Decratonic gold deposits

The North China Craton(NCC) hosts numerous gold deposits and is known as the most gold-productive region of China. The gold deposits were mostly formed within a few million years in the Early Cretaceous(130–120 Ma), coeval with widespread occurrences of bimodal magmatism, rift basins and metamorphic core complexes that marked the peak of lithospheric thinning and destruction of the NCC. Stable isotope data and geological evidence indicate that ore-forming fluids and other components were largely exsolved from cooling magma and/or derived from mantle degassing during the period of lithospheric extension. Gold mineralization in the NCC contrasts strikingly with that of other cratons where gold ore-forming fluids were sourced mostly from metamorphic devolatization in compressional or transpressional regimes. In this paper, we present a summary and discussion on time-space distribution and ore genesis of gold deposits in the NCC in the context of the timing, spatial variation, and decratonic processes. Compared with orogenic gold deposits in other cratonic blocks, the Early Cretaceous gold deposits in the NCC are quite distinct in that they were deposited from magma-derived fluids under extensional settings and associated closely with destruction of cratonic lithosphere. We argue that Early Cretaceous gold deposits in the NCC cannot be classified as orogenic gold deposits as previously suggested, rather, they are a new type of gold deposits, termed as "decratonic gold deposits" in this study. The westward subduction of the paleo-West Pacific plate(the Izanagi plate) beneath the eastern China continent gave rise to an optimal tectonic setting for large-scale gold mineralization in the Early Cretaceous. Dehydration of the subducted and stagnant slab in the mantle transition zone led to continuous hydration and considerable metasomatism of the mantle wedge beneath the NCC. As a consequence, the refractory mantle became oxidized and highly enriched in large ion lithophile elements and chalcophile elements(e.g., Cu, Au, Ag and Te). Partial melting of such a mantle would have produced voluminous hydrous, Au- and S-bearing basaltic magma, which, together with crust-derived melts induced by underplating of basaltic magma, served as an important source for ore-forming fluids. It is suggested that the Eocene Carlin-type gold deposits in Nevada, occurring geologically in the deformed western margin of the North America Craton, are comparable with the Early Cretaceous gold deposits of the NCC because they share similar tectonic settings and auriferous fluids. The NCC gold deposits are characterized by gold-bearing quartz veins in the Archean amphibolite facies rocks, whereas the Nevada gold deposits are featured by fine-grained sulfide dissemination in Paleozoic marine sedimentary rocks. Their main differences in gold mineralization are the different host rocks, ore-controlling structures, and ore-forming depth. The similar tectonic setting and ore-forming fluid source, however, indicate that the Carlin-type gold deposits in Nevada are actually analogous to decratonic gold deposits in the NCC. Gold deposits in both the NCC and Nevada were formed in a relatively short time interval(<10 Myr) and become progressively younger toward the subduction zone. Younging of gold mineralization toward subduction zone might have been attributed to retreat of subduction zone and rollback of subducted slab. According to the ages of gold deposits on inland and marginal zones, the retreat rates of the Izanagi plate in the western Pacific in the Early Cretaceous and the Farallon plate of the eastern Pacific in the Eocene are estimated at 8.8 cm/yr and 3.3 cm/yr, respectively.

Gold mineralization in Jiaodong Peninsula and destruction of North China Craton:Insights from Mesozoic granite

Large-scale tectonic magmatism and extensive gold mineralization have occurred in the eastern North China Craton(NCC)(Jiaodong and Liaodong peninsulas)since Mesozoic,which indicated that the region experienced decratonization process.The genesis type of granites evolved from S-type to I-type and A-type during Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous,and thus reflects the evolution of geodynamics in the Late Mesozoic,indicating the varied subduction process of the Paleo-Pacific Plate(PPP)and the craton destruction.The evolution of geochemical features shows that the mantle beneath the Jiaodong Peninsula evolved from EM-II in Jurassic to EM-I in Early Cretaceous,demonstrating that the mantle switched from enriched to depleted.The gold of decratonic gold deposits in Jiaodong Peninsula mainly comes from the lithospheric mantle domains metasomatized by fluids derived from the metamorphism and dehydration of the subducted slab in the mantle transition zone.The rapid decomposition of minerals leads to the concentrated release of ore-forming fluids,and this process leads to the explosive gold mineralization during the craton destruction.Extensive magmatic uplift and extensional structures,triggered by the craton destruction in Early Cretaceous formed the extensional tectonic system,providing space for the decratonic gold deposits in Jiaodong Peninsula.

High oxygen fugacity magma:implication for the destruction of the North China Craton

The mechanism of lithospheric removal and destruction of the North China Craton(NCC)has been hotly debated for decades.It is now generally accepted that the subduction of the(Paleo)-Pacific plate played an important role in this process.However,how the plate subduction contributed to the craton destruction remains unclear.Here we report high oxygen fugacity(fO2)characteristics of the Yunmengshan granite,e.g.,hematitemagnetite intergrowth supported by zircon Ce^4+/Ce^3+ratios and apatite Mn oxygen fugacity indicator.High fO2 magmas are widely discovered in Late Mesozoic(160-130 Ma)adakitic rocks in central NCC.The origin of high fO2 magma is likely related to the input of the"oxidized mantle components",which shows a dose connection between plate subduction and destruction of the craton.The research area is^1500 km away from the current Pacific subduction zone.Considering the back-arc extension of Japan Sea since the Cretaceous,this distance may be shortened to^800 km,which is still too far for normal plate subduction.Ridge subduction is the best candidate that was responsible for the large scale magmatism and the destruction of the NCC.Massive slab-derived fluids and/or melts were liberated into an overlying mantle wedge and modified the lithospheric mantle.Rollback of the subducting plate induced the large-scale upwelling of asthenospheric mantle and triggered the formation of extensive high fO2 intraplate magmas.

Summary of technology for a comprehensive geophysical exploration of gold mine in North China Craton

The North China Craton is the oldest continental block,and has suffered from large-scale lithospheric thinning and destruction,which in turn led to gold deposits in northern China.The decratonic gold deposits in the North China Craton became the most important gold deposits in China,and geophysical methods are key means to detect and discover gold deposits there.In this paper,based on the geological and petrophysical characteristics of the North China Craton,the geological model of the decratonic gold deposits is transformed into a geophysical model.At present,two methods of geophysical exploration of decratonic gold deposits are in use:rapid and efficient exploration on the scale of the ore concentration area,and large depth exploration on the scale of the deposit area.In detail,the airborne electromagnetic,magnetic and gravity methods are used to detect the shallow(1,500 m)anomaly area on the scale of the ore concentration area.Through the ground-controlled source electromagnetic and ground magnetotelluric methods,explorations for targets at significant depth(5,000 m)are carried out in the mining area.Then,taking the Liaodong ore concentration area as an example,geophysical methods are used to discover two prospecting areas around the Jianshanzi Fault in the Qingchengzi ore concentration area,Baiyun-Xiaotongjiapuzi deep prospecting area,and Qingchengzi deep prospecting area.Next,three prospecting areas are delineated around the Jixingou Fault in the Wulong mining area,Wulong deep prospecting area,Weishagou deep prospecting area,and Chang’an deep prospecting area.The anomalies in the ore concentration area and mining area are revealed by means of three-dimensional exploration methods,thereby providing technical support for the exploration of metal minerals such as decratonic gold deposits.

Triassic magmatism and its relation to decratonization in the eastern North China Craton

Lithospheric removal and destruction of the North China Craton have been hotly discussed recently. It has been confirmed that the timing of a strong lithospheric removal took place in Late Mesozoic; however, little is known about when the lithospheric removal was initiated and how the Late Permian to Early Triassic deep subduction of Yangtze continental crust affected the cratonic destruction. This paper presents an overview on the temporal and spatial framework and geochemical characteristics of the Triassic intrusive rocks in the eastern North China Craton and use these data to trace their sources and petrogenetic processes, in order to constrain the tectonic setting in which they evolved. It is concluded that the destruction of the North China Craton was initiated in the Late Triassic and induced by delamination of the thickened continental crust by deep subduction of Yangtze continental crust and continent-continent collision. This suggests that the subduction of the continental crust and continent-continent collision are possibly interpreted as the inducement of Late Mesozoic decratonization of the North China Craton.

Geodynamics of decratonization and related magmatism and mineralization in the North China Craton

The North China Craton(NCC)experienced strong destruction(i.e.,decratonization)during the Mesozoic,which triggered intensive magmatism,tectonism and thermal events and formed large-scale gold and other metal deposits in the eastern part of the craton.However,how the decratonization controls the formation and distribution of large-scale of gold and other metal deposits is not very clear.Based on a large number of published data and new results,this paper systematically summarizes all the data for the rock assemblages,chronology,geochemistry and petrogenesis of Mesozoic magmatic rocks,as well as for the mineralizing ages of gold and other metal deposits and the evolution of the Mesozoic basins in the eastern NCC.The results are used to restore the extensional rates of Mesozoic to Cenozoic basins and the strike-slip distance of the Tanlu Fault,to ascertain the location of the Paleo-Pacific plate subduction zones during the Mesozoic to Cenozoic,and to reconstruct the temporal and spatial distribution of Mesozoic gold and other metal deposits and magmatic rocks in the eastern NCC.It is obtained that the magmatism and mineralization in the eastern NCC westward migrate from east to west during the Early to Middle Jurassic,but they eastward migrate from west to east during the Early Cretaceous.The metallogenesis of these deposits is genetically related to magmatism,and the magmas provided some ore-forming materials and fluids for the generation of metal deposits.The geodynamic mechanism of decratonization and related magmatism and mineralization is proposed,i.e.,the westward low-angle subduction of the Paleo-Pacific slab beneath the NCC formed continental magmatic arc with plenty of porphyry Cu-Mo-Au deposits in the Jurassic,similar to the Andean continental arc in South America.The mantle wedge was metasomatized by the fluids/melts derived from the subducting slab,laying a material foundation for hydrothermal mineralization in the Early Cretaceous.While the rollback of the subducting slab with gradually increasing subduction angle and the retreat of the subduction zones during the Early Cretaceous induced strong destruction of the craton and the formation of extensive magmatic rocks and large-scale gold and other metal deposits.