The Late Early Cretaceous Mo Mineralization in the South China Mo Province: Constraints from U–Pb and Re–Os Geochronology of the Lufeng Porphyry Mo Deposit

Compared to other Mo provinces,few studies focused on the South China Mo Province(SCMP),especially for Early Cretaceous Mo mineralization.The Lufeng porphyry Mo deposit in the SCMP is characterized by disseminated and veinlet-type mineralization in granite porphyry,gneiss,and rhyolite.In this study,six molybdenite samples yield a Re–Os isochron age of 108.0±1.8 Ma,which is consistent with the zircon U–Pb age of the granite porphyry(108.4±0.8 Ma).The coincidence of magmatic and hydrothermal activities indicates that Mo mineralization was associated with the intrusion of granite porphyry during the late Early Cretaceous.A compilation of U–Pb and Re–Os chronological data suggests that an extensive and intensive Mo mineralization event occurred in the SCMP during the late Early Cretaceous.The marked difference in molybdenite Re contents between Cu-bearing(85–536 ppm)and Cu-barren(1.3–59 ppm)Mo deposits of the late Early Cretaceous indicates that the ore-forming materials were derived from strong crust–mantle interactions.Together with regional petrological and geochemical data,this study suggests that late Early Cretaceous Mo mineralization in the SCMP occurred in an extensional setting associated with the roll-back of the Paleo-Pacific slab.

Fluid inclusion and H-O isotope study of the Jiguanshan porphyry Mo deposit,Xilamulun Metallogenic Belt:implications for characteristics and evolution of ore-forming fluids

We studied the fluid inclusions of the Jiguanshan Mo deposit in China,which is a large porphyry deposit located in the southern Xilamulun Metallogenic Belt.The irregular Mo ore body with various types of hydrothermal veinlets is hosted by Late Jurassic granite porphyry.Intense hydrothermal alterations in the deposit from the core to margin are silicification-potassium feldspar alteration,pyrite-quartz-sericite-fluorite alteration,and propylitic alteration.Based on the mineral assemblages and crosscutting relationships of ore veins,the ore-forming process were divided into three stages and two substages:quartz-pyrite veins(stage I)associated with potassic alteration;quartz-molybdenite-chalcopyrite-pyrite veins(substage Ⅱ-1)and quartz-molybdenite-fluorite veins(substage Ⅱ-2)associated with phyllic alteration;and fluorite-quartz-carbonate veins(stage Ⅲ)with carbonation.Five majorfluid inclusions(FIs)types were distinguished in the quartz associated with oxide and sulfide minerals,i.e.polyphase brine(Pb-type),opaque-bearing brine(Ob-type),solid halite(S-type),two-phase aqueous(A-type),and vapor(Vtype)inclusions.The FIs of stage I were composed of liquid-rich S-,A-,and V-type FIs with homogenization temperatures and salinities of 490 to 511℃ and 8.9 to 56.0 wt%NaCl equiv.,respectively.The FIs of substage Ⅱ-1 are composed of Pb-,Ob-,S-,A-,and V-type FIs with homogenization temperatures and salinities of 352 to 460℃ and 3.7 to 46.1 wt%NaCl equiv,respectively.The FIs of substage Ⅱ-2 are Ob-,S-,A-,and V-type FIs with homogenization temperatures and salinities of 234 to309°C and 3.7 to 39.2 wt%NaCl equiv,respectively.The FIs of stage Ⅲ are A-type FIs with homogenization temperatures and salinities of 136 to 172℃ and 1.1 to 8.9 wt%NaCl equiv,respectively.Fluid boiling,which resulted in the precipitation of sulfides,occurred in stages I andⅡ.The initial ore-forming fluids of the Jiguanshan deposit had high temperature,high salinity,and belonged to an F-rich NaCl±KCl-H2O system.The fluids gradually evolved to low temperature,low salinity,and belonged to a NaCl-H2O system.Studies of the hydrogen and oxygen isotope compositions of quartz(δ^18OH2O=-7.3 to 6.3%,δDH2O=-104.3 to-83.3%)show that the ore-formingfluids gradually evolved from magmatic water to meteoric water.

Evidence from pseudomorphous β-quartz phenocryst for decompression of rock-forming and ore-forming processes in Shapinggou porphyry Mo deposit

The Shapinggou porphyry molybdenum(Mo) deposit, located in Jinzhai County, Anhui Province, China, is the largest in the Qinling-Dabie Mo Metallogenic Belt. The intrusive rocks in the Shapinggou Mo ore district formed in the Yanshanian can be divided into two stages based on zircon U-Pb dating and geochemical features. This study focuses on the late stage intrusions(quartz syenite and granite porphyry), which are closely genetically related to molybdenum mineralization. Petrographic observations identified two quartz polymorphs in the quartz syenite and granite porphyry, which were derived from the same magmatic sources and similar evolutionary processes. The quartzes were identified as a xenomorphic β-quartz within quartz syenite, while the quartz phenocrysts within the granite porphyry were pseudomorphous b-quartz, characterized by a hexagonal bipyramid crystallography. The pseudomorphous b-quartz phenocrysts within the granite porphyry were altered from b-quartz through phase transformation. These crystals retained b-quartz pseudomorph. Combined with titanium-inzircon thermometry, quartz phase diagrams, and granitic Q-Ab-Or-H_2O phase diagrams, it is suggested that the quartz syenite and granite porphyry were formed under similar magmatic origins, including similar depths and magmatic crystallization temperatures. However, the β-quartz within quartz syenite indicated that the crystallization pressure was greater than 0.7 GPa, while the original b-quartz within the granite porphyry was formed under pressures between 0.4 and 0.7 GPa. The groundmass of the granite porphyry which formed after the phenocryst indicated a crystallizing pressure below 0.05 GPa. This indicates that the granite porphyry was formed under repetitive and rapid decompression. The decompression was significant as it caused the exsolution of the ore-forming fluids, and boiling and material precipitation during the magmatic-fluid process. The volumetric difference during the phase transformation from b-quartz to β-quartz caused extensive fracturing on the granite porphyry body and the wall rocks. As the main ore-transmitting and ore-depositing structures, these fractures benefit the hydrothermal alteration and stockwork-disseminated mineralization of the porphyry deposit. It is considered that the pseudomorphous β-quartz phenocrysts of the porphyritic body are metallogenic indicators within the porphyry deposits. The pseudomorphous β-quartzes therefore provide evidence for the formation of the porphyry deposit within a decompression tectonic setting.

Late Jurassic adakitic ore-bearing granodiorite porphyry intrusions in the Xiaokele porphyry Cu(–Mo)deposit,Northeast China:implications for petrogenesis and tectonic setting

The Xiaokele Cu(–Mo)deposit is a recently discovered porphyry deposit in the northern Great Xing’an Range(GXR)of northeast China.The ore bodies in this deposit are mainly hosted within granodiorite porphyry intrusions.Potassic,phyllic,and propylitic alteration zones develop from center to edge.In this paper,we present zircon LA–ICP–MS U–Pb ages,zircon Hf isotopic compositions,and whole-rock geochemistry of the ore-bearing granodiorite porphyries from the Xiaokele Cu(–Mo)deposit.Zircon U–Pb dating suggests that the Xiaokele granodiorite porphyries were emplaced at 148.8±1.1 Ma(weighted-mean age;n=14).The Xiaokele granodiorite porphyries display high SiO2,Al2O3,Sr,and Sr/Y,low K2O/Na2O,MgO,Yb,and Y,belonging to high-SiO2 adakites produced by partial melting of the subducted oceanic slab.Marine sediments were involved in the magma source of the Xiaokele granodiorite porphyries,as indicated by enriched Sr–Nd isotopic compositions(eNd(-t)=-1.17–-0.27),low positive zircon eHf(t)values(0.4–2.2),and high Th contents(4.06–5.20).The adakitic magma subsequently interacted with the mantle peridotites during ascent through the mantle wedge.The Xiaokele granodiorite porphyries were derived from slab melting during the southward subduction of the Mongol–Okhotsk Ocean.

The Yanshanian Granites and Associated Mo-Polymetallic Mineralization in the Xiangcheng-Luoji Area of the Sanjiang-Yangtze Conjunction Zone in Southwest China

The Xiangcheng-Luoji area is located in the conjunction of the southern part of the ＂Sanjiang＂ mineralization belt and the west margin of Yangtze craton. The geological studies were carried out to know the Indosinian large porphyry Cu polymetallic deposits. Recent studies revealed that the area existed in the superposition of Late Yanshanian acidic intrusive rock belt and developed Mo-Cu polymetallic mineralization where promising exploration results have been achieved. Through the systematic study of geochronology, formation age of the Renlin Mo-minieralization monzogranite is 81.7±1.1 Ma. Re-Os dating results concentrate on 82.34±1.2–88.27±1.23 Ma for the model ages of molbdenite of Tongchanggou Mo deposits, average age is 85 ± 2 Ma where seven data points constitute a good isochron which shows that they were the same period products of mineralization. Geochemical features shown that the rocks have a high content of SiO 2（66.59–77.36wt%）, alkaline-rich（K2O=2.68–6.08wt%; Na2O=0.50–4.91wt%; K2O/Na2 O ratios are 0.71–5.56, where average ratio of 1.89） and have aluminum–rich features（Al2O3 10.38–15.15wt%） with σ values less than 3.3. Which indicate that they belong to the high-K calc-alkali to shoshonite series. Geochemistry of Yanshanian intrusions shows that rocks are enrich in LREE with obvious negative δEu anomalies, enrichment of trace elements like, LILE elements（Rb, Th, Ba） with a relative loss of Ba, and loss of high field strength elements（Nb, Ta, P, Ti） and HREE elements. The granite genetic classification diagram shows that the granites belong to A-type granite and formatted in syn-collision tectonic environment. Meanwhile, the Yanshanian granites also inherited the characteristics of island arc environment which formed in the process of crustal melting caused by upwelling of asthenospheric substances in the extensional tectonic background. The process of partial melting existed substances from the deep（lower crust or upper mantle） which have been added. In the Xiangcheng-Luoji area, monzogranite and granodiorite porphyry bodies are widely developed Mo polymetallic mineralization, the deep porphyry mineralization have great potential for geological prospecting.