Re-Os Dating of Molybdenite from the Nannihu Mo (-W) Orefield in the East Qinling and Its Geodynamic Significance

Located in the East Qinling molybdenum metallogenic belt on the southern margin of the North China craton, the Nannihu Mo (-W) orefield comprising Nannihu, Sandaozhuang, and Shangfanggou deposits is a superlarge skarn-porphyry Mo (-W) orefield in the world. Re-Os dating was performed of six molybdenite samples from the Mo deposits in the Nannihu Mo orefield with inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The results show that the Re-Os model ages are 145.8±2.1-141.8±2.1 Ma for the Nannihu deposit, 145.4±2.0-144.5±2.2 Ma (averaging 145.0±2.2 Ma) for the Sandaozhuang deposit and 145.8±2.1-143.8±2.1 Ma (averaging 144.8±2.1 Ma) for the Shangfanggou deposit; dating of the six samples yields an isochron age of 141.5±7.8 Ma (2σ), which accurately determines the timing of mineralization. The results also suggest that the ore-forming materials were mainly derived from the lower crust, mixed with minor mantle components. These Mo deposits were formed during the transition of the Mesozoic tectonic regime in eastern China, and its mineralization was a part of the Late Mesozoic large-scale mineralization in that region.

SHRIMP Zircon U-Pb and Molybdenite Re-Os Datings of the Superlarge Donggou Porphyry Molybdenum Deposit in the East Qinling,China,and Its Geological Implications

Located in the eastern part of the East Qinling molybdenum belt, the Donggou deposit is a superlarge porphyry molybdenum deposit discovered in recent years. The authors performed highly precise dating of the mineralized porphyry and ores in the Donggou molybdenum deposit. A SHRIMP U-Pb zircon dating of the Donggou aluminous A-type granite-porphyry gave a rock-forming age of 112±1 Ma, and the ICP-MS Re-Os analyses of molybdenite from the molybdenum deposit yielded ReOs model ages ranging from 116.5±1.7 to 115.5±1.7 Ma for the deposit. The ages obtained by the two methods are quite close, suggesting that the rocks and ores formed approximately at the same time. The Donggou molybdenum deposit formed at least 20 Ma later than the Jinduicheng, Nannihu, Shangfanggou and Leimengou porphyry molybdenum deposits in the same molybdenum belt, implying that these deposits were formed in different tectonic settings.

Lead Isotopic Steep-Dipping Zone and Mineralization—An Example from Mineral Deposits Concentrated Area in East Qinling,China

Lead isotopic geochemical steep-dipping zone usually exists on inhomogeneous boundaries of earth blocks. Its crossing with the geophysical gradient zone often convergently occurs at giant deposits. Deep structures or concealed structural planes obviously have the coupling relationship with the convergent area of mineral deposits. The geochemical steep-dipping zone is usually distributed along the boundary of ancient continental blocks. Its crossing effect with geophysical gradient zone is usually presented as depression or swell of Moho discontinuity on the crossing direction with the ancient continental margin, which would lead to form deep fractures of earth crust at block margins or lead to adjustment of earth crust texture. The deep hydrothermal liquid would rise up along the structural planes to form the convergent areas of mineral deposits. For example, Luonan- Luanchuan area in east Qinling is a typical crossed area of the geochemical steepdipping zone and geophysical gradient zone. The mineral deposit belt extends along EW direction. It was controlled by the geochemical steepdipping zone equidistantly distributed along NE direction like a string of beads controlled by a gravity gradient zone in NE direction and a mantle depression slope. Along a plunging mantle syncline on EW plunging direction, from the east to the west, checkform was distributed which controls synergic crustmantle granoporphyry rocks. Therefore, a convergent mineralization area of Mo, W, Zn and Au giant deposits occurred.

An Early Cretaceous garnet-bearing metaluminous A-type granite intrusion in the East Qinling Orogen,central China:Petrological,mineralogical and geochemical constraints

The Erlangmiao granite intrusion is located in the eastern part of the East Qinling Orogen. The granite contains almost 99 vol.% felsic minerals with accessory garnet, muscovite, biotite, zircon, and Fe-Ti oxide. Garnet is the dominant accessory mineral, shows zoned texture, and is rich in w（FeO） （14.13%--16.09%） and w（MnO） （24.21%--27.44%）. The rocks have high SiO2, alkalis, FeOt/ MgO, TiO2/MgO and low A1203, CaO with w（Na2O）/w（K20）〉 ]. Their Rb, Ga, Ta, Nb, Y, and Yb contents are high and Sr, Ba, Eu, Zr, P, and Ti contents are low. These features indicate that the Erlang- miao granite is a highly evolved metaluminous A-type. Garnet crystallized at the expense of biotite from the MnO-rich evolved melt after fractionation of biotite, plagioclase, K-feldspar, zircon, apatite, and ilmenite. The relatively high initial 878r/S6Sr ratios （0.706--0.708）, low and negative εNd （120 Ma） values （-6.6 to -9.0）, and old Nd model ages （1.5--1.7 Ga） suggest that the rocks were probably formed by partial melting of the Paleoproterozoic granitic gneisses from the basement, with participation of depleted mantle in an extensional setting.

Tectonic Development of the Proterozoic Continental Margins in East Qinling and Adjacent Regions

The East Qinling and adjacent cratonic regions belong to two geotectonic units, the Sinokorean Subdomain including the Sinokorean Platform and its southern continental margin the North Qinling Belt, and the Yangtzean Subdomain comprising the Yangtze Platform and its northern continental margin the South Qinling Belt .The Qinling region may thus be subdivided into two continental margin belts separated from each other by the Proterozoic Qinling marine realm , which did not disappear until Late Triassic . The convergent crustal consumption zone ,the megasuture between the two belts ,lies between the Fengxian Shangnan line in the north and the Shanyang Xijia line in the south and was much deformed and displaced through Mesozoic intracratonic collision and compression.In the northern subdomain the Lower Proterozoic is represented by protoaulacogen volcano-sediments , the inner Tiedonggou Group and the outer marginal Qinling Group , which were folded and metamorphosed in the Luliangian orogeny ,a general process of aggregation and stabilization of the Early Proterozoic mobile belts between and around the Archaean nuclei. Genuine aulacogen occurred in the Middle Proterozoic and was represented by the Xionger rift volcanics . The Middle and Upper Proterozoic comprise the inner Guandaokou shelf sediments and the outer extensional' back- arc' Kuanping Group behind the Qinling island chain . Oceanic subduction from the south of the Qinling arc representing the Jinningian orogeny caused the folding of the Mid dle and Upper Proterozoic and emplacement of island arc-continent collision type of granite . After the Jinningian orogeny Late Sinian glacigene deposits formed the platform cover and the Erlangping back arc basin began to develop on the northern slope of the Qinling arc .In South Qinling the Lower Proterozoic Tongbe Group was probably an original marginal part of the Yangtze Platform . The passive margin began rifting in Middle Proterozoic with the formation of the inner Shennongjia aulacogen and the outer marginal Wudang aulacogen. Deformation of the Wudang and Douling groups indicating Jinningian Movement seemed to have been caused by a southward compression of the Tongbe Massif. Resumed rifting in the Sinian evidenced by the sedimentary facies pattern caused the northward separation of the Douling Massif, which formed part of the Fuping-Zhenan island chain , the northern boundary of the South Qinling Belt. In the western part of South Qinling , in the Hanzhong region , the Middle and Upper Proterozoic are represented by the Huodiya shelf sediments and the Xixiang marginal volcano sedimentaries , The Jinningian orogeny is well represented by the deformed Xixiang Group and the subduction pattern of magmatism from north to south in the Beiba area . It seems that the genuine arc-basin system in the continental margin and the aulacogen in the inner part of the platform began in the Middle Proterozoic (1800 Ma), which marks the beginning of a new tectonic megastage in lithosphere evolution.

Geotectonic Subdivision and Paleozoic Subduction and Collision Orogeny of East Qinling and Its Adjacent Regions:Evidence from Geochemical Research

The regional lithospheric chemical heterogeneity in-ers that the East Qinling and its adjacent cratonic re-ions , as suggested by some authors , belong to two eotectonic units,the North China subdomain including he North China Craton and its southern continental largin (the North Qinling Belt), and the Yangtzean ubdomain comprising the Yangtze Craton and its torthern continental margin (the South Qinh'ng Belt). In the North Qinling Belt the metamorphosed olcanic rocks and graywackes of the Early Paleozoic Oanfeng Group south of the Early Proterozoic Qinling Froup show geochemical characteristics resembling hose of the arc volcanics and arc graywackes -espectively. The Early Paleozoic granites intruding in he Qinling Group also show similar geochemical features and similar compositional polarities to the arc-type granites . The Erlangping Group north of the Qinling Group is a volcanic-sedimentary sequence produced in an Early Paleozoic back - arc basin based on geochemical evidence . It is therefore believed that the North Qinling Belt comprised the active continental margin of the North China Craton , beneath which the ancient Qinling oceanic plate underthrusted and was consumed from 480 to 380Ma ago . The South Qinling Belt is generally considered to be a passive continental margin of the Yangtze Craton on which developed the thick Sinian and Paleozoic sediments of continental shelf and continental slope fades . The source of fine -grained clastic sedimentary rocks of various geological periods has been geochemically studied.The result demonstrates that the terrigenous elastics of the South Qinling Belt came only from the Yangtze Craton prior to the Silurian , and since then began to be fed by both the Yangtze Craton and the North Qinling . The Devonian sediments display a clear two - component mixing model in their source material . The change in the source materi-al strongly suggests that the Yangtze passive continental margin approached the active continental margin of the North China Craton and finally came into contact with it during the Silurian and the Early Devonian . On both sides of the Shangdan Fault Zone , the lithospheric megasuture of the Qinh'ng orogen , are distributed the Late Paleozoic (323-262 Ma ) granites which intruded in the Danfeng Group and the Qinling Group to the north , and in the Devonian strata to the south of the suture . The older granites of that time interval are comparable in geological and geochemical characteristics to the syn - collision granites from other continent-continent collision zones . The younger calc - alkaline granites which were em placed at about 260 Ma ago have been classified as the late - collision granites by various geochemical discrimination methods . On these grounds it may be deduced that the continent - continent collision orogeny did not begin to act until the late Early Carboniferous epoch and that its main episode was the Late Paleozoic , although it might have continued to the Early Mesozoic .The collision orogeny was separated from the subduction orogeny by an interval of about 60 Ma and the subduction of the oceanic crust was accompanied by the northward shifting of the Yangtze Craton and its passive continental margin . However , the ocean basin still remained in the South Qinling Belt for a long time after the disappearance of the ocean .

U-Pb Geochronology, Elemental and Sr-Nd Isotopic Geochemistry of the Houyaoyu Granite Porphyries： Implication for the Genesis of Early Cretaceous Felsic Intrusions in East Qinling

The Early Cretaceous Houyaoyu granite porphyries are located in the south margin of the North China Craton. Field observations, petrography, geochronology, major and trace elemental and Sr-Nd isotopic compositions are reported to elucidate the genesis of the Houyaoyu granite porphyries. SIMS zircon U-Pb analyses for the Houyaoyu granite porphyries yield two concordant ages of 133.2±2.3 （2σ） and 131±1.1 （2σ） Ma, respectively. Major and trace elemental compositions indicate that these porphyries are high-K I-type granites with high contents of SiO2, K20, Rb, U, Pb, low Nb, Ta, Ti, and P. Initial S：Sr/S6Sr ratios range from 0.708 3 to 0.709 7, and εNd（t） values range from -9.13 to -12.3, with corresponding two-stage depleted-mantie Nd model ages （T2DM） varying from 1.57 to 1.91 Ga. This suggests that the Houyaoyu granite porphyries were predominantly derived from ancient lower conti- nental crust, with minor involvement of mantie-derived components. On the basis of the tectonic evolution of the Qinling Orogen and geochemical characteristics of the Houyaoyu granite porphyries, it is proposed that they were formed in an extensional tectonic setting related to lithospheric destruction of the North China Craton, and produced Mo and Pb-Zn mineralization in East Qinling Orogen. KEY WORDS： East Qinling, granite porphyries, ancient lower continental crust, destruction of North China Craton.

Metamorphism of the East Sector of the Southern Qinling Orogenic Belt and Its Geological Significance

The east sector of the southern Qinling belt is, lithologically, composed mainly of metapelites, ***qüartzites, marbles and small amount of metabasites and gneisses, whose protoliths are the Silurian, Devonian and less commonly the Sinian and Upper Palaeozoic. They have been subjected at least to two epochs of metamorphism. The early epoch belongs to progressive metamorphism which is centered on high amphibolite-granulite fades in the Fuping area and changed outwards into low amphibolite facies (staurolite-kyanite zone), epidote amphibolite facies (garnet zone) and greenschist facies (chlorite and biotite zones), the metamorphic age of which is about 220–260 Ma. This early-epoch metamorphism belongs to different pressure types: the rocks from greenschist to low amphibolite facies belong to the typical medium-pressure type which shows geothermal gradients of about 17–20 ***C/km and was probably produced by a crustal thickening process related to continental collision, and the high amphibolite-granulite facies belongs to the low-pressure type which shows geothermal gradients of about 25–38 ***C/km and was probably affected by some magmatic heats. Based on the basic characteristics of the P-T paths of the different facies calculated from the garnet zonations, it can be deduced that the metamorphism of medium-pressure facies series took place during an imbricated thickening process, rather than during the uplifting process after thickening. The late-epoch metamorphism belongs to dynamic metamorphism of greenschist facies which is overprinted on the early-epoch metamorphic rocks and is Yanshanian or Himalayan in age, probably related to intracontinental orogeny.