Geology,Geochemistry,and Genesis of the Tongcun Reduced Porphyry Mo(Cu) Deposit,NW Zhejiang Province,China

The Tongcun Mo（Cu） deposit in Kaihua city of Zhejiang Province,eastern China,occurs in and adjacent to the Songjiazhuang granodiorite porphyry and is a medium-sized and important porphyry type ore deposit.Two irregular Mo（Cu） orebodies consist of various types of hydrothermal veinlets.Intensive hydrothermal alteration contains skarnization,chloritization,carbonatization,silicification and sericitization.Based on mineral assemblages and crosscutting relationships,the oreforming processes are divided into five stages,i.e.,the early stage of garnet ＋ epidote ± chlorite associated with skarnization and K-feldspar ＋ quartz ± molybdenite veins associated with potassicsilicic alteration,the quartz-sulfides stage of quartz ＋ molybdenite ± chalcopyrite ± pyrite veins,the carbonatization stage of calcite veinlets or stockworks,the sericite ＋ chalcopyrite ± pyrite stage,and the late calcite ＋ quartz stage.Only the quartz-bearing samples in the early stage and in the quartzsulfides stage are suitable for fluid inclusions（FIs） study.Four types of FIs were observed,including1） CO2-CH4 single phase FIs,2） CO2-bearing two- or three-phase FIs,3） Aqueous two-phase FIs,and4） Aqueous single phase FIs.FIs of the early stages are predominantly CO2- and CH4-rich FIs of the CO2-CH4-H2O-NaCl system,whereas minerals in the quartz-sulfides stage contain CO2-rich FIs of the CO2-H2O-NaCl system and liquid-rich FIs of the H2O-NaCl system.For the CO2-CH4 single phase FIs of the early mineralization stage,the homogenization temperatures of the CO2 phase range from 15.4 ℃ to 25.3 ℃（to liquid）,and the fluid density varies from 0.7 g/cm^3 to 0.8 g/cm^3;for two- or three-phase FIs of the CO2-CH4-H2O-NaCl system,the homogenization temperatures,salinities and densities range from 312℃ to 412℃,7.7 wt%NaCl eqv.to 10.9 wt%NaCl eqv.,and 0.9 g/cm^3 to 1.0 g/cm^3,respectively.For CO2-H2O-NaCI two- or threephase FIs of the quartz-sulfides stage,the homogenization temperatures and salinities range from255℃ to 418℃,4.8 wt%NaCl eqv.to 12.4 wt%NaCl eqv.,respectively;for H2O-NaCl two-phase FIs,the homogenization temperatures range from 230 ℃ to 368 ℃,salinities from 11.7 wt%NaCl eqv.to16.9 wt%NaCl eqv.,and densities from 0.7 g/cm^3 to 1.0 g/cm^3.Microthermometric measurements and Laser Raman spectroscopy analyses indicate that CO2 and CH4 contents and reducibility（indicated by the presence of CH4） of the fluid inclusions trapped in quartz-sulfides stage minerals are lower than those in the early stage.Twelve molybdenite separates yield a Re-Os isochron age of 163 ± 2.4 Ma,which is consistent with the emplacement age of the Tongcun,Songjiazhuang,Dayutang and Huangbaikeng granodiorite porphyries.The 〈S18OSMow values of fluids calculated from quartz of the quartz-sulfides stage range from 5.6‰ to 8.6‰,and the 〈JDSMOw values of fluid inclusions in quartz of this stage range from-71.8‰ to-88.9‰,indicating a primary magmatic fluid source.〈534SV-cdt values of sulfides range from＋1.6‰ to ＋3.8‰,which indicate that the sulfur in the ores was sourced from magmatic origins.Phase separation is inferred to have occurred from the early stage to the quartz-sulfides stage and resulted in ore mineral precipitation.The characteristics of alteration and mineralization,fluid inclusion,sulfur and hydrogen-oxygen isotope data,and molybdenite Re-Os ages all suggest that the Tongcun Mo（Cu） deposit is likely to be a reduced porphyry Mo（Cu） deposit associated with the granodiorite porphyry in the Tongcun area.

The influence of Tethyan evolution on changes of the Earth's past environment

Understanding changes in Earth's past can provide valuable insights into prediction of its future.An example is the interactions between the internal and external spheres of Earth.The cyclical northward breakup-drift of Gondwana,driven by the opening and closure of Proto-,Paleo-,and Neo-Tethyan oceans,facilitated the transfer of landmasses from the southern to the northern hemisphere,traversing the tropic region.We have observed a compelling correlation between episodic increases in landmass area within the tropic regions(those lying at less than 20°latitude)and a subsequent temperature decrease during the three major glacial periods in the last 500 million years.This phenomenon can be attributed to low latitude regions receiving more solar energy influx on Earth's surface than high latitude areas.In addition,an increase of landmass in tropic regions(low latitude)attenuates the net energy absorption by the Earth's surface,consequently impeding the conduction and convection of absorbed energy toward the poles.The result is a decrease in global surface temperature.The tropic regions,benefiting from abundant sunlight,create an ideal environment for the proliferation of marine plankton species.These species are important in the generation of organic-rich sediment.Massive biological debris is therefore deposited on continental margins when a continent drifts across the tropic region.This creates favorable conditions for future hydrocarbon and reservoir formation.Northward subduction of organic-rich sediments during the closure of the Tethyan oceans results in the generation of mafic arc magmas with low oxygen fugacity.This chemical environment helps the mineralization of reduced-type ore deposits such as tungsten,tin,and lithium.Subducted-driven plate tectonics in the Tethys realm changes the distribution of oceans and landmass,subsequently affecting the balance and distribution of solar energy across Earth's surface.These changes trigger consequential environmental shifts which in turn,impact the composition of rock and mineral along the Eurasian margin due to subduction.Consequently,the Tethyan realm and its history is an ideal natural laboratory for comprehending the processes and changes of the entire Earth's system.