The Characteristics of the Hydrothermal Exhalative Dolostone of Lucaogou Formation in Santanghu basin and its Geology Setting Indication

The NW-SE trending Santanghu basin is located in Xinjiang,NW China,between Tianshan Mountains and Altai Mountains.The tectonic evolution history of north Xinjiang has long been debated,especially the question when did that area began its intraplate rift evolution stage.This abstract discusses the features and possible origin of the hydrothermal exhalative dolostone of Lucaogou Formation in Santanghu basin,aiming to provide relevant information about this question.The target dolostone are characterized by extreme thin lamina of 0.3cm–1 cm thick.Dolomite,ankerite,potassium feldspar and analcite are dominant composition.Most dolomite is poor crystallized and is in anhedral or subhedral shapes.Ankerite is generally porphyritic,few is in irregular shapes.It has to be noted that the porphyritic ankerite commonly develop zonal textures characterized by rings with various Fe O content.Potassium feldspar and analcite（<50%）are commonly observed in dolostones.Thin sections show some analcite is tetragonal trisoctahedron with harbour–like corrosion rims.Besides,few fragments of carbonatite rocks are observed in Lucaogou Formation and they perform intermittent or scattered distribution in rock layers.Previous work done by our study team showsδ13C PDB values are 4.8‰;1.4‰,6.93‰on average.Theδ18 O PDB values are between-5‰;21.1‰,-10.94‰on average.Paleosalinity calculated byδ13C andδ18 O is between 128.35 and 136.81,134.42 on average.Sr content of dolostones in study area reaches to164×10-6;37×10-6（379.1×10-6 on average）,most dolostone in target area are between 0.70457;.706194, average at 0.705360.Considering either accompanying residual tuff or residual leucite is found via electron probe,this indicates the analcite may derive form analcime phonolite.Furthermore,fragments of carbonatite rocks proves mantle-derived magmatism exist.The rapid variation ofδ18 O indicates multiple interactions of hydrothermal fluids with lake water during Lucaogou sedimentary period.87Sr/86Sr values are much lower than that of crustal silica rocks while are more close to mantle derived rocks,which indicates diagenetic hydrothermal fluid is mantle-origin.It has been reported that dolostone does not intergrow with iron-rich dolostone in study area.According to the latest X diffraction results of cores,iron-rich dolostone distributes rather locally.Given that ankerite commonly develop zonal textures characterized by various Fe O content,we confirm it is due to multiple hydrothermal fluids activities in different hydrothermal vents.There should be abundant hydrothermal vents during Lucaogou period.Deep faults and its relevant fractures built plenty paths for mantle-origin hydrothermal fluids to run up.Different vents owned various fluid properties,so did relevant sedimentation products.Hence we inclined to believe Santanghu basin was at intraplate rift evolution stage,under regional extension condition in late Carboniferous.During early-mid Permian the basin was a starved,deep lacustrine intracontinental rift basin.Accordingly,in northern Xinjiang,ocean basin may close in late Carboniferous and started continental sedimentary development in early Permian.

U-Pb Geochronology and Geochemistry of Stratiform Garnet from the Aqishan Pb-Zn Deposit,Eastern Tianshan,Xinjiang,NW China:Constraints on Genesis of the Deposit

The Aqishan lead-zinc deposit,located in the Jueluotag metallogenic belt of eastern Tianshan,Xinjiang,Northwest China,has a stratiform occurrence in the marine volcanic tuff of the Yamansu Formation.The ore body has a typical double-layer structure,having a stratified,stratoid,lenticular upper part and a veined,stockwork-like lower part.The occurrence of the upper orebody is consistent with that of the volcanic tuff wall rock.The ore minerals are mainly chalcopyrite,pyrite,sphalerite,galena and magnetite,the altered minerals mainly being silicified,such as sericite,chlorite,epidote,garnet.The garnetized skarn,being stratiform and stratoid,is closely related to the upper part of the orebody.Geological observations show that the limestone in the ore-bearing Yamansu Formation is not marbleized and skarnized.Spatially,it is associated with the ferromanganese deposits in the marine volcanic rocks of the Yamansu Formation.These geological features reflect the likelihood that the Aqishan lead-zinc deposit is a hydrothermal exhalation sedimentary deposit.The results from the EPMA show that the garnet is mainly composed of grossular-andradite series,contents being in a range of 34.791-37.8%SiO_(2),32.493-34.274%CaO,8.454-27.275%FeO,0.012-15.293%Al_(2)O_(3),0.351-1.413%MnO,and lower values of 0.013-1.057%TiO_(2).The content of SiO_(2) vs.CaO and FeO vs.Al_(2)O_(3) has a significant positive correlation.The results of ICP-MS analysis for the garnet show that the REE pattern is oblique to right in general.The total amount of rare earth elements is relatively low,ΣREE=71.045-826.52 ppm,which is relatively enriched for LREE and depleted for HREE.LREE/HREE=8.66-4157.75,La_(N)/Yb_(N)=23.51-984.34,with obvious positive Eu and Ce anomalies(δEu=2.27-76.15,δCe=0.94-1.85).This result is similar to the REE characteristics of ore-bearing rhyolite volcanic rocks,showing that the garnet was formed in an oxidizing environment and affected by clear hydrothermal activity.The U-Pb isotopic dating of garnet by fs-LA-HR-ICP-MS gives an age of 316.3±4.4 Ma(MSWD=1.4),which is consistent with the formation time of the Yamansu Formation.According to the study of deposit characteristics and geochemical characteristics,this study concludes that the Aqishan lead-zinc deposit is a hydrothermal exhalation sedimentary deposit,the garnet being caused by hydrothermal exhalative sedimentation.

Primary dolostone formation related to mantle-originated exhalative hydrothermal activities,Permian Yuejingou section,Santanghu area, Xinjiang,NW China

The Permian Lucaogou Formation is an important hydrocarbon source rock in the Junggar, Turpan, and Santanghu basins in Xinjiang, NW China. For the first time, dolostones associated with mantle-originated exhalative hydrothermal fluid flows are discovered in Yuejingou section in the Santanghu Basin area. They include dolomicrite, doloarenite, and a small amount of dolorudite, and are finely (0.05-0.15 cm thick) interlaminated with lime micrite and dolomicritic analcime laminites. Alkali feldspar and analcime grains are common in doloarenite and are interpreted as having been derived from analcime phonolites and peralkaline magmatic rocks. These magmatic fragments were brought up from subsurface by hydrothermal fluid flow and had experienced exhalative brecciation, transport, and deposition on the lake floor. The matrix consists dominantly of dolomite and ankerite smaller than 0.01 mm. The dolostones can be subdivided into four types on the basis of mineral composition and content. The detrital analcime and alkaline feldspar grains and tuff lithics are interpreted as intraclasts, which were deposited in an under-filled starved lake basin. The δ18OPDB values of dolostones are -5‰ to -21.1‰, and -11.9‰ on average; the 87Sr/86Sr ratios of dolostones are 0.70457 to 0.706194, and 0.705005 on average. These values, in combination with evidence of multi-episodes of peralkaline extrusion, suggest a mantle origin of the hydrothermal fluids, which may have promoted primary dolomite formation. The fluid from the upper mantle caused serpentinization of ultramafic rocks that intruded into the lower crust to obtain Mg2+ and Fe2+, and injected the ions into the lake water as the Mg and Fe sources for dolomite and ankerite. Hydro- thermal fluids associated with peralkaline magmatic rocks also provided Ca2+, Mg2+, Fe2+, and CO32-. Explosive breccias formed and dolostones were convoluted near the vent of hydrothermal fluid exhalation, whereas laminated dolostones formed farther away from the vent. The dolostones are primary dolomite deposition in an intracontinental rift basin and associated with mantle-originated hydrothermal fluids. They provide an insight into the origin of dolomite formation in the geologic history and clues to understand the sedimentary environments and tectonic conditions in northern Xinjiang during the late Paleozoic.