Source of the Ore-forming Adakitic Porphyry at the Beiya Super-large Au Deposit, Western Yangtze Craton: New Evidence from Zircon U-Pb Ages of the Amphibolite Xenoliths

Objective The Beiya super-large Au-rich porphyry deposit(304 t Au,2.4 g/t Au)is located within the western Yangtze craton,to the southeast of the Sanjiang Tethyan Orogen(Fig.1).The ore-forming porphyry is adakitic,characterized by high Sr/Y and La/Yb ratios coupled with low Y and Yb contents,and is generally thought to be derived from partial melting of thickened mafic lower crust.The lower crust underneath the western Yangtze craton is mainly composed of ancient crust with Archean ages,juvenile crust resulting from the Neoproterozoic subduction(740–1000 Ma),and late Permian juvenile crust related to the Emeishan mantle plume.Which lower crustal end-member has played a critical role in genesis of the Beiya ore-forming porphyry can be constrained by zircon U-Pb ages of amphibolite xenoliths hosted in the ore-forming porphyry,because these xenoliths represent direct samples of the source.In this study,we present new zircon U-Pb ages of these amphibolite xenoliths to have insight into the nature of the Beiya adakitic porphyry source.

Geology and isotopic composition of helium,neon,xenon and metallogenic age of the Jinding and Baiyangping ore deposits,northwest Yunnan,China

Both the Jinding and Baiyangping ore deposits developed in the Lanping basin, which is a Mesozoic-Cenozoic terrestrial clastic sedimentary basin. Their occurrences can easily lead many people to compare them with the Pb-Zn deposit hosted in sedimentary rocks, such as Mississippian Valley-, Sedex- and sandstone-type Pb-Zn deposits. However, the Lanping basin developed in the settings of strong tectonic activity of the continental crust, which could cause an effective material exchange between the lower crust and the upper mantle. The orebodies are clearly tectonically controlled without syngenetic features, which probably represents a new type of the sedimentary rock-hosted Pb-Zn deposit. The isotopic compositions of noble gases in ore-forming fluids indicate that 2%32% of helium (3He/4He = 0.19 Ra1.97 Ra) is derived from the mantle, 50.1% of neon (20Ne/22Ne = 10.4510.83; 21Ne/22Ne = 0.03) from the mantle, and considerable amount of xenon (129Xe/130Xe = 5.846.86; 134Xe/130Xe = 2.262.71) from the mantle, which show that mantle fluids played an important role in the ore formation. The ore-forming age of 6760 Ma obtained by Re-Os and 40Ar-39Ar dating methods is later than the host rock, which is coeval with the Himalayan alkali magmatism of the mantle source and mantle-crust source. In this paper, the mineralization of the Jinding and Baiyangping ore deposits is considered to be related to the mantle fluids which move upward with the magma or along the deep faults, and mix with the meteoritic brine in the crust to result in large-scale deposition.

Re-Os isotopic data for molybdenum from Hejiangkou tungsten and tin polymetallic deposit in Chenzhou and its geological significance

Hejiangkou W-Sn-polymetallic deposit is a newly found deposit in Xitian ore field,one of the important and large scale W-Sn-polymetallic ore fields in the middle segment of Nanling metallogenic zone.Re-Os isotope dating was used on three molybdenite samples from Hejiangkou deposit to determine the ore forming period.The result is(224.9±2.6)Ma-(225±3.1)Ma and isochron age is(225.5±3.6)Ma.The field geological observations,geochronological data and optical petrography indicated that Hejiangkou deposit underwent multi-period of superimposed mineralization.It can be differentiated into three periods composed of six mineralization stages.The first period is the initial period for hydrothermal metasomatism and metal element enrichment during Indosinian Epoch.Further enrichment,strong brittle fracturing and hydrothermal metasomatism,remobilization and superimposition happened in the second period,during early Yanshanian.It is the major mineralization period of Hejiangkou deposit and can be subdivided into four mineralization stages,namely the skarn stage,oxide stage,high-temperature sulfide stage and low-temperature sulfide stage.And the third period is the mineralization period of a porphyry-skarn system related to the emplacement of the granite porphyry dyke.As minerogenic epoch of Hejiangkou deposit is similar with Hehuaping deposit,they show the possibility of Indosinian mineralization event in Nanling metallogenic zone.It can be an important perspective in any future mineral exploration in the same metallogenic zone.

A Study of the Rhenium-Osmium Geochronometry of Molybdenites

This study deals with the first application of the isotope dilution - inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry in the rhenium-osmium geochronometry in China. The chemical separation procedure included decomposition of samples by means of alkali fusion, extraction of rhenium by acetone and extraction of osmium by distillation. The recovery of both elements in the entire process was more than 90% . The blanks of analyses were 0.07 ng for rhenium and 0.01 ng for 187Os. The mineralization ages of molybdenites from four molybdenum deposits in China were determined by using this method, with a precision (2σ)of about ±3% . These results agree satisfactorily with their geological backgrounds. The Re-Os method can directly determine ages of metal deposits and reflect the true ages more reliably than other dating methods that only determine the ages of country rocks from which mineralization ages are inferred. As many hydrothermal sulphide deposits usually contain molybdenites, this method has bright prospects of wide application.

A synthesis of iron deposits in the eastern Tianshan,NW China

The northern Xinjiang region is one of the most significant iron metallogenic provinces in China.Iron deposits are found mainly within three regions:the Altay,western Tianshan,and eastern Tianshan orogenic belts.Previous studies have elaborated on the genesis of Fe deposits in the Altay orogenic belt and western Tianshan.However,the geological characteristics and mineralization history of iron deposits in the eastern Tianshan are still poorly understood.In this paper I describe the geological characteristics of iron deposits in the eastern Tianshan,and discuss their genetic types as well as metallogenic-tectonic settings,Iron deposits are preferentially distributed in central and southern parts of the eastern Tianshan.The known iron deposits in the eastern Tianshan show characteristics of magmatic Fe-Ti-V(e.g.,Weiya and Niumaoquan),sedimentary-metamorphic type(e.g.,Tianhu),and iron skarn(e.g.,Hongyuntan).In addition to the abovementioned iron deposits,many iron deposits in the eastern Tianshan are hosted in submarine volcanic rocks with well-developed skarn mineral assemblages.Their geological characteristics and magnetite compositions suggest that they may belong to distal skarns.SIMS zircon U-Pb analyses suggest that the Fe-Ti oxide ores from Niumaoquan and Weiya deposits were formed at 307.7±1.3 Ma and 242.7±1.9 Ma,respectively.Combined with available isotopic age data,the timing of Fe mineralization in the eastern Tianshan can be divided into four broad intervals:Early Ordovician-Early Silurian(476-438 Ma),Carboniferous(335-303 Ma),Early Permian(295-282 Ma),and Triassic(ca.243 Ma).Each of these episodes corresponds to a period of subduction,post-collision,and intraplate tectonics during the Paleozoic and Mesozoic time.

Geology, Geochemistry, and Geochronology of the Fenghuangshan Skarn-type Copper Deposit in the Tongling Ore Cluster, Anhui Province, East China

The Fenghuangshan skarn-type Cu deposit, Tongling Ore Cluster, Anhui Province, is an important component in the Middle-Lower Yangtze River ore-forming belt. To better understand magmatism and its relationship to mineralization, we investigated geochemical features, ore-forming fluids, and geochronology of the Xinwuli intrusion and the related Fenghuangshan Cu deposit. Lithogeochemical characteristics show that the Xinwuli quartz monzodiorite is formed by mixing magma derived from upper mantle alkaline basalt that has been contaminated by crust materials. C, H and O isotopes indicate that ore-forming fluids mainly come from the magma, with minor amounts of meteoric fluids involved at the late stage. S and Pb isotopic components indicate that ore-forming materials are derived from the mantle. Molybdenite Re-Os isotopic dating yields Re-Os model ages ranging from 139.1±2.4 Ma to 142.0±2.2 Ma, with an isochronal age of 141.1±1.4 Ma, which is consistent with sensitive, high-resolution ion microprobe （SHRIMP） zircon U-Pb ages of quartz monzodiorite and granodiorite in the mining area. Dating analysis yields ages from 136.0±2.0 Ma to 143.0±2.4 Ma for the quartz monzodiorite （a weighted average of 139.4±1.2 Ma） and ages from 136.7±2.0 Ma to 145.3±2.4 Ma for granodiorite （a weighted average of 141.0±1.1 Ma）.

Dating and Fluid Geochemistry of the Sarkobu Gold Deposit in Altay, Xinjiang, China

The dating of fluid inclusions of quartz yields an Ar-Ar isochrone age of 320.4±6 Ma. Three types of fluid inclusions have been identified with the homogenization temperature ranging from 157℃ to 362℃. The homogenization temperature consists of two groups. The first group varies from 157℃ to 166℃, and the second from 232℃ to 362℃. Their chemical composition is dominated by Na+-Ca2+-Mg2+ and Cl-. The relative concentration of ions is characteristic by Na+>Ca2+>K+>Mg2+ and C1->SO42-> F-. The δD and δ18O values indicate that the ore-forming fluid originates from mixing of multi-source water. The Sarkobu gold deposit has experienced two mineralization stages: gold was enriched during the volcanic-exhalative-sedimentary process in the early stage, while the gold deposit was finally formed under compression-shearing during the orogenic period.

Ore Forming Systems (Fe, Ti, Ni, Pb, Zn, Noble Metals) of the Transbaikalia Neoproterozoic Greenstone Belts

It is shown that the ore-forming systems (OFS) of the Vendian-Riphean Greenstone belts (GSB) in the Transbaikalia region were formed in a wide age range: from the Riphean to the Cenozoic. They are grouped into 6 metallogenic types. The noble metal type is divided into 6 metallogenic subtypes differed in time duration intervals of functioning. OFS evolution wore multistage nature inherited from the composition of the GSB primary rocks, with a tendency of the ore generating processes remobilization and regeneration (dynamometamorphism) changing over time by rejuvenation (shoshonite latite and picrobasalt magmatism, mud volcanism).

In situ U-Pb dating and trace elements of magmatic rutile from Mujicun Cu-Mo deposit,North China Craton:Insights into porphyry mineralization

Porphyry Cu(Mo-Au)deposit is one of the most important types of copper deposit and usually formed under magmatic arc-related settings,whilst the Mujicun porphyry Cu-Mo deposit in North China Craton uncommonly generated within intra-continental settings.Although previous studies have focused on the age,origin and ore genesis of the Mujicun deposit,the ore-forming age,magma source and tectonic evolution remain controversial.Here,this study targeted rutile(TiO_(2))in the ore-hosting diorite porphyry from the Mujicun Cu-Mo deposit to conduct in situ U-Pb dating and trace element composition studies,with major views to determine the timing and magma evolution and to provide new insights into porphyry Cu-Mo metallogeny.Rutile trace element data show flat-like REE patterns characterized by relatively enrichment LREEs and depleted HREEs,which could be identified as magmatic rutile.Rutile U-Pb dating yields lower intercept ages of 139.3–138.4 Ma,interpreted as post magmatic cooling timing below about 500℃,which are consistent or slightly postdate with the published zircon U-Pb ages of diorite porphyry(144.1–141.7 Ma)and skarn(146.2 Ma;139.9 Ma)as well as the molybdenite Re-Os ages of molybdenum ores(144.8–140.0 Ma).Given that the overlap between the closure temperature of rutile U-Pb system and ore-forming temperature of the Mujicun deposit,this study suggests that the ore-forming ages of the Mujicun deposit can be constrained at 139.3–138.4 Ma,with temporal links to the late large-scale granitic magmatism at 138–126 Ma in the Taihang Orogen.Based on the Mg and Al contents in rutile,the magma of ore-hosting diorite porphyry was suggested to be derived from crust-mantle mixing components.In conjunction with previous studies in Taihang Orogen,this study proposes that the far-field effect and the rollback of the subducting Paleo-Pacific slab triggered lithospheric extension,asthenosphere upwelling,crust-mantle interaction and thermo-mechanical erosion,which jointly facilitated the formation of dioritic magmas during the Early Cretaceous.Subsequently,the dioritic magmas carrying crust-mantle mixing metallic materials were emplaced and precipitated at shallow positions along NNE-trending ore-controlling faults,eventually resulting in the formation of the Mujicun Cu-Mo deposit within an intracontinental extensional setting.

Large clusters of gold deposits and large-scale metallogenesis in the Jiaodong Peninsula, Eastern China

The Jiaodong Peninsula is the largest repository of gold in China based on the production in history. It covers less than 0.2% of China's territory, but production of gold accounts for about one fourth of the whole country. Thus, the Jiaodong Peninsula is a typical area or case of large-scale metallogenesis and a large clusters of mineral deposits in China. It is characterized by the large clusters of gold deposits in large scale, high reserve and short mineralizing stage. In this study, we suggest that the eastern boundary of the large clusters of gold deposits is as same as that of North China Block, the gold deposits are hosted by Archean metamorphic rocks or Mesozoic granites, and the age of gold mineralization is 121.6 to 122.7 Ma. Gold and related ore-forming materials are derived from multisources, i.e. Archean metamorphic rocks, granites and intermediate-mafic dikes, especially, intermediate-mafic dikes and calc-alkaline granites. The metallogenic geodynamic process is constrained by the tectonic evolution of eastern North China Block during Late Mesozoic, and it is the result of the interaction between mantle and crust as the boundary plates are playing role on the block.

Rb-Sr isotope dating of silicalite from the Dajiangping massive sulfide ore deposit,Guangdong Province

THE Dajiangping pyrite ore deposit located in the Yunfu County of Guangdong Province is asuper-large pyrite ore deposit. Its age has not been defined so far because of the absence of fos-sil. This note is to use Rb-Sr isotope dating of silicalite to constrain the age of the ore depositand place special emphasis on its geological significance.