Zircon U/Pb dating and Hf-O isotopes of the Zhouan ultramafic intrusion in the northern margin of the Yangtze Block,SW China:Constraints on the nature of mantle source and timing of the supercontinent Rodinia breakup

The Zhouan ultramafic intrusion in the northern margin of the Yangtze Block is mainly composed of lherzolite. Zircon grains selected from lherzolite are irregular in shape with distinct oscillatory and sector zoning and have Th/U ratios ranging from 0.8 to 10.6, indicating a magmafic origin. The weighted average 206pb/238U age is 637±4 Ma （2σ, n=15）, which can be considered as the crystallization age of the Zhouan intrusion. Zircon grains have δ18O values ranging from 5.2‰to 7.0‰, with an averaged value of 5.8±0.4‰（1 or, n=33）, similar to the mantle δ18O value of zircon. Their 176Hf/177Hf（t） ratios range from 0.282410 to 0.282594 with εHf（t） values ranging from 1.3 to 7.6, lower than the corresponding value of the depleted mantle （~15）, indicating an enriched mantle source. The enriched mantle source may have generated from a metasomatized lithospheric mantle with subducted slab. A number of -635 Ma mafic-ultramafic intrusions in the Suizao basin are associated with coeval bimodal volcanics of the Yaolinghe Formation, indicating a continental rift setting. The ~635 Ma magmafic event in this region may represent the product of the last breakup of the Rodinia supercontinent in the northern margin of the Yangtze Block at Neoproterozoic.

Ore Genesis of the Kalatongke Cu-Ni Sulfide Deposits, Western China: Constraints from Volatile Chemical and Carbon Isotopic Compositions

The Kalatongke Cu-Ni sulfide deposits located in the East Junggar terrane, northern Xinjiang, western China are the largest magmatic sulfide deposits in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt （CAOB）. The chemical and carbon isotopic compositions of the volatiles trapped in olivine, pyroxene and sulfide mineral separates were analyzed by vacuum stepwise-heating mass spectrometry. The results show that the released volatiles are concentrated at three temperature intervals of 200-400°C, 400-900°C and 900-1200°C. The released volatiles from silicate mineral separates at 400-900°C and 900-1200°C have similar chemical and carbon isotopic compositions, which are mainly composed of H2O （av. ~92 mol%） with minor H2, CO2, H2S and SO2, and they are likely associated with the ore-forming magmatic volatiles. Light δ13CCO2 values （from -20.86‰ to -12.85‰） of pyroxene indicate crustal contamination occurred prior to or synchronous with pyroxene crystallization of mantlederived ore-forming magma. The elevated contents of H2 and H2O in the olivine and pyroxene suggest a deep mantle-originated ore-forming volatile mixed with aqueous volatiles from recycled subducted slab. High contents of CO2 in the ore-forming magma volatiles led to an increase in oxygen fugacity, and thereby reduced the solubility of sulfur in the magma, then triggered sulfur saturation followed by sulfide melt segregation; CO2 contents correlated with Cu contents in the whole rocks suggest that a supercritical state of CO2 in the ore-forming magma system under high temperature and pressure conditions might play a key role in the assemblage of huge Cu and Ni elements. The volatiles released from constituent minerals of intrusion 1# have more CO2 and SO2 oxidized gases, higher CO2/CH4 and SO2/H2S ratios and lighter δ13CCO2 than those of intrusions 2# and 3#. This combination suggests that the higher oxidation state of the volatiles in intrusion 1# than intrusions 2# and 3#, which could be one of key ore-forming factors for large amounts of ores and high contents of Cu and Ni in intrusion 1#. The volatiles released at 200-400°C are dominated by H2O with minor CO2, N2＋CO and SO2, with δ13CCO2 values （-25.66‰ to -22.98‰） within the crustal ranges, and are considered to be related to secondary tectonic-hydrothermal activities.