Long-standing controversy persists over the presence and role of iron-rich melts in the formation of volcanic rock-hosted iron deposits. Conjugate iron-rich and silica-rich melt inclusions observed in thin-sections ar...Long-standing controversy persists over the presence and role of iron-rich melts in the formation of volcanic rock-hosted iron deposits. Conjugate iron-rich and silica-rich melt inclusions observed in thin-sections are considered as direct evidence for the presence of iron-rich melt, yet unequivocal outcrop-scale evidence of iron-rich melts are still lacking in volcanic rock-hosted iron deposits. Submarine volcanic rock-hosted iron deposits, which are mainly distributed in the western and eastern Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang, are important resources of iron ores in China, but it remains unclear whether iron-rich melts have played a role in the mineralization of such iron ores. In this study, we observed abundant iron-rich agglomerates in the brecciated andesite lava of the Heijianshan submarine volcanic rock-hosted iron deposit, Eastern Tianshan, China. The iron-rich agglomerates occur as irregular and angular masses filling fractures of the host brecciated andesite lava. They show concentric potassic alteration with silicification or epidotization rims, indicative of their formation after the wall rocks. The iron-rich agglomerates have porphyritic and hyalopilitic textures, and locally display chilled margins in the contact zone with the host rocks. These features cannot be explained by hydrothermal replacement of wall rocks （brecciated andesite lava） which is free of vesicle and amygdale, rather they indicate direct crystallization of the iron-rich agglomerates from iron-rich melts. We propose that the iron-rich agglomerates were formed by open-space filling of volatile-rich iron-rich melt in fractures of the brecciated andesite lava. The iron-rich agglomerates are compositionally similar to the wall-rock brecciated andesite lava, but have much larger variation. Based on mineral assemblages, the iron-rich agglomerates are subdivided into five types, i.e., albite-magnetite type, albite-K-feldspar- magnetite type, K-feldspar-magnetite type, epidote-magnetite type and quartz-magnetite type, representing that products formed at different stages during the evolution of a magmatic-hydrothermal system. The albite-magnetite type represents the earliest crystallization product from a residual iron- rich melt; the albite-K-feldspar-magnetite and K-feldspar-magnetite types show features of magmatic- hydrothermal transition, whereas the epidote-magnetite and quartz-magnetite types represent products of hydrothermal alteration. The occurrence of iron-rich agglomerates provides macroscopic evidence for the presence of iron-rich melts in the mineralization of the Heijianshan iron deposit. It also indicates that iron mineralization of submarine volcanic rock-hosted iron deposits is genetically related to hydrothermal fluids derived from iron-rich melts.展开更多
The Aqishan-Yamansu metallogenic belt(AYMB)in East Tianshan hosts abundant sub-marine volcanic-hosted iron deposits.Although there is agreement with the magmatic source of the ore-forming materials and the role of hyd...The Aqishan-Yamansu metallogenic belt(AYMB)in East Tianshan hosts abundant sub-marine volcanic-hosted iron deposits.Although there is agreement with the magmatic source of the ore-forming materials and the role of hydrothermal replacement in iron ore formation,the mineraliza-tion processes of these iron deposits remain uncertain.Three ore types are identified on the basis of the geological occurrences of minerals and the sequence of mineral in ores.The typeⅠores are characte-rized by magnetite,diopside,amphibole with a few pyrite,and chalcopyrite.The type II ores are mainly composed of magnetite,garnet,chlorite with a few pyrite,while the type III ores are mainly composed of magnetite,quartz,calcite with a few pyrite.In order to constrain the mineralization processes of these ore types,we performed iron isotopes and trace element compositions of magnetite from three typical iron deposits(Yamansu,Duotoushan and Luotuofeng).Trace element and Fe isotope investiga-tions of the three ore types reveal two major groups.The groupⅠconsists of analyses of the typeⅠandⅡores,with both showing a narrow range of positiveδ56Fe values(+0.08‰to+0.22‰for typeⅠores and+0.15‰ to+0.22‰ for typeⅡores)and plotting in the range of the ortho-magmatic field.In contrast,the group 2 is composed merely of the typeⅢores,showing a wider range of negativeδ56Fe values(-0.49‰ to-0.01‰),which is similar to the features of Fe-skarn magnetite.As shown in the binary dia-grams of magnetite trace elements and a fractionation of the Fe isotopes,different ore types were likely produced during gradually changing ore-forming stages from magmatic to hydrothermal.Collectively,the submarine volcanic-hosted iron deposits in the East Tianshan are likely the results of a continuous magmatic-hydrothermal mineralization process.展开更多
基金financially supported by the Geological Survey Program of China(grants No.K1410 and DD20160346)the National Natural Foundation of China(grants No.41672078 and 41402067)
文摘Long-standing controversy persists over the presence and role of iron-rich melts in the formation of volcanic rock-hosted iron deposits. Conjugate iron-rich and silica-rich melt inclusions observed in thin-sections are considered as direct evidence for the presence of iron-rich melt, yet unequivocal outcrop-scale evidence of iron-rich melts are still lacking in volcanic rock-hosted iron deposits. Submarine volcanic rock-hosted iron deposits, which are mainly distributed in the western and eastern Tianshan Mountains in Xinjiang, are important resources of iron ores in China, but it remains unclear whether iron-rich melts have played a role in the mineralization of such iron ores. In this study, we observed abundant iron-rich agglomerates in the brecciated andesite lava of the Heijianshan submarine volcanic rock-hosted iron deposit, Eastern Tianshan, China. The iron-rich agglomerates occur as irregular and angular masses filling fractures of the host brecciated andesite lava. They show concentric potassic alteration with silicification or epidotization rims, indicative of their formation after the wall rocks. The iron-rich agglomerates have porphyritic and hyalopilitic textures, and locally display chilled margins in the contact zone with the host rocks. These features cannot be explained by hydrothermal replacement of wall rocks （brecciated andesite lava） which is free of vesicle and amygdale, rather they indicate direct crystallization of the iron-rich agglomerates from iron-rich melts. We propose that the iron-rich agglomerates were formed by open-space filling of volatile-rich iron-rich melt in fractures of the brecciated andesite lava. The iron-rich agglomerates are compositionally similar to the wall-rock brecciated andesite lava, but have much larger variation. Based on mineral assemblages, the iron-rich agglomerates are subdivided into five types, i.e., albite-magnetite type, albite-K-feldspar- magnetite type, K-feldspar-magnetite type, epidote-magnetite type and quartz-magnetite type, representing that products formed at different stages during the evolution of a magmatic-hydrothermal system. The albite-magnetite type represents the earliest crystallization product from a residual iron- rich melt; the albite-K-feldspar-magnetite and K-feldspar-magnetite types show features of magmatic- hydrothermal transition, whereas the epidote-magnetite and quartz-magnetite types represent products of hydrothermal alteration. The occurrence of iron-rich agglomerates provides macroscopic evidence for the presence of iron-rich melts in the mineralization of the Heijianshan iron deposit. It also indicates that iron mineralization of submarine volcanic rock-hosted iron deposits is genetically related to hydrothermal fluids derived from iron-rich melts.
基金This study was financially supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.41672078)the China Geological Survey(No.DD20190606).
文摘The Aqishan-Yamansu metallogenic belt(AYMB)in East Tianshan hosts abundant sub-marine volcanic-hosted iron deposits.Although there is agreement with the magmatic source of the ore-forming materials and the role of hydrothermal replacement in iron ore formation,the mineraliza-tion processes of these iron deposits remain uncertain.Three ore types are identified on the basis of the geological occurrences of minerals and the sequence of mineral in ores.The typeⅠores are characte-rized by magnetite,diopside,amphibole with a few pyrite,and chalcopyrite.The type II ores are mainly composed of magnetite,garnet,chlorite with a few pyrite,while the type III ores are mainly composed of magnetite,quartz,calcite with a few pyrite.In order to constrain the mineralization processes of these ore types,we performed iron isotopes and trace element compositions of magnetite from three typical iron deposits(Yamansu,Duotoushan and Luotuofeng).Trace element and Fe isotope investiga-tions of the three ore types reveal two major groups.The groupⅠconsists of analyses of the typeⅠandⅡores,with both showing a narrow range of positiveδ56Fe values(+0.08‰to+0.22‰for typeⅠores and+0.15‰ to+0.22‰ for typeⅡores)and plotting in the range of the ortho-magmatic field.In contrast,the group 2 is composed merely of the typeⅢores,showing a wider range of negativeδ56Fe values(-0.49‰ to-0.01‰),which is similar to the features of Fe-skarn magnetite.As shown in the binary dia-grams of magnetite trace elements and a fractionation of the Fe isotopes,different ore types were likely produced during gradually changing ore-forming stages from magmatic to hydrothermal.Collectively,the submarine volcanic-hosted iron deposits in the East Tianshan are likely the results of a continuous magmatic-hydrothermal mineralization process.
