Geochemical Tracing of Ore-forming Material Sources of Carlin-type Gold Deposits in the Yunnan-Guizhou-Guangxi Triangle Area --A Case Study of the Application of the Combined Silicon Isotopes Geochemistry and Siliceous Cathodoluminescence Analysis

Abstract This paper deals with characteristics of silicon isotope compositions and siliceous cathodoluminescence of host rocks, ores and hydrothermal silicified quartz of the Carlin-type ore deposits in the Yunnan-Guizhou-Guangxi triangle area. The study shows that primary silicified quartz is nonluminescent but quartz in host rocks and secondary silicified quartz are luminescent by the action of cathode rays. Correspondingly, silicon isotope compositions of host rocks, ores and hydro6thermal quartz veins are clearly distinguished. In strata from the Middle Triassic to the “Dachang” host bed, δ30Si of the host rocks ranges from 0.0% ?0.3%, while that of primary ore-forming silicified fluids from ?0.1% to ?0.4%; in the Upper Permian and Lower Carboniferous strata and Indosinian diabase host beds, δ30Si of the host rocks is from ?0.1% to ?0.2% and that of the primary silicified quartz veins from 0.3 % ?0.5 %. This pattern demonstrates the following geochemical mineralization process, primary ore-forming siliceous fluids migrated upwards quickly along the main passages of deep-seated faults from mantle to crust and entered secondary faults where gold deposits were eventually formed as a result of permeation and replacement of the siliceous ore-forming fluids into different ore-bearing strata. This gives important evidence for the fact that ore-forming fluids of this type of gold deposits were mainly derived from upper mantle differentiation and shows good prospects for deep gold deposits and geochemical background for large and superlarge gold deposits.

Geochemical Trace of Silicon Isotopes of Intrusions and Ore Veins Related to Alkali-rich Porphyry Deposits in Western Yunnan, China

Western Yunnan is the well-known polymetallic province in China. It is characterized by copper-gold mineralization related to Cenozoic alkali-rich porphyry. This paper analyzes the silicon isotope data obtained from four typical alkali-rich porphyry deposits based on the dynamic fractionation principle of silicon isotope. The study shows that the ore materials should originate mainly from alkali-rich magmas, together with silicon-rich mineralizing fluids. The process of mineralization was completed by auto-metasomatism, i.e. silicon-rich mineralizing fluids (including alkali-rich porphyry and wall-rock strata) replaced and altered the country rocks and contaminated with crustal rocks during the crystallization of alkali-rich magmas. Such a process is essentially the continuance of the metasomatism of mantle fluids in crust's mineralization. This provides important evidence of silicon isotopic geochemistry for better understanding the mineralization of the Cenozoic alkali-rich porphyry polymetallic deposits

Characteristics of silicon and oxygen isotopic compositions of basalts near East Pacific Rise 13°N

In this study, 13 groups of silicon and oxygen isotopes and major elements of the basalts near the East Pacific Rise 13°N are used to study the fractionation of silicon and oxygen isotopes. Among these data, δ30Si values of basalts vary from -0.4%o to 0.2%o with a mean value of δ30Si of （-0.18±0.22）%o. The δ180 values range from 4.1%o to 6.4%o with a mean δ180 value of （＋5.35±0.73） %0. Since the δ30Si values increase in the series of basalt-basaltic andesite- andesite, and δ180 values display a positive correlation with the SiO2 content, we propose that the fractionation of silicon and oxygen isotopes is influenced by the SiO2 content in igneous rocks. Compared with the igneous rocks from Manus Basin with clinopyroxene as their dominant mineral phase, MORBs in this study containing olivine and plagioclase as primary minerals have lower δ180 and δ30Si values, indicating that the fractionation of silicon and oxygen isotopes is also affected by different Si-O bridges in silicate minerals. Furthermore, our samples from the EPR are defined as E-MORB based on K/Ti ratios. Probably, the difference in δ30Si and δ30O between our samples and a normal MORB are cause by the enriched components in E-MORBs.

Tensor force impact on shell evolution in neutron-rich Si and Ni isotopes

The influence of the tensor interaction of nucleons on the characteristics of neutron-rich silicon and nickel isotopes was studied in this work.Tensor forces are considered within the framework of the Hartree-Fock approach with the Skyrme interaction.The addition of a tensor component of interaction is shown to improve the description of the splittings between different single-particle states and decrease nucleon-nucleon pairing correlations in silicon and nickel nuclei.Special attention was directed toward the role of isovector tensor forces relevant to the interaction of like nucleons.

Smectite formation in metalliferous sediments near the East Pacific Rise at 13°N

A 43 cm long E271 sediment core collected near the East Pacific Rise（EPR） at 13°N were studied to investigate the origin of smectite for understanding better the geochemical behavior of hydrothermal material after deposition.E271 sediments are typical metalliferous sediments. After removal of organic matter, carbonate, biogenic opal,and Fe-Mn oxide by a series of chemical procedures, clay minerals（〈2 μm） were investigated by X-ray diffraction,chemical analysis and Si isotope analysis. Due to the influence of seafloor hydrothermal activity and close to continent, the sources of clay minerals are complex. Illite, chlorite and kaolinite are suggested to be transported from either North or Central America by rivers or winds, but smectite is authigenic. It is enriched in iron, and its contents are highest in clay minerals. Data show that smectite is most likely formed by the reaction of hydrothermal Fe-oxyhydroxide with silica and seawater in metalliferous sediments. The Si that participates in this reaction may be derived from siliceous microfossils（diatoms or radiolarians）, hydrothermal fluids, or detrital mineral phases. And their δ30 Si values are higher than those of authigenic smectites, which implies that a Si isotope fractionation occurs during the formation because of the selective absorption of light Si isotopes onto Feoxyhydroxides. Sm/Fe mass ratios（a proxy for overall REE/Fe ratio） in E271 clay minerals are lower than those in metalliferous sediments, as well as distal hydrothermal plume particles and terrigenous clay minerals. This result suggests that some REE are lost during the smectite formation, perhaps because their large ionic radii of REE scavenged by Fe-oxyhydroxides preclude substitution in either tetrahedral or octahedral lattice sites of this mineral structure, which decreases the value of metalliferous sediments as a potential resource for REE.

Hydrothermal Origin of Early Permian Chert Nodules in the Central North China Craton Linked to Northern Margin Cratonic Activation

Sedimentary chert phases from the Archean to the present are widely used to trace sedimentary environments and tectonic settings.Recently,chert nodules occurring within carbonates have been the subject of possible hydrothermal or biogenic origin,in lieu of a diagenetic origin.However,chert nodules from a vast cratonic basin represent extremely rich silica accumulations but less noted is how they respond to submarine hydrothermal activity(and/or surface siliceous organism productivity).The links between the cratonic-type chert depositions and environmental changes regarding cratonic evolution need to be revisited at a large temporal-spatial scale.The chert nodules are widespread throughout the Lower Permian Taiyuan Formation in the North China Craton(NCC).Several Taiyuan chert-rich successions across the NCC have been selected to study possible links between chert deposition and cratonic evolution in scenario of partial cratonic activation of the northern NCC margin during the Late Paleozoic.Based on stratigraphic correlation,the chert nodules are ubiquitously,evenly distributed throughout the Taiyuan Formation at a large craton-basin scale from the northern to southern interior NCC.Petrological results,elemental abundances,together with silicon and oxygen isotopic compositions of chert samples infer significant hydrothermal contributions for the silica accumulations.Therefore,the cratonic-scale chert depositions of hydrothermal origin infer a giant and remote silica reservoir,linking to the large igneous province and magmatism in the NCC northern margins.The Taiyuan chert nodules could be unique marine sedimentary archives recording the Late Paleozoic NCC partial activation,which also generated continental records of igneous rocks,bauxites and tuffs.The strong tectonics of the northern margin,south-dipping topography and northward transgression of the Early Permian NCC facilitated the chert deposition on the shallow marine platform in the cratonic interior.