西藏罗布莎豆荚状铬铁矿床深部找矿突破与成因模式讨论

中国铬铁矿资源的瓶颈状态已持续多年。最近,在西藏罗布莎蛇绿岩地幔橄榄岩的深部勘探发现200万t致密块状铬铁矿床,这是中国近50年来铬铁矿找矿的重大突破,对今后继续寻找同类型的铬铁矿床具有重要指导意义。蛇绿岩地幔橄榄岩中产出的豆荚状铬铁矿床是工业需求铬的重要来源。研究豆荚状铬铁矿的成矿作用和矿体围岩地幔橄榄岩地质特征,建立铬铁矿的成矿模型和找矿标志,是开展寻找同类型矿床的重要保证。随着近些年在豆荚状铬铁矿及围岩地幔橄榄岩中金刚石等深部矿物的不断发现和深入研究,人们对蛇绿岩型铬铁矿的物质来源和形成过程,有了新的认识,提出了铬铁矿的深部成因模式。研究认为深部成因铬铁矿床主要经历了4个阶段:(1)早期俯冲到地幔过渡带(410~660 km)的陆壳和洋壳物质被脱水和肢解,过渡带产生的热和流体促成了地幔的熔融和Cr的释放和汇聚;(2)铬铁矿浆在地幔柱驱动下,运移到过渡带顶部冷凝固结,并有强还原的流体进入,后者携带了深部形成的金刚石、斯石英等高压矿物,进入"塑性—半塑性地幔橄榄岩"中;(3)随着物质向上移动,深度降低,早期超高压相矿物发生相变,如斯石英转变成柯石英,高压相的铬铁矿中出溶成柯石英和单斜辉石;(4)在侵位过程和俯冲带环境下,含水熔体与方辉橄榄岩反应形成了不含超高压矿物的规模相对较小的浸染状铬铁矿及纯橄岩岩壳。进一步研究表明,同处雅鲁藏布江缝合带西段的几个大型地幔橄榄岩岩体与罗布莎岩体可以对比,经历了相同的构造背景和豆荚状铬铁矿的成矿作用,存在较大的找矿空间。     

西昆仑库地蛇绿岩富Al型豆荚状铬铁矿床成因

西昆仑库地蛇绿岩发育小规模的铬铁矿床,矿体呈豆荚状和层状、似层状,均与纯橄岩紧密伴生。这些纯橄岩主要由橄榄石和副矿物尖晶石组成,与方辉橄榄岩相比,橄榄岩中的橄榄石粒径粗(平均2.5mm),Mg#(88~90)低,这与它们全岩低Mg#(90)值,富Al_2O_3、TiO_2、Cr_2O_3、Fe_2O_3相吻合,与熔融残余成因的纯橄岩明显不同,反映了其很可能是由熔体与方辉橄榄岩反应而成。矿体主要由块状、浸染状及脉状铬铁矿石组成;铬铁矿石中的尖晶石具有低而相对稳定的Cr#(43~56),低于富铬型铬铁矿矿床中的铬铁矿(Cr#60)。块状矿石与纯橄岩呈突变接触,矿石中的尖晶石呈浑圆状,包裹有较多橄榄石、辉石等硅酸盐矿物及角闪石等含水硅酸盐矿物;浸染状铬铁矿石中的尖晶石与橄榄石颗粒构成交织结构,或呈云朵状,沿橄榄石颗粒边界相互连接,矿石的结构构造显示了熔/岩反应成因特征。通过计算分析,我们认为该区富铝型铬铁矿石是由拉斑玄武质熔体与地幔橄榄岩反应而成,由于熔体中含有较高的H_2O,参与反应的熔体可能源于弧后扩张脊环境。     

西藏罗布莎不同类型铬铁矿的特征及成因模式讨论

蛇绿岩地幔橄榄岩中产出的豆荚状铬铁矿是铬的主要来源。已有的研究表明,豆荚状铬铁矿形成于洋中脊或俯冲带的浅部地幔环境。但随着近些年在豆荚状铬铁矿及围岩地幔橄榄岩中不断发现金刚石等深部矿物,人们也开始质疑豆荚状铬铁矿的浅部成因理论。本文系统研究了西藏雅鲁藏布江蛇绿岩带东段的罗布莎豆荚状铬铁矿床,识别出两类铬铁矿,一类以方辉橄榄岩为围岩的致密块状铬铁矿(Cr1#),另一类是以纯橄岩壳为围岩的浸染状铬铁矿(Cr2#)。两类铬铁矿在铬尖晶石的矿物化学成分、PGE和Re-Os同位素特征上存在较大差别,属不同演化过程的结果。地幔橄榄岩的地球化学特征指示罗布莎橄榄岩中存在由低铬且轻稀土亏损和高铬且轻稀土富集的两类方辉橄榄岩。在此基础上,提出豆荚状铬铁矿为多阶段形成的新认识,经历了早期俯冲至地幔过渡带(410~660km)的陆壳和洋壳物质被脱水和肢解,过渡带产生的热和流体促成了地幔的熔融和Cr的释放和汇聚;铬铁矿浆在地幔柱/地幔对流驱动下,运移至过渡带顶部冷凝固结,并有强还原性的流体进入,后者携带了深部形成的金刚石、斯石英等高压矿物,并进入"塑性-半塑性地幔橄榄岩"中;随着物质向上移动,深度降低,早期超高压相矿物发生相变,如斯石英转变成柯石英,高压相的铬铁矿中出溶成柯石英和单斜辉石;在侵位过程和俯冲带环境,含水熔体与方辉橄榄岩反应形成了不含超高压矿物的规模相对较小的浸染状铬铁矿(Cr2#)及纯橄岩壳。     

西藏罗布莎蛇绿岩中不同产出的纯橄岩及成因探讨

罗布莎蛇绿岩中的纯橄岩有三种产出情况,除了与豆荚状铬铁矿伴生的薄壳状纯橄岩外,还有产在方辉橄榄岩底部被认为是堆晶岩的厚层状纯橄岩和方辉橄榄岩中的透镜状纯橄岩。厚层状纯橄岩约700～1000m厚,以橄榄石富镁(Fo93～95),单斜辉石低铝富镁(Al2O30.47%～0.85%,Mg#95～97),铬尖晶石高铬低镁(Cr#值平均77,Mg#平均51)为特征。该纯橄岩中的浸染状铬铁矿也是高铬低镁型,但Mg#值(平均59)高于厚层状纯橄岩的副矿物铬尖晶石。薄壳状纯橄岩与厚层状纯橄岩成分相近,其橄榄石Fo92～94,单斜辉石Al2O3<1%和Mg#95～97;铬尖晶石的Cr#值平均71,Mg#值平均52。与薄壳状纯橄岩伴生的块状铬铁矿为高镁高铬型,但Mg#值(平均68)相对更高些,Cr#值平均79。透镜状纯橄岩的特征是橄榄石Fo(91～92)和铬尖晶石Cr#(60左右)均低于前两类纯橄岩,但单斜辉石的Al2O3(1.41%～1.71%)则高于前两者。透镜状纯橄岩的矿物成分与方辉橄榄岩重叠,两者为渐变过渡关系。研究对比表明,罗布莎厚层状纯橄岩不同于经典的蛇绿岩的超镁铁质堆晶岩,认为将其成因解释为拉斑玄武质熔体与地幔橄榄岩的反应较为合理。透镜状纯橄岩与方辉橄榄岩存在成生联系,可能是地幔橄榄岩高度部分熔融的产物,或熔体和方辉橄榄岩在原位发生反应的产物;薄壳状纯橄岩成因与厚层状纯橄岩相同,但与其相伴的块状铬铁矿是否由拉斑玄武质熔体与方辉橄榄岩反应形成,值得商榷。     

北秦岭松树沟橄榄岩与铬铁矿矿床的成因关系

松树沟橄榄岩体是秦岭造山带中规模最大的赋存铬铁矿床的超基性岩体。松树沟橄榄岩主要由细粒橄榄岩质糜棱岩和中粗粒橄榄岩组成。本文通过对松树沟橄榄岩的岩相学、主微量、稀土元素地球化学的系统研究,认为松树沟细粒方辉橄榄岩为洋脊扩张过程中地幔岩减压-近分离熔融产生的残留体,细粒纯橄岩主要由地幔橄榄岩熔融残留橄榄石、消耗辉石的减压熔融反应:aCpx+bOpx+cSpl=dOl+1Melt生成的橄榄石和少量的地幔方辉橄榄岩残留体组成,但均受到了后期渗滤熔体的再富集作用;中粗粒纯橄岩和方辉橄榄岩主要为上述反应产生的渗滤熔体被圈闭在迁移通道或减压扩容带内在热边界层(TBL)通过反应:MeltA=Ol+MeltB冷凝结晶而成,属堆晶橄榄岩。Pb-Sr-Nd同位素地球化学的证据显示,松树沟橄榄岩与基性岩具有共同的地幔源区,二者同为松树沟蛇绿岩的重要组成部分。通过矿床地质特征及铬铁矿电子探针测试研究,认为松树沟铬铁矿床是产于中粗粒堆晶纯橄岩中的层状铬铁矿床,形成于格林威尔期松树沟洋盆的扩张过程中,是中粗粒纯橄岩在热边界层(TBL)的冷凝结晶过程中岩浆分异作用的产物。     

蛇绿岩豆荚状铬铁矿床研究进展与展望

赋存于蛇绿岩中的豆荚状铬铁矿床是全球铬资源的主要来源之一，具有重要战略及经济价值。目前关于豆荚状铬铁矿床的成因尚存分歧。本文总结了全球豆荚状铬铁矿床在矿床地质和矿床地球化学方面的共性特征，以及豆荚状铬铁矿床的成矿模型。这些模型在解释豆荚状铬铁矿矿床成因时还存在一些问题，如成矿母岩浆的地幔源区特征、形成条件、性质，难以限定成矿母岩浆的通量，如何精细刻画地幔中Cr及铬铁矿迁移-富集过程，俯冲动力学过程对成矿有何贡献，等。针对这些问题，未来的工作可聚焦于熔体包裹体研究、探索矿体下部是否存在深部岩浆房、熔-岩反应及流体搬运铬铁矿的实验岩石学及热力学模拟研究，以及探索与俯冲过程密切相关的成矿因素。     

西藏雅鲁藏布江缝合带中段仁布豆荚状铬铁矿成因及构造意义

藏南雅鲁藏布江缝合带为目前国内铬铁矿储量最大的缝合带.本文报道了缝合带中段仁布蛇绿岩的豆荚状铬铁矿床,围绕矿床特征开展成因探讨,对缝合带的形成演化和成矿作用提供新制约.仁布蛇绿岩呈近东西走向带状产出,主要由近30个大小不等的地幔橄榄岩体组成.地幔橄榄岩体主要为经历不同程度蛇纹石化的方辉橄榄岩和少量纯橄岩.在纯橄岩和方辉...     

再论蛇绿岩中豆荚状铬铁矿的成因——质疑岩石/熔体反应成矿说

着重论述了蛇绿岩地幔橄榄岩中豆荚状铬铁矿的成因,并对现今盛行的岩石/熔体反应成矿说提出了质疑。世界含铬铁矿的地幔橄榄岩均显示上部偏基性、下部偏酸性的垂直熔融分带,与蛇绿岩堆晶岩中上部偏酸性、下部偏基性的岩浆分异垂直层序恰恰相反。豆荚状铬铁矿与熔融剖面上部的纯橄岩或纯橄岩-方辉辉橄岩杂岩带紧密伴生。豆荚状铬铁矿是原始地幔岩高度熔融再造的产物,高铬型铬铁矿与PPG型蛇绿岩伴生,形成于岛弧或弧前盆地环境;高铝型铬铁矿与PTG型蛇绿岩伴生,形成于扩张脊（MOR）或弧后盆地环境。玻安岩（boninite）与高铬型豆荚状铬铁矿无成因关系,铬铁矿（或富铬矿浆）的形成反而为boninite提供了其形成所需的残余地幔;高铝型铬铁矿不是地幔橄榄岩/拉斑玄武质熔体反应形成的,而是富铬矿浆与基性熔体发生再平衡的产物。豆荚状铬铁矿中超高压矿物包体的出现为其地幔深部成因提供了佐证,而boninite形成于浅部较低压的条件;豆荚状铬铁矿中富集强相容元素IPGE（Os、Ir、Ru）合金,boninite富集不相容元素PPGE (Pt、Pd)硫（砷）化物, 而亏损IPGE,显示其形成较晚。因此,boninite与铬铁矿无生因关系,两者均受岛弧（或弧前盆地）环境的制约而在空间上相伴产出。     

雅鲁藏布江缝合带西段达机翁地幔橄榄岩及铬铁矿的铂族元素特征

达机翁蛇绿岩位于雅鲁藏布江缝合带的西段北亚带,该蛇绿岩主要由地幔橄榄岩、玄武岩以及硅质岩组成,其中地幔橄榄岩以方辉橄榄岩为主,同时含有少量的纯橄榄岩,纯橄岩主要呈不规则透镜状或团块状分布于方辉橄榄岩中。在达机翁地幔橄榄岩中产出有3种不同类型的铬铁矿,分别为块状,豆状以及浸染状铬铁矿。文章主要对达机翁地幔橄榄岩的方辉橄榄岩及豆荚状铬铁矿进行了研究,结合岩石的主量元素和铂族元素,对地幔橄榄岩和豆荚状铬铁矿的成因以及雅鲁藏布江缝合带的找矿远景进行了探讨。达机翁地幔橄榄岩具有较高的Mg O含量以及较低的Al2O3和Ca O等含量,这种亏损的全岩成分指示了达机翁地幔橄榄岩经历了较高的部分熔融作用,同时方辉橄榄岩的PGEs的总量为23.68×10-9~31.02×10-9,高于原始地幔的值,Pd和Cu 2个元素的含量较为分散明显偏离部分熔融曲线,指示了达机翁方辉橄榄岩可能遭受了熔体的改造,在熔体-岩石反应的过程中,导致了富含PPGE的硫化物的加入。达机翁豆荚状铬铁矿为高Cr型铬铁矿,具有IPGE和Rh明显富集以及Pt,Pd明显亏损的特征,不同类型的铬铁矿之间具有一致的PGEs的分配模式。雅鲁藏布江缝合带内大量分布的超镁铁岩体在岩石组合、地球化学特征、成因以及形成时代等方面,均具有相似性,是中国铬铁矿找矿的有利远景区。     

雅鲁藏布江缝合带东段杰莎蛇绿岩中铬铁矿特征及其构造背景

雅鲁藏布江缝合带东段加查县杰莎岩体主要由蚀变较强的方辉橄榄岩和纯橄岩、豆荚状铬铁矿组成。铬铁矿矿体呈东西向,倾向北西,矿体的围岩为纯橄岩及方辉橄榄岩,长20~40m,宽1~3m。镜下特征和电子探针分析结果显示铬铁矿中铬尖晶石的Cr#=67.9~88.5,Mg#值变化在64.6~68.2之间,TiO2含量为0.06%~0.18%,Al2O3含量为13.1%~16.5%,表明杰莎铬铁矿为高铬型铬铁矿。方辉橄榄岩中橄榄石、斜方辉石和单斜辉石的矿物化学特征表明杰莎岩体既具有深海地幔橄榄岩特征,也具有岛弧地幔橄榄岩的特点。并且依据铬尖晶石-橄榄石/单斜辉石的矿物化学成分,识别出杰莎岩体至少经历了2期过程,包括早期部分熔融(20%~30%)和晚期的岩石/熔体反应作用(35%)。因此,杰莎地幔橄榄岩和铬铁矿可能与雅鲁藏布江缝合带中其他岩体一样,经历了洋中脊及俯冲带的多阶段叠加的过程。     

Podiform Chromitites in the Luobusa Ophiolite (Southern Tibet): Implications for Melt-Rock Interaction and Chromite Segregation in the Upper Mantle

The Luobusa ophiolite in the Indus—Yarlung Zangbo sutureof southern Tibet hosts the largest known chromite deposit inChina. The podiform chromitites occur in a well-preserved mantlesequence consisting of harzburgite with abundant lenses of dunite.The harzburgites have relatively uniform bulk-rock compositionswith mg-numbers [100 Mg/(Mg + Fe)] ranging from 89 to 91 andshow flat, unfractionated, chondrite-normalized platinum groupelement (PGE) patterns. Their accessory chromite varies widelyin cr-number [100Cr/(Cr + Al)] (18–66). These rocks areessentially residua left after extraction of mid-ocean ridgebasalt (MORB)-type magmas. The podiform chromitites displaynodular, massive, disseminated and banded textures and typicallyhave dunite envelopes that grade into the surrounding harzburgiteand diopsidic harzburgite with increasing pyroxene contents.They consist of relatively uniform chromite with high cr-numbers(74–82), have strongly fractionated, chondrite-normalizedPGE patterns with enrichment in Os, Ir and Ru relative to Rh,Pt and Pt, and are believed to have formed from a boniniticmagma produced by a second stage of melting. Dunites containaccessory chromite intermediate in composition between thoseof harzburgite and chromitite and are believed to be the productsof reaction between new boninitic magmas and old MORB-type peridotites.The melt-rock reaction removed pyroxene from the peridotitesand precipitated oli-vine, forming dunite envelopes around thechromitite pods. The melts thus became more boninitic in compositionand chromite saturated, leading to precipitation of chromitealone. The interplay of melt-rock interaction, chromite fractionationand magma mixing should lead to many fluctuations in melt composition,producing both massive and disseminated chromitites and phaselayering within individual podiform bodies observed in the Luobusaophiolite. KEY WORDS: boninitic magmas; dunite envelope; melt—rock interaction; MORB peridotities; podiform chromitites ^*Corresponding author. Present address: Department of Geology, Laurentian University, Sudbury, Ont, Canada P3E 2C6.     

Early Palaeozoic sub-arc chromitite-bearing peridotite in the Kudi ophiolite on the westernmost Tibetan Plateau

ABSTRACT

A chromite deposit was discovered in the Kudi ophiolite in the Palaeozoic western Kunlun orogenic belt. Chromite forms elongated (<2 m in width) and banded chromitite bodies (<0.1 m in width for each band) in dunite and podiform chromitite bodies (<1.5 m in width) in harzburgite. Dunite is classified into two types. Type I dunite hosting massive and banded chromitites shows low Fo in olivine (88.1–90.9), moderate Cr^# [=Cr/(Cr + Al), 0.47–0.56] in chromite, and a positively sloped primitive mantle-normalized platinum group elements (PGE) pattern, suggesting that it is a cumulate of a mafic melt. Harzburgite and type II dunite show olivine with high Fo (>91.1) and chromite with moderate to high Cr^# (0.44–0.61), and flat to negatively sloped primitive mantle-normalized PGE patterns, indicating that they are residual mantle peridotite after partial melting. Chromite in all three types of chromitites has relatively uniform moderate values Cr^# ranging from 0.43 to 0.56. Massive chromitite contains euhedral chromite with high TiO₂ (0.40–0.43 wt.%) and has a positively sloped primitive mantle-normalized PGE pattern, suggesting that it represents a cumulate of a melt. Rocks containing disseminated and banded chromite show overall low total PGE, < 117 ppb, and a negatively sloped primitive mantle-normalized PGE pattern. Chromite grains in these two types of occurrences are irregular in shape and enclose olivine grains, suggesting that chromite formed later than olivine. We suggest that chromite-oversaturated melt penetrated into the pre-existing dunite and crystallized chromite. The oxygen fugacity (fO₂ values of chromitites and peridotites are high, ranging from FMQ+0.8 (0.8 logarithmic unit above the fayalite-magnetite-quartz buffer) to FMQ+2.3 for chromitites and from FMQ+0.9 to FMQ+2.8 for peridotites (dunite and harzburgite). The mineral compositions and high fO₂ values as well as estimated parental magma compositions of the chromitites suggest that the Kudi ophiolite formed in a sub-arc setting.     

Chromite deposits in China and their origin

The major chromite resources of China occur in ophiolites and continental intrusions. Podiform chromite deposits are mainly developed in the Palaeozoic and Mesozoic ophiolitic mantle sequences. They occur as tabular, lenticular, or irregular masses hosted by dunite lithologies, or dunite lenses, or harzburgite associated with dunite lenses. Main stratiform deposits occur within the Archean Northern China craton and are named as the Gaosi-type deposits, which are contained in intrusions similar to their Alaskan-type counterparts and are characterised by their ring-shaped ores. Stratiform deposits are also found in Phanerozoic ophiolites. Chromites in the ophiolites are chemically divided into high-A1 and high-Cr types, both of which plot in the alpine type field. Chromites from the Gaosi-type deposits belong to high-Fe type, possessing uniform Al contents. The podiform chromitites were generated from magmatic pockets in the mantle sequences, whereas those deposits (such as the Dadao deposit) in cumulate sequences had a similar origin but crystallized at shallower depths. Stratiform Gaosi-type deposits should have formed by accumulation of chromites which were in equilibrium with an ultramafic magma with a uniform Al content.     

Crystallization of Podiform Chromitites from Silicate Magmas and the Formation of Nodular Textures

Abstract: Podiform chromite deposits consist of numerous individual accumulations of chromite in the mantle sequences of ophiolites, suggesting formation in separate, mini-magma conduits in the upper mantle. They may show unique nodular and orbicular textures. Simple mixing of two distinct magmas, invoked for chromite deposits in layered intrusions, is inadequate to explain the formation of podiform chromite deposits. More likely, melt/rock interaction triggers the precipitation of chromite by addition of newly-formed droplets of melt to the main body of magma passing through a conduit, a process similar to that of magma mingling but involving a turbulent, moving magma so that newly-formed melt droplets behave like snowballs. These droplets concentrate chromite to form an outer shell and, while the magma is moving upwards, less dense silicate melts are squeezed out of the droplets as the shell collapses to form a nodule. Upon cooling, both orbicular and nodular textures are preserved in the chromitite.     

The chromite deposits of the Troodos complex,cyprus — Evidence for the role of a fluid phase accompanying chromite formation

The Troodos ophiolite of Cyprus hosts chromite deposits both as podiform bodies within the basal harzburgite and as lesser layers and schlieren within the overlying dunites and clinopyroxene dunites of the metacumulate sequence. All chromitite types have been studied from both field and mineralogical aspects, with particular emphasis on the chemistry of the ubiquitous silicate inclusions within chromite grains. Two distinct inclusion assemblages have been documented. Chromites from podiform bodies contain abundant hornblende, serpentine, ortho- and clinopyroxene and lesser olivine, while those from the metacumulates host pargasite, albite, serpentine and rare pyroxenes. This implies that no single silicate inclusion assemblage in chromite can be considered typically ophiolitic. The presence of an alkalirich fluid phase during chromite crystallization as evidenced by the unusual mineralogy of these inclusions has already been widely discussed in the literature. However, the marked stratigraphic control of inclusion types in chromite as reported here enables more complete modelling of the evolution of this phase to be made.     

Textural Evidence for the Chromite‐Oversaturated Character of the Melt Involved in Podiform Chromitite Formation

Well‐preserved oval‐shaped dunite clots occur within the exceptionally fresh massive podiform chromitites from the Coto Block of the Zambales Ophiolite Complex, the Philippines. The dunite/chromitite boundary shows an interlocking texture; olivine inclusions in chromites in the podiform chromitites show the same optical extinction with larger adjacent olivines in the dunite clots. This texture was formed by the reaction between chromite‐oversaturated melt and its dunite inclusions. The existence of such type of melt was previously only hypothesized to explain the origin of layered and podiform chromitites but is now confirmed by this discovery.