M agmatic Gold Mineralization in the Western Qinling Orogenic Belt: Geology and Metallogenesis of the Baguamiao,Liba and Xiaogouli Gold Deposits

The superlarge Baguamiao, large Liba and Xiaogouli gold deposits represent three typical gold deposits different from the Carlin type in the western Qinling Orogenic Belt. Based on Ar-Ar dating of quartz from ores, U-Pb dating of single zircon from granite, tracing of H and O isotopes and studies on the mineralogy and texture of spots and bleached alteration developed in wall rocks, this paper focuses the relations between gold deposits and granite to clarify the origin of gold deposits and the metallogenesis in the tectonic evolution of the Qinling Orogenic Belt. The comprehensive studies show that the age of the granite (148.1-244 Ma) is identical with that of the gold deposits (131.91-232.56 Ma). It is suggested that the granite has close temporal, spatial and genetic relationship with the gold deposits. The granite provides a heat source, water source and considerable amount of ore-forming material. Finally, it is concluded that the orogeny by collision, emplacement of the granite and positioning of the gold deposits represent a successive process. Both the granite and gold deposits resulted from the syn-orogeny and post-orogeny tectonic evolution.

Petrogenesis and tectonic implications of Indosinian granitoids from Western Qinling Orogen,China:Products of magma-mixing and fractionation

The Western Qinling Orogen(WQO) is characterized by voluminous distribution of Indosinian granitoids,the formation of which provides an important window to unravel the geochemical and geodynamic evolution and associated metallogeny.Here we investigate a group of intrusions termed "Five Golden Flowers" based on petrological,geochemical,zircon U-Pb geochronological and Lu-Hf isotopic studies on the granitoids and their mafic microgranular enclaves(MMEs).Our results show that these intrusions are genetically divided into two types,namely,magma-mixing and highly fractionated.The Jiaochangba,Lujing,Zhongchuan,and Luchuba granitoids are biotite monzogranites(220±0.8 Ma to 217±2.6 Ma) with abundant coeval MMEs(220±.1 Ma to 217±2.7 Ma).The rocks contain moderate to high SiO2,high MgO,Rb,Sr,Ba,and Th contents,but low TiO2,P2 O5,and Sc values,A/CNK of <1.1,and a range of εHf(t) values of-11.7 to +2.23 with corresponding TDM2values of 1967-1228 Ma.The MMEs possess K-feldspar megacrysts,abundant acicular apatites,and show lopsided textures.They have lower SiO2,Al2 O3,and Th contents,but higher MgO,TiO2,and Sc,with εHf(t) values of-18.0 to +3.18 and TDM1 of 849-720 Ma.The data indicate that the MMEs were derived from a magma sourced from the enriched lithospheric mantle.We suggest that these host granitoids were produced by partial melting of latePaleoproterozoic to early-Mesoproterozoic lower crust with the involvement of Neoproterozoic SCLM-derived mafic magmas.The Baijiazhuang pluton is dominantly composed of leucogranite(muscovite granite and twomica monzogranite,216±1.5 Ma) without MMEs.The rocks are peraluminous with high A/CNK(1.06-1.27).Compared with the other four granitoids,the Baijiazhuang leucogranite shows higher SiO2 content,markedly lower concentrations of TiO2,MgO,Al2 O3,CaO,and Fe2 O3T,and lower LREE/HREE and(La/Yb)N values.These leucogranites are also rich in Rb,Th,and U,and display marked depletions in Ba,Sr,Ti,and Eu,indicating that they experienced significant fractionation.Zircon εHf(t) values(-10.2 to-3.27) and TDM2(1868-1424 Ma),as well as the Nb/Ta and K2 O/Na2 O values are similar to the other four granitoids,indicating that they are likely to have been derived from a similar source;with sediments playing only a minor role in the magma generation.The low contents of Yb and Y suggest that their partial melting was controlled by garnets and micrographic texture of K-feldspar reflects high-temperature melting through undercooling.Based on the above features,we infer that the Baijiazhuang leucogranite likely represents the product of high degree fractionation of the I-type biotite monzogranite magma which generated the other four granitoids at relatively high temperatures,within magma chambers at mid-crust depths.We propose that the granitoid suite was formed in the transitional setting from synto post-collision during the collisional orogeny between the SCB and NCB,following break-off of the subducted South China Block lithosphere during 220-216 Ma.

Fluid Inclusions of Orogenic Gold Deposits in the Zhongchuan Area,Western Qinling and Their Geological Significance

Orogenically-derived gold deposits of the Zhongchuan area in the western Qinling are distributed in the exo-contact thermal metamorphic zone. The country rocks hosting the deposits are predominantly of Devonian age with low-grade metamorphism and strong deformation with the ore deposits directly controlled by multi-level tectonic systems. Three types of inclusions from these deposits have been recognized: CO2-H2O, CO2-rich, and aqueous. The ore-forming fluids were mainly CO2-NaCl-H2O type characterized by rich CO2, low salinity, high temperature and immiscibility. Incorporated with earlier isotopic data, the regional geological setting and features of diagenesis and metallogeny, it can be concluded that the ore-forming fluids were derived from deep magma and mixed with meteoric and metamorphic water. The deposits formed during an intra-continent collisional orogeny, and some of the materials derived from the deep might have been involved in the ore-forming process.

LA-ICP-MS U-Pb Zircon Geochronology,Geochemistry and Kinetics of Wenquan Ore-Bearing Granites from Western Qinling,China

As we know there is a famous East Qinling-Dabie molybdenum belt in china,where many molybdenum deposits located such as super giant Jinduicheng,Sandaozhuang,Shangfanggou and Nannihu molybdenum deposits(Li,2008) ;The molybdenum mineralization in the East Qinling-Dabie belt clusters into three groups or mineralization pulses:233-221,148-138 and 131-112 Ma(Mao et al,2008).

Selenium Enrichment in Cambrian Stratabound Gold Deposits in the Western Qinling Mountains

Stratabound gold deposits in the western Qinling Mountains occur in Cambrian chert formation composed of carbonaceous chert and carbonaceous slate. The distinctive chert formation provides important grounds for the mineralization and controls on the formation of gold deposits. Study shows that Se is exceptionally higher in both host rocks and gold orebodies. It may be recovered as a valuable component in ores for total utilization, and in some localities even independent Se orebodies (which are mined exclusively for Se) may be delineated. In gold ore Se mainly occurs as independent minerals or in the isomorphous form in sulphides and there is a positive correlation between Se and Au.

A New Chronological Report of the Hongshi Breccia-Host Gold Deposit in the Western Qinling Region,China

Objective The western Qinling belongs to the western part of the Qinling-Dabie-Sulu orogen between the North China Block and South China Block. Multiple orogenic events might be responsible for different types of gold mineralization, making the western Qinling gold region one of the most important gold metallogenic belts in China. This region has demonstrated a total gold resource of 〉500 t and more than ten gold deposits with gold resource of 〉20 t. Almost all gold deposits in the western Qinling gold region can be classified into two distinct genetic types as orogenic （such as the Shuangwang,

Study on Climate Change Characteristics in Western Qinling in the Past 41 Years

[Objective] The research aimed to examine climate change characteristics in western Qinling during 1967-2007. [Me^od] Based on the data of temperature, precipitation, sunshine duration, relative humidity and evaporation capacity derived from 17 weather stations, we analyzed the climatic change characteristics in western Qinling in the past 41 years, r Result] Increase magnitude of the annual mean temperature was 0.30 ℃/10 a in the past 41 years. Annual precipitation averaged 802 mm and varied non-significantly during the 41 years, while precipitation in spring significantly decreased by 13.68 mm/10 a. Besides, annual sunshine duration and annual mean relative humidity both decreased non-significantly, in contrast to annual evaporation capacity which showed an insignificantly increasing trend. Compared among southern, central and northern areas of the western Qinling, annual mean temperature, precipitation and relative humidity showed decreasing trends from south to north, while annual sunshine duration and annual evaporation capacity showed inversely increasing trends. [ Condusionl Thus, our research could provide reference basis for ecosystem stability and related research in western Qinling.

Cenozoic Tectonic Uplift History of Western Qinling: Evidence from Sedimentary and Fission-Track Data

The western Qinling （秦岭） orogenic belt is one of the outermost ranges in the northeas- tern Tibetan Plateau. Its tectonic uplift history is therefore essential to insight on the evolution history of the plateau. However, the timing of deformation and uplift history is still poorly known. Fortunately, its Cenozoic orogenic history is recorded in an excellent synorogenic sedimentary sequence exposed in the Tianshui （天水）Ba- sin, the northeastern foot of western Qinling. Ac- cording to sedimentary-tectonic analysis of the Yaodian （尧店） and Lamashan （喇嘛山） sections based on the previous magnetostratigraphy stu- dies, we speculated that two stages （occurred at 9.2-7.4 and -3.6 Ma） of variation in depositional facies were attributed to the uplift and deforma- tion of the western Qinling, and the modern structure geomorphic frame of the northeastern Tibet formed after 2.6 Ma. Furthermore, four stages of active processes along the western Qinling occurred at 49--41, 34-27, 25-19 and -13 Ma, are deciphered from an integrated detrital apatite fission-track data of the Ganquan （甘泉）, Yaodian main sections and seven small ones. The former two are represents the exhumation episodes triggered by tectonism and the others attributed to the volcanic signals.

Trace Element Compositions of Pyrite from the Shuangwang Gold Breccias,Western Qinling Orogen,China:Implications for Deep Ore Prediction

The Shuangwang gold deposit, located in the Fengxian-Taibai fore-arc basin in the western Qinling Orogen of Central China, has yielded over 70 tons of gold. It is an orogenic gold deposit occurring in an NW-trending breccia belt. Most of the ores are hydrothermal breccia type containing fragments of adjacent strata cemented by ankerite and pyrite. Pyrite is the most abundant metallic mineral and the major gold-bearing mineral in the ores. A total of 58 pyrite samples from main ore bodies of the Shuangwang gold deposit have been analysed for 44 trace elements by HR-ICP-MS. Sb, Ba, Cu, Pb, Zn, Bi, Mo, Co are selected as indicator elements to investigate the potential usefulness of trace elements in pyrite as an indicator in gold exploration. The results show that the supra-ore halo elements Sb and Ba, which may have been more active than other near-ore halo elements and sub-ore halo elements, are best to characterize the shape of ore bodies. Five target areas are pointed out for deep ore exploration based on a comprehensive study of supra-ore, near-ore and sub-ore halos. This study provides evidence that trace elements in pyrite can be used to depict the deep extension of ore bodies and to vector towards undiscovered ore bodies.

Formation of Melt Pocket in Mantle Peridotite Xenolith from Western Qinling, Central China: Partial Melting and Metasomatism

Two types of melt pockets, closed melt pocket （CMP） and open melt pocket （OMP）, are recognized from the peridotite xenoliths entrained in the Cenozoic kamafugites in western Qinling （秦岭）, Central China. The Haoti （好梯） CMPs have a mineral assemblage of olivine＋ clinopyroxene＋amphibole＋K- feldspar, whereas the Baiguan （白关） CMPs are composed of olivine＋clinopyroxene＋Umenite＋carbonate. The components of the OMPs are more complicated. In the Haoti OMPs, there are olivine, ciinopyroxene, glass, low modal abundances of amphibole, K-feldspar （Kfs）, Umenite, sulfide, chlorite, perovskite, chromite and phlogopite. The Baiguan OMPs contain olivine, clinopyroxene, glass, chlorite and chromite. Compositionally, ofivines in the CMPs and OMPs are both apparently depleted in Ni, and those in the OMPs are also depleted in Fe and Mg, and enriched in Ca compared to the primary ones. Ciinopyroxenes display large and systematical compositional variations between the CMPs and OMPs, particularly in Al, Cr, Na, Ca and Ti. Glasses are generally depleted in Si compared to the worldwide glasses in melt pockets, although they still have large variations. Amphiboles and K-feldspars have relatively restricted compositional variations. The petrographical observations and mineral chemistry suggest that the Haoti and Baiguan CMPs were generated by the in-sitn decompression melting of orthopyroxenes, olivines and clinopyroxenes, and by the addition of minor external K-rich and Ca-rich melt/fluids. The OMPs formed during the latest metasomatic event in the lithospheric mantle beneath the western Qinling.

Petrological Study on the Ductile Shear Zones in the Core of the Eastern Qinling Orogenic Belt in Western Henan

A series of ductile shear zones of the overthrust and strike-slip-types and related ductile shear metamorphicrocks, including tectonic melange and mylonites. were formed in the core of the Qinling orogenic belt in thecourse of the Caledonian-Indosinian ductilc and brittle-ductile reworking. The study on their petrography. va-riations in composition and conditions of formation is conducive to revealing the metamorphism-deformationhistory of the core of the Qinling orogenic belt and further to understanding the dynamic mechanism of its evo-lution.

Yangshan Gold Deposit:The Largest Carlin and Carlin-like Type Gold Deposit in China

Gold Headquarter of the CAPF has discovered the Yangshan super large-scale gold deposit in Gansu Province, which is a great breakthrough of gold exploration and prospecting in Western Qinling Mountains of China. The gold resources of this deposit achieved 308 tons with increasing potentials. Preliminary geological investigations indicate that the Yangshan gold deposit is located in the intra-continental collision orogenic belt; and the deposit was formed during the continent-continent collision orogenic processes. The geological characteristics of the deposit are similar to that of the typical Carlin-type gold deposits, while differences still exist. The ore-forming background is notably different from the Carlin gold deposit province in the United States; and the ore-forming fluids are similar with that of the orogenic-type gold deposit. Accordingly, the Yangshan gold deposit is a transitional type between the Carlin-type and the orogenic type gold deposits. At present, the Yangshan gold deposit is the largest Carlin and Carlin-like type gold deposit that is ever discovered in China. Researches on metallogeny, metallogenic model and ore-enrichment regularities of the Yangshan gold deposit are crucial to meet the pressing needs of the current geological investigation and ore exploration of the deposit.

Fractal research of fault gouge

The process and result of fractal research of natural fault gouge collected from the active fault zone at northern edge of Western Qinling Mt. by using optical and electronic microscope technics were introduced in this paper. The fractal dimension of this fault gouge is D =2.594±0.122 (2 D plane D =1.594±0.122), and its upper limit of fractal dimension occurs at grain size at 9.6～19.2 mm. The study result shows that this gouge is fractal, and its characteristic displacement parameter of stick slip friction can be determined by upper limit of fractal dimension. The feature of protolith which affect fractality and the significance of gouge fractal to seismic fault changes are also disscussed in the paper.

Middle Permian Seamount from Xiahe Area, Gansu Province, Northwest China: Zircon U-Pb Age, Biostratigraphy and Tectonic Implications

The well-preserved seamount buildups are documented from the northwestern Qinling （秦岭） orogenic belts, Northwest China. The study sections are located in the Ganjia （甘加） area of the Xiahe （夏河） County, Gansu （甘肃） Province. The dark basalt and overlying massive reef carbonate characterize the Xiahe seamount buildup. Basalts are dominated by the olivine type of rocks and bear distinct porphyritic textures, and fumarole and amygdaloidal structures. The basalts are dominated by SiO2 （up to 48.49 wt.%-52.29 wt.%） followed by （Na2O＋ K2O） （3.80 wt.%-4.96 wt.%） and TiO2 （2.04 wt.%-2.52 wt.%）. They are featured by considerably high content of Ti. The tholeiiteseries rocks dominate the basalts, while calc-alkali-series rocks are also present. The REE of the basalts shows the LREE-enrichment type with distinct positive Eu abnormal. The trace elements of the basalts are characterized by the lack of P and high content of Ti. These geochemical signals suggest that the Xiahe basalts were formed in an ocean-island setting. The LA ICP-MS zircon U-Pb age of the basalts is 267.6±5 Ma, which is reinforced by the presnce of the fusulinid Neoschwagerina Zone of the Wordian （Middle Permian） in the limestone interbeds of the basalts. Integration of petrological and geochemical studies of seamount basalts and lateral correlation of seamount buildups reveals that the Qinling-Qilian-Kunlun orogenic belts were probably the archipelagic oceans during the Permian.