Formation of the Devonian Fengtai Hydrothermal Brine Basin and the Metallogeny of Gold and Lead-Zinc Mineralizations in Shaanxi

The study of the relationships between the hydrothermal sedimentary formations and the gold and lead-zinc mineralizations in the Devonian Fengtai basin in Shaanxi shows that there was a hydrothermal brine sedimentary event which was inserted into the normal sedimentary background from the late Middle Devonian to the early Late Devonian. This event is closely related to gold and lead-zinc mineralizations in this area.

Magnetite-Fluorite Rock:A New Rock Type of Hot Water Sedimentation

The new type hot water sedimentary rock -- magnetite-fluorite rock occurs as quasi-layers in flat parts of contact zones between rock body and strata in Bamianshan of Changshan County, Zhejiang Province, China. The main mineral assemblage is fluorite＋magnetite＋cassiterite. The rock shows typical laminated structure and obvious mosaic texture. Its formation temperature is between 123℃-160℃, averaging at 142℃. The major chemical composition of the rock includes CaF2, SiO2, Al2O3, FeO, and Fe2O3; the high-content microelement association includes W, Sn, Be, Rb, Sr, S, and CI; and the total content of REE is low （∑REE between 35.34×10^-6-38.35×10^-6）, showing LREE enrichment type of distribution pattern. Diagenesis： driven by the tectonic stress, the formation water heated in the deep strata had moved along the fissures or fractures in strata and had extracted components from the strata on the way, and finally stagnated in the flat parts of contact zones between rock body and strata. With drop in temperature, magnetite and fluorite were separated from the hot water and precipitated alternately, forming this hot water sedimentary rock with new type mineralogical composition, typical laminated structure, obvious mosaic texture and sub-horizontal occurrence. The characteristics of the new type mineralogical composition, sedimentary tectonic environment and chemical composition are different from that of the well-known traditional hydrothermai sedimentary rocks.

Hydrothermal-sedimentary dolomite—A case from the Middle Permian in eastern Junggar Basin,China

The Middle Permian Lucaogou Formation in the Jimusar Sag,eastern Junggar Basin,NW China,was deposited in a salt lake within an intracontinental rift basin with intense hydrothermal activity.Hydrothermal-sedimentary dolomite in the form of three types of dolostones,namely,analcime-feldspar dolostone(AFD),silicic dolostone(SD)and buddingtonite-albite dolostone(BAD),related to syn-sedimentary hydrothermal activity at lake bottom was discovered.The characteristics and formation mechanism of the dolomite were studied based on micron-scale petrographic and isotopic geochemical research.The syn-depositional formation of these dolostones was indicated by their rock-mineral features and syn-sedimentary deformation stage.The dolomite was composed of relatively poorly ordered proto-dolomite crystals with micron-sized spherical or sub-spherical morphology and coexisted with hydrothermal minerals,including analcime,buddingtonite,albite and chalcedony.Albite clasts were replaced by the dolomite,indicating high-temperature conditions during formation.The remarkably low strontium isotopic compositions of the dolostones(87Sr/86Sr with an average of 0.705687)indicated that mantle-derived materials might have involved in the ore-forming fluid.The dolostones had positiveδ13CPDB values(with an average of 6.94‰)and negativeδ18OPDB values(with an average of-8.12‰).Based on theδ18OPDB values,the formation temperatures of the dolomite were at least^25ºC higher than those of the penecontemporaneous dolomite in the Lucaogou Formation in the study area.It is concluded that the dolomite precipitated from hydrothermal fluid erupting at the lake bottom.The possible genetic models are described.We suggest that the hydrothermal-sedimentary dolomite is an important genetic type,and this study may help increase the awareness of this understudied type of dolomite.

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.