U–Pb and Re–Os Geochronology of the Tongcun Molybdenum Deposit and Zhilingtou Gold‐Silver Deposit in Zhejiang Province,Southeast China,and Its Geological Implications

Mesozoic ore deposits in Zhejiang Province, Southeast China, are divided into the northwestern and southeastern Zhejiang metallogenic belts along the Jiangshan–Shaoxing Fault. The metal ore deposits found in these belts are epithermal Au–Ag deposits, hydrothermal‐vein Ag–Pb–Zn deposits, porphyry–skarn Mo (Fe) deposits, and vein‐type Mo deposits. There is a close spatial–temporal relationship between the Mesozoic ore deposits and Mesozoic volcanic–intrusive complexes. Zircon U–Pb dating of the ore‐related intrusive rocks and molybdenite Re–Os dating from two typical deposits (Tongcun Mo deposit and Zhilingtou Au–Ag deposit) in the two metallogenic belts show the early and late Yanshanian ages for mineralization. SIMS U–Pb data of zircons from the Tongcun Mo deposit and Zhilingtou Au–Ag deposit indicate that the host granitoids crystallized at 169.7 ± 9.7 Ma (2σ) and 113.6 ± 1 Ma (2σ), respectively. Re–Os analysis of six molybdenite samples from the Tongcun Mo deposit yields an isochron age of 163.9 ± 1.9 Ma (2σ). Re–Os analyses of five molybdenite samples from the porphyry Mo orebodies of the Zhilingtou Au‐Ag deposit yield an isochron age of 110.1 ± 1.8 Ma (2σ). Our results suggest that the metal mineralization in the Zhejiang Province, southeast China formed during at least two stages, i.e., Middle Jurassic and Early Cretaceous, coeval with the granitic magmatism.     

阿尔金山东端余石山铌钽矿区霓辉正长岩的LA-ICP-MS定年及对成矿时代的制约

余石山铌钽矿床是近年来发现的一大型矿床,位于阿尔金造山带之红柳沟-拉配泉蛇绿构造混杂岩带、祁连造山带、欧龙布鲁克微陆块的结合部位。对矿区进行成矿背景研究时发现,矿区赋矿地层主要为长城系熬油沟组,岩性组合为变质火山岩及大理岩,穿插有霓辉正长岩体,其中发育细粒烧绿石与霓辉石等富铌钽矿物。并对霓辉正长岩进行锆石LA-ICP-MS年代学测定,结果表明霓辉石正长岩成岩年龄为(776.8±2.5)Ma,成矿与成岩年龄相近或稍晚,表明该霓辉正长岩和铌钽矿床可能形成于南华纪Rodinia超大陆裂解时所产生的大陆边缘裂谷构造环境。     

华北克拉通南缘栾川群大红口组形成时代及其对新元古代构造演化的制约

华北克拉通南缘豫西地区保存有较为完整的变质结晶基底和中-新元古代沉积盖层,记录了重要的前寒武纪构造演化信息。近年来的年龄研究结果表明原认为是中-新元古代的汝阳群-洛峪群可能形成于中元古代早期(1. 75～1. 60Ga),而沿着华北克拉通南缘与秦岭造山带的拼合带(洛南-栾川断裂带)分布的新元古代盖层(主要为栾川群)的形成时代尚不明确。华北南缘新元古代栾川群主要由大理岩、片岩、千枚岩和碱性火山岩组成,其上部大红口组火山岩以碱性粗面质岩石为主,高硅富钾,与侵入到栾川群中下部的辉长岩构成典型的双峰式岩石组合。栾川群大红口组三个粗面岩样品的锆石U-Pb年龄分别为840±4Ma、845±5Ma和846±6Ma,结合已有的栾川群下伏地层最年轻的碎屑锆石年龄结果(～1000Ma),限定栾川群归属于新元古代早期(1000～840Ma)。大红口组岩浆岩的岩石组合和地球化学特征表明其形成于板内裂谷环境,根据区域构造资料以及前人的研究成果,栾川群火山岩与北秦岭同时期的岩浆活动共同指示了华北南缘与北秦岭在～845Ma均处于板内拉张阶段。     

江西石城海罗岭花岗岩型铌钽矿床岩石地球化学、 年代学特征及其地质意义

稀有金属矿产是江西省优势矿产资源,成矿类型以花岗岩型为主,主要分布于赣西和赣北地区,以宜春414超大型钽铌矿为代表,而花岗岩广泛分布的赣南地区鲜有关于燕山期花岗岩型稀有金属矿床的报道。本文以赣南石城海罗岭铌钽矿床为研究重点,结合详细的野外调查,开展花岗岩的岩石学、岩石地球化学和同位素年代学等研究,厘定了海罗岭的中粒斑状黑云母二长花岗岩- 中细粒黑云母二长花岗岩岩石组合,明确了钠长石化叠加白云母化的中粒斑状黑云母二长花岗岩与铌钽矿密切相关的成矿专属性。海罗岭的成矿作用具两阶段特征,早阶段以蚀变花岗岩型钽铌矿为主,赋存于钠长石化白云母化中粒斑状黑云母二长花岗岩中,晚阶段则以花岗伟晶岩型锂矿为主,赋存于云母锂辉石伟晶岩中。海罗岭的花岗岩主要经历了钠长石化、白云母化、黄玉化、绢云母化、硅化等蚀变作用,呈现碱性长石化→云英岩化的演化过程。海罗岭花岗岩具富硅、富碱、富铝,贫钛、镁的特征,其中钠长石化白云母化中粒斑状黑云母二长花岗岩（富钽花岗岩）中F含量为8330×10-6～13076×10-6,平均为10475×10-6,具极低的Nb/Ta值（0. 34~0. 49）、Zr/Hf值（3. 73~4. 19）、稀土总量低（ΣREE为16. 3×10-6~23. 2×10-6）和“四分组”效应等特征,显示其成矿经历了岩浆- 流体相互作用的过程。研究显示,Li矿化富集程度与F含量呈明显的正相关,与稀土总量、K/Rb值呈负相关;Ta矿化富集程度与F含量呈明显的正相关,与Nb/Ta值、Zr/Hf值呈明显的负相关。中细粒黑云母二长花岗岩锆石U- Pb年龄为141. 9±1. 1 Ma,云母锂辉石伟晶岩和碱性长石伟晶岩独居石U- Pb年龄分别为141. 68±0. 69 Ma和137. 62±0. 73 Ma,均归属于早白垩世。研究表明,赣南地区140 Ma左右可能存在一次与钠长石化叠加白云母化中粒斑状黑云母二长花岗岩相关的独特的铌钽矿成矿事件和与花岗伟晶岩相关的锂成矿事件。这一发现打破了以往华南稀有金属主要赋存于燕山期复式岩体晚期二云母花岗岩- 白云母花岗岩中的认识,拓宽了找矿思路,为赣南乃至华南地区稀有金属找矿提供了新的方向。     

福建南平花岗伟晶岩型钽铌矿床地质特征与成因

福建南平钽铌矿是亚洲最大的花岗伟晶岩型钽铌矿床,也是中国钽铌金属矿的重要产地。南平钽铌矿在构造上位于闽西北隆起带东南缘,矿区内广泛发育有中—新元古界变质岩系。钽铌矿多呈脉体,沿变质岩系的片理或层理侵入,矿脉与围岩的关系清晰。这些脉体是在与加里东期花岗岩有成因联系的4类花岗伟晶岩分异—演化的基础上形成的。矿化伟晶岩中分带和交代蚀变作用均十分发育,稀土元素的矿化与伟晶熔体的结晶分异及后期热液蚀变作用有较密切的关系。稀土元素和磷酸盐矿物含量很多,这在国内外同类型伟晶岩中不常见。同时该地区也是新矿物——南平石的唯一产地。钽铌矿物是矿化伟晶岩中Ta和Nb元素的最主要载体,Ta含量大于Nb,还有其他可综合利用的稀土元素。闽西北地区具有进一步寻找此类型矿化伟晶岩的广阔前景。     

新疆西天山吐拉苏-也里莫墩火山岩带年代学:对加曼特金矿成矿时代的约束

吐拉苏一也里莫墩火山岩带是西天山北段晚古生代构造一岩浆成矿带的重要组成部分,它严格控制着矿带内金矿床的时空分布.在充分研究前人资料的基础上,本文实测了也里莫墩地区加曼特金矿围岩大哈拉军山组火山岩剖面,发现火山岩地层与矿化关系密切.利用LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb方法测定了金矿赋矿围岩(英安岩)的形成时代,其206pb...     

甘肃北山地区花牛山铅锌矿区玄武岩锆石LA-ICP-MS U-Pb定年及其地质意义

位于甘肃北山瓜州县境内的花牛山银铅锌矿是北山地区唯一的喷流(气)沉积型块状硫化物矿床,它赋存于一套浅变质细碎屑岩或中基性火山岩夹碎屑岩-碳酸盐岩建造中。关于该矿床的成矿时代,因无确切的同位素年代学和化石证据,争议较大。对花牛山银铅锌矿三矿区铅锌矿体的赋矿围岩玄武岩样品中的锆石进行了LA-ICP-MS法U-Pb定年研究,获得了207Pb/206Pb年龄1071Ma±5Ma,表明花牛山地区中基性火山喷溢活动发生在晚蓟县世。进而揭示花牛山银铅锌矿床是蓟县纪末期强烈拉张构造环境下,与海底火山喷溢活动相伴随的热液活动的产物。它与北山红山铁矿和东天山彩霞山,北祁连山西段石硐沟,华北地块西北缘东升庙、炭窑口、霍各乞等层控铅锌多金属矿床具可对比性,蓟县纪末期是北山地区一个重要的成矿时期。     

Neoproterozoic Volcanic Rocks in the Southern Quruqtagh of Northwest China:Geochemistry,Zircon Geochronology and Tectonic Implications

The Early Neoproterozoic Beiyixi Formation volcanic rocks of the southern Quruqtagh comprise mainly of a suite of tholeiitic basalts,alkaline andesites,and calc-alkaline rhyolites.The rhyolites are characterized by variably fractionated enrichment in light rare earth elements（LREE） and flat in heavy rare earth elements（HREE）,and strongly negative Eu anomalies.Compared to the rhyolites,the andesites also exhibit enrichment in LREE and flat HREE（chondrite-normalized values of La/Yb,and La/Sm are 13.30-41.09,3.18-6.89 respectively）.Their rare earth element patterns display minor negative Eu anomalies.Both of them exhibit coherent patterns with strongly to moderately negative anomalies of Nb,Zr,Ti,and Hf on spider diagrams.Two rhyolite and one andesite magmatic zircons with defined oscillatory zoning yielded weighted mean ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U ages of 743±7 Ma,741±2 Ma,and 727±4 Ma.These ages are interpreted to represent the timing of volcanic eruptions. According to geochemistry and rock type,these volcanic rocks formed within a continental island-arc environment following subduction of the oceanic crust during the Early Neoproterozoic period.     

U–Pb Dating of Hydrothermal Zircons from the Neoproterozoic Liushanyan VMS Cu–Zn Deposit,Central China: Evidence for a Triassic Deformation Event

The Liushanyan deposit is an important volcanic‐host massive sulfide (VMS) Cu–Zn deposit in the Qinling‐Tongbai‐Dabie orogenic belt, central China, with reserve of 2.38 Mt Cu and 16.11 Mt Zn. Orebodies occur in the meta‐quartz keratophyre of the Liushanyan formation. In this paper, we present textural features and laser ablation ICP‐MS U–Pb dating results of zircons from the ore‐bearing mylonitized meta‐quartz keratophyre. The hydrothermal zircons are distinct from metamorphic zircons in this rock, showing low cathodoluminescence (CL) response and hydrothermal rims (black in CL images). They have relatively flat light rare earth element patterns and high La content and low (Sm/La)_N and Ce/Ce* values. These features are typical of hydrothermal zircons. The cores of metamorphic zircons yield a weighted mean ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U age of 900 ± 26 Ma, interpreted as the volcanic and related VMS mineralizing age. Two much younger events are also recorded by zircons in this rock: (i) the Early Silurian amphibolites–greenschist facies metamorphism at 435 ± 26 Ma; and (ii) the growth of hydrothermal zircons at ca. 241 ± 1 Ma, associated with the ductile shear deformation. The Silurian metamorphic event is probably associated with the arc–continent collision, while the Triassic ductile deformation event formed in the final continent–continent collision setting.     

福建武平十二排钼矿床辉钼矿Re-Os 同位素年龄及其地质意义

福建武平十二排铝矿床是近年来在闽西南地区找到的又一处铝矿床.钼矿化在中细粒黑云母花岗岩岩体与新元古界楼子坝群、晚古生界变质岩接触带内呈浸染状和脉状产出,并且构成透镜状矿体.本次研究过程中,对5件代表性辉钼矿样品进行了Re-Os同位素年龄测定,模式年龄值变化范围为149.7 ～ 152.8Ma,等时线年龄为(151 ±2) Ma,略晚于黑云母花岗岩的成岩年龄,由此认为十二排钼矿床与黑云母花岗岩的形成时间均为晚侏罗世,属燕山早期构造—岩浆活动的产物.结合矿区外围其他钼矿床同位素年龄数据,可以推测闽西南大规模钼矿化发生在印支期台地向活动大陆边缘转变阶段,并伴随燕山早期挤压隆升(约160 ～ 145 Ma)和燕山晚期由挤压向拉张机制转换(约105 ～90 Ma)作用所诱发的岩浆活动是导致钼矿床形成的主导因素.     

河北滦平周台子条带状铁矿地质特征、围岩时代及其地质意义

河北滦平县周台子铁矿位于华北克拉通北缘,是产于前寒武纪单塔子群变质岩系中的鞍山式铁矿,具有条带状铁建造(BIF)特征。矿石主要呈条带状构造,有的呈条纹和致密块状构造。矿石类型主要以石英磁铁矿型为主,含铁介于30%~35%。前寒武纪变质岩是矿床的主要围岩,出露有黑云母(角闪)斜长片麻岩和斜长角闪岩,局部见花岗片麻岩。原岩恢复表明,黑云母(角闪)斜长片麻岩的原岩为英安岩-流纹岩,斜长角闪岩原岩为玄武岩。花岗片麻岩的SiO₂含量大于56%,MgO含量小于3%,Al₂O₃含量大于15%,Sr含量大于500×10^-6,Yb含量均小于1.9×10^-6,轻重稀土元素分异明显,重稀土元素强烈亏损,并且Eu负异常不明显,表明该片麻岩具埃达克质岩石的地球化学特征。锆石U-Pb定年结果显示出几组年龄,分别是2512±21Ma, 2452±9.6Ma,2394±55Ma。大体看,2512Ma代表了火山喷发和周台子铁矿BIF沉淀年龄,2452Ma左右的锆石年龄代表了TTG质花岗片麻岩的侵位结晶年龄,2394Ma锆石年龄代表了周台子铁矿经历了一次变质作用,并对原有的岩石和矿石进行了改造。锆石Hf同位素特征显示斜长角闪岩和TTG质片麻岩的岩浆源区受到过古老地壳物质的混染。周台子铁矿构造环境可能是与裂谷有关的张性环境。     

阿尔金南缘地质填图新进展及对找矿的启示——据甘肃1:5万莫坝尔等六幅区调

通过开展甘肃1∶5万莫坝尔等六幅区域地质调查工作,系统查明了区域地层、岩石、构造等地质特征和成矿地质条件,建立了区内地层格架和岩浆岩演化序列,查明了测区基本构造格架,并总结了本区的构造演化历史;新发现余石山大型铌钽稀有金属等矿床和矿(化)点24处,在此基础上在测区划分出找矿前景较好的4个成矿远景区,为后续找矿工作提供了基础地质资料。     

赣东北婺源-德兴地区新元古代浅变质火山岩的地球化学和锆石U-Pb年龄

赣东北婺源-德兴地区新元古代地层中浅变质火山岩主要由变质玄武岩、英安岩和流纹岩组成.全岩地球化学分析表明浅变质玄武岩具有拉斑玄武岩的地球化学特征,起源于尖晶石辉橄岩低度部分熔融,英安岩岩浆起源于壳源杂砂岩部分熔融,流纹岩可能为英安质岩浆结晶分异的产物.LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb同位素定年揭示婺源浅变质英安岩形成于861±8Ma,德兴张村西浅变质流纹岩形成于860±3Ma,铜厂铜矿矿区凝灰质板岩形成于860±6Ma,均为早新元古代Tonian期.同时这些定年样品中保存了2.8 ～2.5Ga、2.0～1.7Ga和～1.0Ga的继承或捕获锆石记录.结合浅变质玄武岩和英安质火山岩的地球化学特征和成因,这套岩石最有可能形成于新元古代早期安第斯型活动大陆边缘弧后盆地构造背景.     

吉林省和龙地区鸡南BIF型铁矿床含矿建造地球化学特征及形成时代

鸡南铁矿床位于吉林省和龙地区,地处华北克拉通北缘与兴蒙造山带接壤的龙岗地块北部,是东北地区发现较早的BIF型铁矿床之一。该矿床铁矿体主要呈层状、似层状、扁豆状赋存于鞍山群鸡南组上段中部层位,含矿岩石以黑云斜长片麻岩、角闪黑云斜长片麻岩、黑云角闪斜长片麻岩及斜长角闪岩为主,为角闪岩相的中低级区域变质岩系;主要矿石类型为条带状磁铁石英岩型和块状磁铁角闪岩型。为确定该矿床含矿建造的原岩、变质时代及构造背景,重点对含矿岩系中的斜长角闪岩进行了岩石地球化学和锆石U-Pb年代学研究。结果表明：斜长角闪岩的地球化学特征表现为富集大离子亲石元素、轻微富集重稀土元素;主量元素质量分数与中性-基性岩类基本相似,结合原岩恢复图解,判断其原岩类型为亚碱性玄武岩（拉斑玄武岩）,形成于弧后盆地背景;LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb年代学研究中,2个较老的锆石测点年龄分别为（2 468±15）和（2 469±9）Ma,代表区内峰期变质年龄（约2 460 Ma）,26个锆石测点的测年数据较为集中,加权平均年龄为（2 275±25）Ma,代表区内退变质年龄。通过与国内外典型BIF型铁矿床的对比研究认为,区内的鸡南铁矿与官地铁矿同属Algoma型铁矿床。     

Geochronology and Significance of Granites Associated with Gold Deposits in the Jidong Area, China

The Jidong area is located on the north margin of the North China craton. It is a nucleus composed of the oldest rocks in China. Precambrian metamorphic rocks with various Phanerozoic granitoids invaded are widespread. Gold deposits here have close spatial relations to granitoids. Some deposits occur within them and others in the outer zone of the contact belt of the intrusion, extending thousands of metres. There have been controversial views in regard to the relations of the deposits to the intrusions although traditional techniques have been used to date the intrusions. In order to solve such a problem, the SHRIMP technique was adopted to date the U-Pb ages of zircon collected from the Yuerya intrusion which hosts the large-sized Yuerya Au deposit and Qingshankou intrusion 2 km away from the Jinchangyu (larger-sized) Au deposit. Analysis shows that the ages of 175±1 Ma and 174±3 Ma for Yuerya intrusion and the age of 199±2 Ma for Qingshankou granite indicate the Early Yanshanian stage of the Meso-     

柏树岗金红石矿床含矿岩系地质特征

河南方城柏树岗金红石矿床含矿岩系主要由角闪(片)岩、变粒岩、斜长片岩、石英(片)岩及云母片岩组成、前者是主要含矿岩石。分为石英(片)岩、角闪(片)岩-云母斜长片岩、云母片岩-石英(片)岩三个岩性段,二段是主要含矿岩段。原岩为一套火山岩、正常沉积岩岩性组合。经历了两次变质作用,变质温压400～485℃、200～700MPa,变质时间416.1±0.5Ma,变质热液产生了少量细脉及脉岩。含矿岩系的形成变化是板块运动的结果。基性岩及基性岩质凝灰岩是钛的主要来源,变质作用是主要成矿作用。     

江西冷水坑斑岩型铅锌银矿床地质特征、热液蚀变与成矿时限

江西冷水坑铅锌银矿床是我国重要的铅锌银矿床之一,也是世界上少有的斑岩型铅锌银矿床.冷水坑斑岩型铅锌银矿床位于中国东部中生代月凤山火山盆地边缘,含矿斑岩为燕山中期碱性花岗斑岩,侵位于上侏罗统火山岩地层内,斑岩体边部发育大量的隐爆角砾岩.矿区发育两种矿化类型,即斑岩型矿化与层状改造型矿化,此两种均与碱性花岗斑岩有关.矿化以Pb、Zn、Ag为主,伴生少量的Cu、Au.斑岩型的铅锌银矿化发生在斑岩体内以及接触带中,具有面型矿化特点并显示出明显的矿化分带性.层状改造型以铁锰银铅锌矿化为主,矿体均为隐伏状分布于碱性花岗斑岩附近的火山岩含铁锰地层中,产状与火山岩地层一致.铁锰碳酸盐铅锌银矿体在靠近斑岩体时,银铅锌矿化相应逐渐增强,而远离花岗斑岩体,矿化明显较弱.围岩蚀变作用明显,主要为绢云母化、绿泥石化、碳酸盐化、硅化和黄铁矿化.矿化蚀变特征、蚀变类型与典型的斑岩型铜(钼)矿床不同,缺少斑岩铜(钼)矿床早期蚀变的钾交代作用(黑云母化与钾长石化),发育大量铁锰碳酸盐蚀变.矿田矿化蚀变具有一定的分带性,由岩体内向外蚀变可以分为三个带:绿泥石绢云母化带、绢云母化碳酸盐化硅化黄铁矿化带和碳酸盐化绢云母化带.斑岩型矿床的铅锌银矿化与绢云母化和绿泥石化蚀变密切相关.通过对蚀变矿物绢云母的~(40)Ar/~(39)Ar同位素测定,获得冷水坑斑岩型铅锌银矿化年龄为162.8 ±1.6Ma,与含矿斑岩形成时间一致,说明冷水坑斑岩型铅锌银成矿作用发生于中国东部燕山中期陆内环境.     

辽宁清河断裂以北新太古代变质表壳岩的发现及其地质意义

通过详实的地质填图,在辽宁开原地区清河断裂以北新发现一套变质表壳岩组合,主要岩性为斜长角闪岩、黑云角闪斜长变粒岩、黑云角闪斜长片麻岩、浅粒岩及角闪石岩的岩石组合,与红透山岩组基本可以对比。岩石地球化学特征表明,其原岩主要为一套中、中基性的火山岩建造,形成于岛弧环境。该套岩石组合普遍发生强烈的构造变形作用,常见构造样式包括透入性片麻理、石香肠构造、变质分异条带、肠状褶皱等一系列的固态流变构造。对该套变质表壳岩组合中的斜长角闪岩进行LA-ICP-MS锆石U-Pb测年,结果表明其形成于(2 524±18)Ma,变质年龄为(2 477±21)Ma,从形成到发生变质相隔约为47Ma。该套变质表壳岩组合的发现,表明了清河断裂以北也曾存在太古宙结晶基底,清河断裂与寇河断裂之间的区域在构造环境上与清原地区一样,均属于新太古代绿岩带。     

Paleoproterozoic gold deposits in the Bald Hill and Coyote areas, Western Tanami, Western Australia

Significant gold deposits in the western Tanami region of Western Australia include deposits in the Bald Hill and Coyote areas. The ca. 1,864 Ma Bald Hill sequence of turbiditic and mafic volcanic rocks hosts the Kookaburra and Sandpiper deposits and a number of smaller prospects. The ca. 1,835 Ma turbiditic Killi Killi Formation hosts the Coyote deposit and several nearby prospects. The Kookaburra deposit forms as a saddle reef within a syncline, and the Sandpiper deposit is localized within graphitic metasedimentary rocks along a limb of an anticline. Gold in these deposits is hosted by anastomosing quartz–(–pyrite–arsenopyrite) veins within quartz–sericite schist with disseminated arsenopyrite, pyrite, and marcasite (after pyrrhotite). Based on relative timing relationships with structural elements, the auriferous veins are interpreted to have been emplaced before or during the ca. 1,835–1,825 Ma Tanami Orogeny (regional D₁). Gold deposition is thought to have been caused by pressure drops associated with saddle reef formation (Kookaburra) and chemical reactions with graphitic rocks (Sandpiper). The Coyote deposit, the largest in the western Tanami region, consists of a number of ore lenses localized along the limbs of the Coyote Anticline, which formed during the Tanami Orogeny. The largest lenses are associated with the Gonzalez Fault, which is located along the steeply dipping southern limb of this fold. Gold was introduced at ca. 1,790 Ma into dilatant zones that formed in local perturbations along this fault during later reactivation (regional D₅) towards the end of a period of granite emplacement. Gold is associated with quartz–chlorite–pyrite–(arsenopyrite–galena–sphalerite) veins with narrow (<?5 mm) chloritic selvages. A quartz–muscovite–biotite–K–feldspar–(tourmaline–actinolite–arsenopyrite) assemblage, which is interpreted to relate to granite emplacement, overprints the regional greenschist facies metamorphic assemblage. The mineralogical similarity between this overprinting assemblage and the vein assemblage suggests that the auriferous veins at the Coyote deposit are associated with the granite-related metamorphic–metasomatic assemblage. Gold deposition is thought to have been caused by pressure drops within dilatant zones.     

Petrology,geochemistry, and zircon U-Pb geochronology of the Zambezi Belt in Zimbabwe: Implications for terrane assembly in southern Africa

The Zambezi Belt in southern Africa has been regarded as a part of the 570-530 Ma Kuunga Orogen formed by a series of collision of Archean cratons and Proterozoic orogenic belts.Here,we report new petrological,geochemical,and zircon U-Pb geochronological data of various metamorphic rocks(felsic to mafic orthogneiss,pelitic schist,and felsic paragneiss) from the Zambezi Belt in northeastern Zimbabwe,and evaluate the timing and P-T conditions of the collisional event as well as protolith formation.Geochemical data of felsic orthogneiss indicate within-plate granite signature,whereas those of mafic orthogneiss suggest MORB,ocean-island,or within-plate affinities.Metamorphic P-Testimates for orthogneisses indicate significant P-T variation within the study area(700-780 C/6.7-7.2 kbar to 800-875 C/10-11 kbar) suggesting that the Zambezi Belt might correspond to a suture zone with several discrete crustal blocks.Zircon cores from felsic orthogneisses yielded two magmatic ages:2655±21 Ma and 813士5 Ma,which suggests Neoarchean and Early Neoproterozoic crustal growth related to within-plate magmatism.Detrital zircons from metasediments display various ages from Neoarchean to Neoproterozoic(ca.2700-750 Ma).The Neoarchean(ca.2700-2630 Ma) and Paleoproterozoic(ca.2200-1700 Ma) zircons could have been derived from the adjacent Kalahari Craton and the Magondi Belt in Zimbabwe,respectively.The Choma-Kalomo Block and the Lufilian Belt in Zambia might be proximal sources of the Meso-to Neoproterozoic(ca.1500-950 Ma) and early Neoproterozoic(ca.900-750 Ma) detrital zircons,respectively.Such detrital zircons from adjacent terranes possibly deposited during late Neoproterozoic(744-670 Ma),and subsequently underwent highgrade metamorphism at 557-555 Ma possibly related to the collision of the Congo and Kalahari Cratons during the latest Neoproterozoic to Cambrian.In contrast,670-627 Ma metamorphic ages obtained from metasediments are slightly older than previous reports,but consistent with~680-650 Ma metamorphic ages reported from different parts of the Kuunga Orogen,suggesting Cryogenian thermal events before the final collision.