Zircon SIMS U-Pb Age of the Shaxinan Melagabbro, Eastern Tianshan and Constraints on Fe-Ti-V Oxide Mineralization

Objective The late Paleozoic Fe-Ti-V oxide deposit of the eastern Tianshan is an important orthomagmatic deposit type in the Central Asia Orogenic Belt （CAOB）. A series of Fe-Ti -V oxide deposits and mineralized mafic-ultramafic intrusions have been recognized recently, such as those in Hongliangzi, Weiya, Yaxi, Shaxinan and Shaxi on the Central Tianshan massif, and Niumaoquan on the southern margin of the Harlik belt （Shi et al., 2018a）. Only a few Fe -Ti-V oxide deposits in the eastern Tianshan （e.g., Weiya and Niumaoquan） have been studied, and their chronology need to be further constrained for study of regional Fe-Ti- V oxide metallogenic mechanism and variation of mantlederived magmas during the orogenic process.

Early Mineralization Age of the Hengjian Uranium Deposit: Constraints from Zircon SIMS U-Pb Dating

Objective The Hengjian uranium deposit is a typical hydrothermal deposit in the Xiangshan uranium ore field.The uranium mineralization ages of the Xiangshan deposits are poorly constrained,and only a few mineralization ages using the pitchblende U–Pb method have been published.These ages are commonly discordant and dispersed for abundant inclusions and an open U–Pb system.Zircon grains after strong hydrothermal alteration are usually characterized by high common Pb contents,and their U–Pb isochron ages recorded the hydrothermal alteration event without interference of common Pb components.The Hengjian gray/grayish-green granite porphyry experienced strong alteration by hydrothermal fluids during the pervasive uranium mineralization in the Xiangshan uranium ore field.Uranium mineralization in the Hengjian deposit may had different stages,and strong hydromicatization alteration occurred at a relatively early stage.Their altered zircon U–Pb isochron ages possibly represent relatively early mineralization age of the Xiangshan uranium deposits.Altered zircon grains from the Hengjian granite porphyry were analyzed using the secondary ion mass spectrometry(SIMS)U-Pb method in this study,and U–Pb isochron ages were measured to constrain the relatively early mineralization age of the Hengjian uranium deposit.

Geochemistry, Monazite U–Pb Dating, and Li–Nd Isotopes of the Madi Rare Metal Granite in the Northeastern Part of the North China Craton

The Madi rare metal granite is a complex massif,which contains a variety of rare metals,such as Nb,Ta,Li,and Be.In this paper,the geochemical characteristics of the granite were obtained by multi-collector inductively coupled mass spectrometry(MC-ICP-MS).The precise crystalline age of the granite was obtained from monazite U-Pb dating,and the source of the granite was determined using Li-Nd isotopes.The Madi rare metal granite is a high-K(calc-alkaline),peraluminous,S-type granite.The U-Pb monazite age indicates that the crystalline age of the granite is 175.6 Ma,which is Early Jurassic.The granite is characterized by a relatively wide range ofδ7 Li values(+2.99‰to+5.83‰)and high lithium concentrations(181 ppm to 1022 ppm).The lithium isotopic composition of the granite does not significantly correlate with the degree of magmatic differentiation.An insignificant amount of lithium isotope fractionation occurred during the granitic differentiation.The lithium isotopic composition of the granite significantly differs from that of the wall rock,but it is very similar to that of a primitive mantle peridotite xenolith(meanδ7 Li value+3.5‰).The plot of Li concentration versusδ7 Li indicates that the Li isotopic composition of the granite is similar to that of island arc lavas.Based on the above-described evidence,the granite was mainly derived from the crust,but it was contaminated by a deep granitic magma.

Multistage mineralization in the Haoyaoerhudong gold deposit, Central Asian Orogenic Belt: Constraints from the sedimentary-diagenetic and hydrothermal sulfides and gold

The Central Asian Orogenic Belt,as one of world-class gold economic belts,preserves a number of giant,large black shale-hosted gold deposits,while it is still debated for origin of sulfides and gold mainly due to lack of identification for multiple stages of sulfides.The Haoyaoerhudong gold deposit is hosted in a sequence of Mesoproterozoic carbonaceous and pyritic slate,phyllite,and schist that form a tight syncline along the north margin of the North China Craton.Detailed petrography of the host rocks and mineralization have defined five stages of pyrites.The earliest form of pyrite(Py_(1))occurs as fine-grained dispersed pyrite in black carbonaceous slate and medium-to coarse-grained disseminated pyrite in pyrite-rich layers,contains relative low gold and high arsenic content,indicating a syn-sedimentary or diagenetic in origin.Stage Ⅱ pyrite(Py_(2))occurs with garnet and quartz inclusions and Py_(3) occurs as pyrite veins,contains higher gold and lower As content,and are interpreted to have formed from the dissolution-reprecipitation of Py_(1) during the peak metamorphism or post-peak metamorphism.Stage Ⅳ pyrite(Py_(4))from the pyrite-quartz veins crosscut the metamorphic garnet,contains the highest gold concentrations and other trace elements,and is considered to have formed post-peak metamorphism.Abundant native gold,electrum,and maldonite occur as inclusions within Py_(4) and monazite and in fractures that crosscut garnet.While,Py_(5) with typical remobilized feature is thought to be a product of melting of former pyrites(Py_(1) to Py_(4))triggered by the large-scale Hercynian magmatism.The sedimentary/diagenetic Py_(1) have δ^(34)S values that range from +12.4‰to +16.2‰.Later generations of sulfides,including Py_(2) to Py_(5),and Ccp_(2) to Ccp_(3),have δ^(34)S values from +9.5‰to +12.7‰.Monazite with maldonite inclusions from quartz-pyrite veins yielded an intercept age of 341.3±6.6 Ma,while coarse grained monazite associated biotite along fractures in the reefs yielded an intercept age of 254.6±8.2 Ma.The paragenetic,textural,chemical,and isotopic data suggest three distinct gold producing episodes at Haoyaoerhudong gold deposit.Gold and arsenic were clearly initially concentrated in organic muds,and enriched along the structures of diagenetic arsenic-rich pyrite.Subsequently,accompanying metamorphism and deformation,gold was liberated from the dissolution of diagenetic pyrites to form the pyrite veins.Finally,accompanying transformation of pyrite into pyrrhotite,gold was released into the metamorphic fluids to become concentrated as native gold,electrum,and maldonite in pyrite-quart veins.Monazite with age of 341 Ma from quartz-pyrite veins suggests that the third major gold mineralizing event in Haoyaoerhudong occurred before the Hercynian magmatism,suggesting that the Haoyaoerhudong deposit is a typical orogenic gold deposit rather than intrusion-related deposit.

KV01 zircon—A potential New Archean reference material for microbeam U-Pb age and Hf-O isotope determinations

To meet the rapid development of zircon U-Pb geochronology and Hf-O isotope geochemistry,it is imperative to develop well-characterized zircon reference materials for microbeam analysis.Here,zircon KV01 separated from the Kaap Valley pluton,South Africa is introduced as a potential Archean reference material for microbeam U-Pb age and Hf-O isotope determination.SIMS and LA-ICP-MS U-Pb isotopic measurements gave grand mean 207Pb/206Pb ages of 3233±16 Ma(2 s,n=90)and 3230±26 Ma(2 s,n=52),which are consistent with reported CA-ID-TIMS results.Slight heterogeneity of oxygen isotopes is revealed by SIMS analyses that yielded a relatively largeδ18O range of 4.61–6.51‰.Among them,the zircon grains with clear oscillatory zones give a grand meanδ18O value of 6.17±0.33‰(2 s),which is suggested to record the primary O isotopic compositions.The homogeneity in the Hf isotopic compositions of KV01 zircon was checked by the laser ablation and solution MC-ICP-MS methods.They yielded consistent results with a recommended 176Hf/177Hf ratio of 0.280810±0.000013(2 s).The results reported here demonstrate that KV01 zircon could be a reliable reference material for microbeam 207Pb/206Pb age and Hf isotope determinations of ancient zircons,and be suitable as a quality monitor for SIMS oxygen isotopic analysis.

The giant tin polymetallic mineralization in southwest China:Integrated geochemical and isotopic constraints and implications for Cretaceous tectonomagmatic event

The Gejiu-Bozushan-Laojunshan W-Sn polymetallic metallogenic belt(GBLB)in southeast Yunnan Province is an important part of the southwestern Yangtze Block in South China.Tin polymetallic mineralization in this belt includes the Niusipo,Malage,Songshujiao,Laochang and Kafang ore fields in the Gejiu area which are spatially and temporally associated with the Kafang-Laochang and Songshujiao granite plutons.These granites are characterized by variable A/CNK values(mostly>1.1,except for two samples with 1.09),high contents of SiO2(74.38-76.84 wt.%)and Al2 O3(12.46-14.05 wt.%)and variable CaO/Na2 O ratios(0.2-0.65)as well as high zirconδ18O values(7.74‰-9.86‰),indicative of S-type affinities.These rocks are depleted in Rb,Th,U,Ti,LREE[(La/Yb)N=1.4-20.51],Ba,Nb,Sr,and Ti and display strong negative Eu and Ba anomalies.The rocks possess high Rb/Sr and Rb/Ba ratios,relatively low initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios(0.6917-0.7101),and less radiogenicεNd(t)values(-8.0 to-9.1).The zircon grains from these rocks show negativeεHf(t)values in the range of-3.7 to-9.9 with mean TDM2(Nd)and TDM2(Hf)values of 1.57 Ga and 1.55 Ga.They show initial 207Pb/204Pb ranging from15.69 to 15.71 and 206Pb/204Pb from 18.36 to 18.70.Monazite from Songshujiao granites exhibits higher U and lower Th/U ratios,lowerδ18O values and higherεHf(t)values than those of the zircon grains in the KafangLaochang granites.The geochemical and isotopic features indicate that the Laochang-Kafang granites originated by partial melting of Mesoproterozoic crustal components including biotite-rich metapelite and metagraywacke,whereas the Songshujiao granites were derived from Mesoproterozoic muscovite-rich metapelite crustal source.Most zircon grains from the Songshujiao,Laochang and Kafang granites have high-U concentrations and their SIMS U-Pb ages show age scatter from 81.6 Ma to 88.6 Ma,80.7 Ma to 86.1 Ma and 82.3 Ma to 87.0 Ma,suggesting formation earlier than the monazite and cassiterite.Monazite SIMS U-Pb ages and Th-Pb ages of three same granite samples are consistent and show yielded 206 Pb/238U ages of 83.7±0.6 Ma,83.7±0.6 Ma,and 83.4±0.6 Ma,and 208Pb/232Th ages of 83.2±0.5 Ma,83.8±0.4 Ma,and 83.5±0.9 Ma,which are within the range of the SIMS zircon U-Pb ages from these rocks.The data constrain the crystallization of the granites at ca.83 Ma.In situ U-Pb dating of two cassiterite samples from the cassiterite-sulfide ore in the Songshujiao ore field and Kafang ore field,and two from the cassiterite-oxide+cassiterite bearing dolomite in the Laochang ore field yielded weighted mean 206 Pb/238U ages of 83.5±0.4 Ma(MSWD=0.6),83.5±0.4 Ma(MSWD=0.5),83.6±0.4 Ma(MSWD=0.6)and 83.2±0.7 Ma(MSWD=0.6),respectively.Combined with geological characteristics,the new geochronological data indicate that the formation of the granites and Sn polymetallic deposits are coeval.We correlate the magmatic and metallogenic event with lithospheric thinning and asthenosphere upwelling in continental extension setting in relation to the eastward subduction of the Neo-Tethys beneath the Sanjiang tectonic domain during Late Cretaceous.