Garnet and Zircon U-Pb Geochronology and Geochemistry Reveal Genesis of the Dafang Au-Pb-Zn-Ag Deposit,Southern Hunan

Garnet is a primary mineral in skarn deposits and plays a significant role in recording copious mineralization and metallogenic information.This study systematically investigates the geochemistry and geochronology of garnet and zircon in the Dafang Au-Pb-Zn-Ag deposit,which represents prominent gold mineralization in southern Hunan,China.Garnet samples with distinct zoning patterns and compositional variations were identified using various analytical techniques,including Backscattered Electron(BSE)imaging,Cathodoluminescence(CL)response,textural characterization,and analysis of rare-earth elements(REE),major contents,and trace element compositions.The garnet was dated U-Pb dating,which yielded a lower intercept age of 161.06±1.93 Ma.This age is older than the underlying granodiorite porphyry,which has a concordia age of 155.13±0.95 Ma determined by zircon U-Pb dating.These results suggest that the gold mineralization may be related to the concealed granite.Two groups of garnet changed from depleted Al garnet to enriched Al garnet,and the rare earth element(REE)patterns of these groups were converted from light REE(LREE)-enriched and heavy REE(HREE)-depleted with positive europium(Eu)anomalies to medium REE(MREE)-enriched from core to rim zoning.The different REE patterns of garnet in various zones may be attributed to changes in the fluid environment and late superposition alteration.The development of distal skarn in the southern Hunan could be a significant indicator for identifying gold mineralization.

Zircon U-Pb geochronology,geochemistry and tectonic implication of volcanic rocks from Manketouebo Formation in Keyihe area of northern Great Xing'an Range

Zircon U-Pb isotope dating and whole-rock geochemical analyses were undertaken for the rhyolite,rhyolitic lithic crystal tuff and dacitic tuff from the Manketouebo Formation in the Keyihe area,in order to constrain their genesis and tectonic significance.Zircon LA-ICP-MS U-Pb data indicate that the rhyolite and rhyolitic lithic crystal tuff were formed during 137±5 Ma and 143±1 Ma,respectively.These volcanic rocks have high SiO2(70.03%–76.46%)and K2O+Na2O(8.10%–9.52%)contents,but low CaO(0.03%–0.95%)and MgO(0.07%–0.67%)contents,which belong to the peraluminous and high-K calc-alkaline rocks.They are enriched in light rare earth elements(REEs),and exhibit fractionation of light over heavy REEs,withδEu values of 0.37–0.83.The volcanic rocks are enriched in LILEs(e.g.,Rb,U and K)and depleted in HFSEs(e.g.,Nb,Ti,P and Ta).The chemical composition suggests that these volcanic rocks formed by partial melting of crust material.Combined with previous regional research results,the authors consider that the volcanic rocks of the Manketouebo Formation in the Keyihe area were formed under an extensional environment related to the closure of the Mongolia–Okhotsk Ocean.

LA-ICP-MS Zircon U-Pb Geochronology of the Fine-grained Granite and Molybdenite Re-Os Dating in the Wurinitu Molybdenum Deposit,Inner Mongolia,China

The Wurinitu molybdenum deposit,located in Honggor,Sonid Left Banner of Inner Mongolia,China,is recently discovered and is considered to be associated with a concealed fine-grained granite impregnated with molybdenite.The wall rocks are composed of Variscan porphyritic-like biotite granite and the Lower Ordovician Wubin'aobao Formation.LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating of the fine-grained granite reveals two stages of zircons,one were formed at 181.7±7.4 Ma and the other at 133.6±3.3 Ma.The latter age is believed to be the formation age of the fine-grained granite,while the former may reflect the age of inherited zircons,based on the morphological study of the zircon and regional geological setting.The Re-Os model age of molybdenite is 142.2±2.5 Ma,which is older than the diagenetic age of the fine-grained granite.Therefore the authors believe that the metallogenic age of the Wurinitu molybdenum deposit should be nearly 133.6±3.3 Ma or slightly later,i.e.,Early Cretaceous.Combined with regional geological background research,it is speculated that the molybdenum deposits were formed at the late Yanshanian orogenic cycle in the Hingganling-Mongolian orogenic belt,belonging to the relaxation epoch posterior to the compression and was associated with the closure of the Mongolia-Okhotsk Sea.

Proto-Tethys ophiolitic mélange in SW Yunnan: Constraints from zircon U-Pb geochronology and geochemistry

An early Paleozoic Proto-Tethys ocean in western Yunnan has long been postulated although no robust geological evidence has been identified.Here we investigated the recently-identified Mayidui and Wanhe ophiolitic mélanges in SW Yunnan,which occurs in a N-S trending belt east of the late Paleozoic Changning-Menglian suture zone.The ophiolites consist mainly of meta-basalts(amphibole schists),meta-(cumulate)gabbros and gabbroic diorites,and meta-chert-shale,representing ancient oceanic crust and pelagic and hemipelagic sediments,respectively.Six samples of gabbros and gabbroic diorites from 3 profiles(Mayidui,Kongjiao and Yinchanghe)yielded zircon U-Pb ages between 462±6 Ma and 447±9 Ma,constraining the formation of the Mayidui and Wanhe ophiolites to Middle Ordovician.Gabbros from the Mayidui and Kongjiao profiles share similar geochemical characteristics with affinities to tholeiitic series,and are characterized by depleted to slightly enriched LREEs relative to HREEs with(La/Sm)N=0.69-1.87,(La/Yb)N=0.66-4.72.These,along with their predominantly positive wholerock eNd(t)and zircon eHf(t)values,indicate a MORB-like magma source.By contrast,the meta-mafic rocks from the Yinchanghe profile show significantly enriched LREEs((La/Sm)N=0.97-3.33,(La/Yb)N=1.19-14.93),as well as positive whole-rock eNd(t)and positive to negative zircon eHf(t)values,indicating an E-MORB-type mantle source.These geochemical features are consistent with an intra-oceanic setting for the formation of the Mayidui-Wanhe ophiolites.Our data,integrated with available geological evidence,provide robust constraints on the timing and nature of the Mayidui-Wanhe ophiolitic mélange,and suggest that the ophiolites represent remnants of the Proto-Tethys Ocean,which opened through separation of the Indochina and Simao blocks from the northern margin of Gondwana before the Early Cambrian,and evolved through to the Silurian.

Petrogenesis and Tectonic Significance of the Xiuwacu Two-Period Magmatism in Geza Arc of Yunnan Province： Constraints from Lithogeochemistry, Zircon U-Pb Geochronology and Hf isotopic Compositions

Objective The Late Cretaceous Xiuwacu ore-bearing porphyry is located in the Geza area of southern Yidun arc, SW China. In this area, the rock mass is mainly composed of three lithofacies： biotite granite porphyry, monzonitic granite and light alkali feldspar granite. As a part of the Yidun arc, the Geza arc has common structure and temporal- spatial evolution with the ~idun arc, which has experienced three stages of oceanic crust subduction, collision orogeny and intracontinent convergence stages. The molybdenite ores in the area are mainly hosted in monzonitic granite-porphyry and structural fracture zone, and the ore bodies are strictly controlled by faults. In recent years, great geological prospecting results have been achieved in Xiuwacu, and the deposit has reached a medium scale. However, there are few researches on the metallogenic porphyry. Based on the previous research, we determined the rock-forming and ore-forming age of the porphyry, and found that there were two stages of magmatism intrusion in Xiuwacu： Indosinian and Yanshanian. We also discussed the geochemical characteristics and source area of the rocks in the area.

Latest Zircon U-Pb Geochronology of the Huoshiling Formation Volcanic Rocks in the Southeastern Margin of the Songliao Basin

Objective The Huoshiling Formation is the earliest volcanic stratum in the Songliao Basin,composed mainly of intermediate-basic volcanic rocks,with rare fossils.The geological age of this formation has been controversial for long.

Genesis of the Weiquan Ag-Polymetallic Deposit in East Tianshan, China： Evidence from Zircon U-Pb Geochronology and C-H-O-S-Pb Isotope Systematics

The Weiquan Ag-polymetallic deposit is located on the southern margin of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt and in the western segment of the Aqishan-Yamansu arc belt in East Tianshan,northwestern China. Its orebodies, controlled by faults, occur in the lower Carboniferous volcanosedimentary rocks of the Yamansu Formation as irregular veins and lenses. Four stages of mineralization have been recognized on the basis of mineral assemblages, ore fabrics, and crosscutting relationships among the ore veins. Stage I is the skarn stage(garnet + pyroxene), Stage Ⅱ is the retrograde alteration stage(epidote + chlorite + magnetite ± hematite 士 actinolite ± quartz),Stage Ⅲ is the sulfide stage(Ag and Bi minerals + pyrite + chalcopyrite + galena + sphalerite + quartz ± calcite ± tetrahedrite),and Stage IV is the carbonate stage(quartz + calcite ± pyrite). Skarnization,silicification, carbonatization,epidotization,chloritization, sericitization, and actinolitization are the principal types of hydrothermal alteration. LAICP-MS U-Pb dating yielded ages of 326.5±4.5 and 298.5±1.5 Ma for zircons from the tuff and diorite porphyry, respectively. Given that the tuff is wall rock and that the orebodies are cut by a late diorite porphyry dike, the ages of the tuff and the diorite porphyry provide lower and upper time limits on the age of ore formation. The δ13C values of the calcite samples range from-2.5‰ to 2.3‰, the δ18OH2 Oand δDVSMOWvalues of the sulfide stage(Stage Ⅲ) vary from 1.1‰ to 5.2‰ and-111.7‰ to-66.1‰, respectively,and the δ13C, δ18OH2 Oand δDV-SMOWvalues of calcite in one Stage IV sample are 1.5‰,-0.3‰, and-115.6‰, respectively. Carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen isotopic compositions indicate that the ore-forming fluids evolved gradually from magmatic to meteoric sources. The δ34SV-CDTvalues of the sulfides have a large range from-6.9‰ to 1.4‰, with an average of-2.2‰, indicating a magmatic source, possibly with sedimentary contributions. The206Pb/204Pb,207Pb/204Pb, and208Pb/204Pb ratios of the sulfides are 17.9848-18.2785,15.5188-15.6536, and 37.8125-38.4650, respectively, and one whole-rock sample at Weiquan yields206Pb/204Pb,207Pb/204Pb, and208Pb/204Pb ratios of 18.2060, 15.5674, and 38.0511,respectively. Lead isotopic systems suggest that the ore-forming materials of the Weiquan deposit were derived from a mixed source involving mantle and crustal components. Based on geological features, zircon U-Pb dating, and C-H-OS-Pb isotopic data, it can be concluded that the Weiquan polymetallic deposit is a skarn type that formed in a tectonic setting spanning a period from subduction to post-collision. The ore materials were sourced from magmatic ore-forming fluids that mixed with components derived from host rocks during their ascent, and a gradual mixing with meteoric water took place in the later stages.

Latest Zircon U-Pb Geochronology of the Qingshan Group Volcanic rocks along the Tan-Lu Fault Zone of Shandong Province, Eastern China

Objective Shandong Province is divided into two parts by the Tan -Lu fault zone： the western part （Luxi） and the eastern part （Jiaodong）. Large-scale volcanic activity occurred during the Late Mesozoic in Shandong Province, eastern China （Fig. lb）, and was controlled by the Tan-Lu fault zone and its secondary faults. Mesozoic volcanic rocks in Shandong Province mainly occur within the Cretaceous Qingshan group, overlying the Laiyang group and underlying the Wangsi group. The Qingshan group has been divided into four volcanic cycles, i.e., the Houkuang, Bamudi, Shiqianzhuang and Fanggezhuang formations from the oldest to the youngest. Although geochronology data indicate the volcanic activity occurred during the Early Cretaceous, the starting time and duration of volcanic activity are still equivocal. Two zircon U-Pb ages of volcanic rocks from strata at the lower base of the volcanic sequence along the Tan-Lu fault zone were reported in this paper, which provide new evidence for the discussion of the geological age.

Detrital Zircon U-Pb Geochronology： New Insight into the Provenance of Sanya Formation in the Yinggehai Basin

Objective The NNW-SSE trending Yinggehai Basin, located on the continental shelf at water depths of 50-200 m in the northwestern South China Sea, is a Cenozoic conversion extensional basin. Over the past decades, a number of hydrocarbon reservoirs have been discovered in the deepwater area of the basin, including the Lingtou Formation （Eocene）, Yacheng and Lingshui formations （Oligocene）, Sanya, Meishan and Huangliu formations （Miocene） and Yinggehai Formation （Pliocene）, which are covered by Quaternary sediments and underlain by pre- Paleogene strata.

Detrital Zircon U-Pb Geochronology of the Xilin Group: Constraints for the Early Paleozoic Tectonic Evolution of the Songliao Massif

The Xilin Group, composed of the Chenming, Laodaomiaogou, Qianshan and Wuxingzhen formations, is one of the Early Paleozoic terranes in the eastern Songliao Massif, mainly consisting of thick layers of fine clastic and carbonate rocks. This study presents LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb geochronological data for the Laodaomiaogou and Qianshan formations, further constraining their provenance and the Early Paleozoic tectonic evolution of the Songliao Massif on the eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt. Most zircons from the Laodaomiaogou and Qianshan formations show magmatic oscillatory zoning and high Th/U ratios(0.26–2.41). Zircon U-Pb dating results indicate that the detrital zircons from the silty mudstone of the Laodaomiaogou Formation yield peak ages of 634 Ma, 775 Ma, 820 Ma, 880 Ma and 927 Ma, as well as multi-episodic Archean to Paleoproterozoic and Mesoproterozoic ages(1405–643 Ma), implying its deposition time is younger than ~634 Ma. Furthermore, the occurrence of Early Cambrian fossils indicates that the Laodaomiaogou Formation was deposited during the late stage of the Early Cambrian(~514 Ma). The zircons from the K-bentonite of the Qianshan Formation show four peak ages of 444 Ma, 471 Ma, 489 Ma and 518 Ma and the youngest age peak of 444 ± 4 Ma(n = 6) indicates that the Qianshan Formation was deposited during the Late Ordovician. In addition, the peak ages of the detrital zircons in the silty mudstone of the Qianshan Formation are 472 Ma and 498 Ma, as well as two other concordant points with;Pb/;Pb apparent ages of 1824 Ma and 1985 Ma. The dating results in this study, together with published data, indicate the absence of Pan-African magmatic events in the Songliao Massif prior to the initial deposition of the Xilin Group, in contrast to those distributed widely in the Jiamusi Massif. Taken together, we conclude that the depositional provenance of the Laodaomiaogou and Qianshan formations was derived from the Songliao Massif. Furthermore, the characteristics of the detrital zircon age composition and rock associations indicate that the Laodaomiaogou Formation formed in a passive continental margin environment, in contrast to the Qianshan Formation, which formed in an active continental margin environment. The above results also imply that the Songliao and Jiamusi massifs might not have collided before the Late Ordovician.

The First Discovery of the Early Palaeozoic Carbonatite in the Bayan Obo Deposit, Inner Mongolia, China: Evidence from Zircon U-Pb Geochronology

Objective The Bayan Obo in the northern North China Craton is the world’s largest REE-Nb-Fe deposit. The genesis of its hosted carbonatite is still controversial for sedimentary or igneous(Song et al.,2018). Recent geological exploration, including 1:10000 geological mapping and drilling exploration, have revealed new exposures of zonal distribution of alteration and mineralization, which combined with previous results of isotopical geochemistry indicate the

Zircon U-Pb geochronology and geological implications of granitoids from Sawuer Mountains in North Xinjiang,NW China

LA-ICP MS zircon U-Pb dating results of granites from Sawuer Mountains in North Xinjiang, NW China, are reported based on 1：50 000 regional geologic surveys. Zircon U-Pb dating shows that the granitoids have magmatic crystallization age of 320 ± 2 Ma. In addition, zircons with ages of 341 -358 Ma could be subdivided into two groups, i. e. , Group 1 with a weighted mean age of 342 ± 3 Ma and Group 2 with a weighted mean age of 354 ± 2 Ma. The petrology and geochemistry of granitoids from Sawuer Mountains suggest their mixed origin. The granite from Sawuer Mountains occurred in an extensional setting, most probably related to post-orogenic processes during the closure of the Peo-Asian Ocean ; namely, represent the tectonic setting shifted from compress to post-collisional setting.

Petrogenesis of Late Cretaceous Jiangla＇angzong I-Type Granite in Central Lhasa Terrane, Tibet, China： Constraints from Whole-Rock Geochemistry, Zircon U-Pb Geochronology, and Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf Isotopes

The Jiangla＇angzong granite in the northern part of the Central Lhasa Terrane is composed of syenogranite and adamellite. LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb analyses suggest that syenogranite has a weighted mean 2±6pb/23SU age of 86±1 Ma （mean square weighted deviation=0.37）, which is in accordance with the muscovite Ar-Ar age （85±1 Ma） of Cu-Au ore-bearing skarns and the zircon U-Pb age （84±1 Ma） of adamellite. This suggests that the Jiangla＇angzong magmatism and Cu-Au mineralization events took place during the Late Cretaceous. The granite contains hornblende, biotite, and pyroxene, and does not contain Al-bearing minerals, such as muscovite, cordierite, and garnet. It has high contents of SiO2 （65.10 -70.91wt%）, K20 （3.44-5.17wt%）, and total K20＋Na20 （7.13-8.15wt%）, and moderate contents of A12Oa （14.14-16.45wt%） and CaO （2.33-4.11wt%）, with a Reitman index （δ43） of 2.18 to 2.33, and A/ CNK values of 0.88 to 1.02. The P205 contents show a negative correlation with SiO2, whereas Pb contents show a positive correlation with SiO2. Th and Y contents are relatively low and show a negative correlation with the Rb contents. These characteristics suggest that the Jiangla＇angzong granite is a high K calc-alkaline metaluminous I-type granite. It is enriched in light rare earth elements （LREE） and large ion lithofile elements （LILE）, and depleted in heavy rare earth elements （HREE） and high field strength elements （HFSE）, with LREE/HREE ratios of 11.7 to 18.1. The granite has negative Eu anomalies of 0.58 to 0.94 without obvious Ce anomalies （δCe=l.00-1.04）. The relatively low initial a7Sr/a6Sr ratios of 0.7106 to 0.7179, positive ε±nt（t） values of 1.0 to 4.1, and two-stage Hf model ages （TDM2） ranging from 889 Ma to 1082 Ma, These geochemical features indicate that the granite derived from a juvenile crust. The （143Nd/144Nd）t values from the Jiangla＇angzong granite range from 0.5121 to 0.5123, its eNd（t） values range from -10.17 to -6.10, its （^206pb /^204pb）t values range from 18.683 to 18.746, its （^207pb /^204pb）t values range from 15.695 to 15.700, and its （^208pb /^204pb）t values range from 39.012 to 39.071. These data indicate that the granite was formed by melting of the upper crust with the addition of some mantle materials. We propose that the Jiangla＇angzong granite was formed during the post- collision extension of the Qiangtang and Lhasa terranes.

LA-ICP-MS Zircon U-Pb Geochronology of Quartz Porphyry from the Niutougou Gold Deposit in Songxian County,Henan Province

The Niutougou gold deposit, located in the center of the Xiong＇ershan gold district, western Henan Province, is a large gold deposit with many quartz porphyries found in the area. Based on the field geological investigation of quartz porphyry of Niutougou gold deposit and by using the cathodoluminescence （CL） images analysis and in situ LA-ICP-MS U-Pb isotope dating method of zircons, the inner structure, trace element compositions and U-Pb age of the zircons separated from quartz porphyry were analyzed and determined. Cathodoluminescence （CL） images of zircons show clear magmatic zonations. Trace element analyses of zircons reveal that all zircons show high concentrations of Th, U, and HREE, and the REE patterns of depletion in LREE, with a positive Ce anomaly. Zircon LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating results show that the quartz porphyry in the Niutougou gold deposit was formed at 159.714-0.99 Ma （about 160 Ma）, belonging to the product of magmatic activity in late Middle Jurassic. Combined with the geological characteristics of the Niutougou gold deposit, the formation age of the quartz porphyry and the analysis of the formation age of the granite body exposed in the Niutougou gold deposit, the study suggests that the metallogenic epoch of the Niutougou gold deposit may be Yanshanian in age.

Petrogenesis of the Xihuashan Granite in Southern Jiangxi Province,South China:Constraints from Zircon U-Pb Geochronology,Geochemistry and Nd Isotopes

Mesozoic granitic intrusions are widely distributed in the Nanling region, South China. Yanshanian granites are closely connected with the formation of tungsten deposits. The Xihuashan granite is a typical representative of tungsten-bearing granite. The Xihuashan granite consists mainly of medium-grained porphyritic biotite granite, medium-grained biotite granite and fine-grained twomica granite, which correspond to LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb ages of 555.5±0.4 Ma, 553.0±0.6 Ma and 552.8±0.9 Ma, respectively. Rocks from the Xihuashan mining area displays high SlOe （73.85% to 76.49%） and NaeO＋K20 contents （8.09% to 9.43%）, belonging to high-K calc-alkaline series. They are metaluminous to weakly peraluminous with A/CNK values ranging from 0.96 to 5.06. All granites in this study area are rich in Rb, Th, U and Pb, and depleted in Ba, Sr, P, Ti, Nb and Eu, especially depleted in medium-grained biotite granite and fine-grained two-mica granite. The medium-grained porphyritic biotite granites usually have high LREE concentrations, whereas medium-grained biotite granite and fine-grained two-mica granite displays high HREE contents. Our geochemical data reveal that the studied rocks are highly fractionated I-type granite. The magma underwent strong magma differentiation with decreasing temperature and increasing oxygen fugacity, which may explain the formation of three types of distinct granites. Variations of Rb, Sr and Ba concentrations in different type granites were controlled by fractional crystallization of biotite and feldspar. Fractional crystallization of monazite, allanite and apatite resulted in LREE changes in granite, and formation of garnet mainly caused HREE changes. Granites from the Xihuashan mining area have relatively high εd（t） values （-9.77 to -55.46）, indicating that they were probably generated by partial melting of underlying Proterozoic metasedimentary rocks with minor addition of juvenile crust or mantlederived magmas.

Geology,Geochemistry and Zircon U-Pb Geochronology of Porphyries in the Dabate Mo-Cu Deposit,Western Tianshan,China:Petrogenesis and Tectonic Implications

The Dabate Mo-Cu deposit is a medium-sized porphyry-type deposit in the Sailimu Lake region, western Tianshan, China. We present the geology, geochemistry and zircon U-Pb geochronology of granite porphyries from the Dabate district with the intent to constrain their tectonic setting and petrogenesis. Porphyries in the Dabate district include granite porphyry I（gray white color with large phenocrysts）, granite porphyry II（pink color with small phenocrysts） and quartz porphyry. Granite porphyry II is the Cu and Mo ore-bearing granitoid in the Dabate deposit. LA-ICPMS zircon U-Pb analyses indicate that granite porphyry II was emplaced at 284.2±1.8 Ma. Granite porphyry I and II have similar geochemical features and are both highly fractionated granites：（1） They have high SiO2 content（70.93–80.18 wt% and 72.14–72.64 wt%, respectively）, total alkali（7.58–8.95 wt% and 9.35–9.68 wt%, respectively）, mafic index（0.95–0.98 and 0.93–0.94, respectively） and felsic index（0.79–0.94 and 0.89–0.91, respectively）;（2） They are characterized by pronounced negative Eu anomaly, ＂seagullstyle＂ chondrite-normalized REE patterns and ＂tetrad effect＂ of REE;（3） They are rich in Rb, K, Th, Ta, Zr, Hf, Y and REE, but depleted in Sr, P, Ti and Nb. The magma of granite porphyries in Dabate can be interpreted to have been generated by partial melting of the upper crust due to mantle-derived magma underplating in a post-collisional extensional setting.

Paleozoic and Mesozoic Basement Magmatisms of Eastern Qaidam Basin,Northern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau:LA-ICP-MS Zircon U-Pb Geochronology and its Geological Significance

The eastern margin of the Qaidam Basin lies in the key tectonic location connecting the Qinling, Qilian and East Kunlun orogens. The paper presents an investigation and analysis of the geologic structures of the area and LA-ICP MS zircon U-Pb dating of Paleozoic and Mesozoic magmatisms of granitoids in the basement of the eastern Qaidam Basin on the basis of 16 granitoid samples collected from the South Qilian Mountains, the Qaidam Basin basement and the East Kunlun Mountains. According to the results in this paper, the basement of the basin, from the northern margin of the Qaidam Basin to the East Kunlun Mountains, has experienced at least three periods of intrusive activities of granitoids since the Early Paleozoic, i.e. the magmatisms occurring in the Late Cambrian （493.1±4.9 Ma）, the Silurian （422.9±8.0 Ma-420.4±4.6 Ma） and the Late Permian-Middle Triassic （257.8±4.0 Ma-228.8＋1.5 Ma）, respectively. Among them, the Late Permian - Middle Triassic granitoids form the main components of the basement of the basin. The statistics of dated zircons in this paper shows the intrusive magmatic activities in the basement of the basin have three peak ages of 244 Ma （main）, 418 Ma, and 493 Ma respectively. The dating results reveal that the Early Paleozoic magmatism of granitoids mainly occurred on the northern margin of the Qaidam Basin and the southern margin of the Qilian Mountains, with only weak indications in the East Kunlun Mountains. However, the distribution of Permo-Triassic （P-T） granitoids occupied across the whole basement of the eastern Qaidam Basin from the southern margin of the Qilian Mountains to the East Kunlun Mountains. An integrated analysis of the age distribution of P-T granitoids in the Qaidam Basin and its surrounding mountains shows that the earliest P-T magmatism （293.6-270 Ma） occurred in the northwestern part of the basin and expanded eastwards and southwards, resulting in the P-T intrusive magmatism that ran through the whole basin basement. As the Cenozoic basement thrust system developed in the eastern Qaidam Basin, the nearly N-S-trending shortening and deformation in the basement of the basin tended to intensify from west to east, which went contrary to the distribution trend of N-S-trending shortening and deformation in the Cenozoic cover of the basin, reflecting that there was a transformation of shortening and thickening of Cenozoic crust between the eastern and western parts of the Qaidam Basin, i.e., the crustal shortening of eastern Qaidam was dominated by the basement deformation （triggered at the middle and lower crust）, whereas that of western Qaidam was mainly by folding and thrusting of the sedimentary cover （the upper crust）.

Late Mesozoic Ore-forming Events in the Ningwu Ore District, Middle-Lower Yangtze River Polymetallic Ore Belt, East China: Evidence from Zircon U-Pb Geochronology and Hf Isotopic Compositions of the Granodioritic Stocks

Late Mesozoic volcanic-subvolcanic rocks and related iron deposits, known as porphyry iron deposits in China, are widespread in the Ningwu ore district （Cretaceous basin） of the middle-lower Yangtze River polymetallic ore belt, East China. Two types of Late Mesozoic magmatic rocks are exposed： one is dioritic rocks closely related to iron mineralization as the hosted rock, and the other one is granodioritic （-granitic） rocks that cut the ore bodies. To understand the age of the iron mineralization and the ore-forming event, detailed zircon U-Pb dating and Hf isotope measurement were performed on granodioritic stocks in the Washan, Gaocun-Nanshan, Dongshan and Heshangqiao iron deposits in the basin. Four emplacement and crystallization （typically for zircons） ages of granodioritic rocks were measured as 126.1±0.5 Ma, 126.8±0.5 Ma, 127.3±0.5 Ma and 126.3±0.4 Ma, respectively in these four deposits, with the LA-MC-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb method. Based on the above results combined with previous dating, it is inferred that the iron deposits in the Ningwu Cretaceous basin occurred in a very short period of 131-127 Ma. In situ zircon Hf compositions of εHf（t） of the granodiorite are mainly from -3 to -8 and their corresponding 176Hf/177Hf ratio are from 0.28245 to 0.28265, indicating similar characteristics of dioritic rocks in the basin. We infer that granodioritic rocks occurring in the Ningwu ore district have an original relationship with dioritic rocks. These new results provide significant evidence for further study of this ore district so as to understand the ore-forming event in the study area.

Zircon U-Pb Geochronology and Geochemical Characteristics of the Volcanic Host Rocks from the Tongyu VHMS Copper Deposit in the Western North Qinling Orogen and Their Geological Significance

Precise in situ zircon U-Pb dating and Lu-Hf isotopic measurement using an LA-ICP-MS system, whole-rock major and trace element geochemistry and Sr-Nd isotope geochemistry were conducted on the volcanic host rocks of the Tongyu copper deposit on the basis of further understanding of its geological characteristics. Three zircon samples from the volcanic host rocks yielded 206Pb/238 U weighted average ages ranging from 436±4 Ma to 440±5 Ma, which are statistically indistinguishable and coeval with the ca. 440 Ma northward subduction event of the Paleo-Qinling oceanic slab. The volcanic host rocks were products of magmatic differentiation that evolved from basalt to andesite to dacite to rhyolite, forming an integrated tholeiitic island arc volcanic rock suite. The primitive mantle-normalized trace element patterns for most samples show characteristics of island arc volcanic rocks, such as relative enrichment of LILE（e.g. Th, U, Pb and La） and depletion of HFSE（e.g. Nb, Ta, Ti, Zr and Hf）. Discrimination diagrams of Ta/Yb vs Th/Yb, Ta vs Th, Yb vs Th/Ta, Ta/Hf vs Th/Hf, Hf/3 vs Th vs Nb/16, La vs La/Nb and Nb vs Nb/Th all suggest that both the volcanic host rocks from the Tongyu copper deposit and the volcanic rocks from the regional Xieyuguan Group were formed in an island arc environment related to subduction of an oceanic slab. Values of ISr（0.703457 to 0.708218） and εNd（t）（-2 to 5.8） indicate that the source materials of volcanic rocks from the Tongyu copper deposit and the Xieyuguan Group originated from the metasomatised mantle wedge with possible crustal material assimilation. Most of the volcanic rock samples show good agreement with the values of typical island arc volcanic rocks in the ISr-εNd（t） diagram. The involvement of crustal-derived material in the magma of the volcanic rocks from the Tongyu copper deposit was also reflected in the zircon εHf（t） values, which range from-3.08 to 10.7, and the existence of inherited ancient xenocrystic zircon cores（2616±39 Ma and 1297±22 Ma）. The mineralization of the Tongyu copper deposit shows syn-volcanic characteristics such as layered orebodies interbedded with the volcanic rock strata, thus, the zircon U-Pb age of the volcanic host rocks can approximately represent the mineralization age of the Tongyu copper deposit. Both the Meigou pluton and the volcanic host rocks were formed during the ca. 440 Ma northward subduction of the Paleo-Qinling Ocean when high oxygen fugacity aqueous hydrothermal fluid released by dehydration of the slab and the overlying sediments fluxed into the mantle wedge, triggered partial melting of the mantle wedge, and activated and extracted Cu and other ore-forming elements. The magma and ore-bearing fluid upwelled and erupted, and consequently formed the island arc volcanic rock suite and the Tongyu VHMS-type copper deposit.

Detrital Zircon U-Pb Geochronology and Provenance of the Hebukesaier Formation in the Shaerbuerti Mountains,Northern West Junggar:Implication for Devonian Subduction of the Junggar–Balkhash Ocean

Limited Devonian magmatic record in northern West Junggar leads to contrasting models on its tectonic evolution.In this study,we conducted LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating on detrital zircons of two sandstones from the Hebukesaier Formation in the Shaerbuerti Mountains.Detrital zircons with oscillatory zoning are characterized by high Th/U(>0.3)and low La/Yb(<0.15),indicating their magmatic origin.The youngest zircon ages of two samples are 402±2 Ma and 406±2 Ma,respectively,suggesting that the Hebukesaier Formation was deposited at the Early Devonian.Detrital zircon age patterns show single peaks(at ca.424 Ma,n=157),which indicates that these clastics were likely proximal accumulation after short distance transportation.Provenance of the Hebukesaier Formation was the Xiemisitai and Shaerbuerti Mountains.Detrital zircon ages range from 481 Ma to 395 Ma,which indicates that there was relatively continuous Early Paleozoic magmatism in the Xiemisitai and Shaerbuerti Mountains since the Early Ordovician.Age spectrums of sampled detrital zircons are distinct from those of Lower Devonian strata either in southern West Junggar or in East Junggar,which implies for individual tectonic evolution of northern West Junggar.We favor that Lower Devonian Hebukesaier Formation was developed in a fore–arc setting due to the northward subduction of the Junggar–Balkhash Ocean.