Geochronology,petrology and geochemistry of the Beiligaimiao magmatic sulfide deposit in a Paleozoic active continental margin,North China

The Beiligaimiao magmatic Ni-Cu sulfide deposit is located in the northern rim of the North China Block, which was an active continental margin related to the southward subduction of the Paleo-Asian oceanic plate to the north in the Paleozoic. This deposit has never been studied before but is an excellent example of sulfide mineralization in arc settings that have been commonly overlooked by exploration geologists worldwide. Sulfide mineralization in the deposit is hosted in a mafic-ultramafic complex that consists of a small ultramafic body surrounded by an older and much larger gabbroic intrusion. Disseminated sulfide zones are present in both intrusive bodies but only those close to the surface within the ultramafic body have been mined in the past. The sulfide-mineralized ultramafic body is composed of olivine websterite and orthopyroxenite with a gradational contact between them. SIMS U-Pb dating of zircon crystals from a large olivine websterite sample yields a crystallization age of 269.4 ± 2.1 Ma, which is ∼25 Ma younger than the Erbutu subduction-related magmatic Ni-Cu sulfide deposit that occurs ∼50 km to the north. Orthopyroxene crystals in the Beiligaimiao ultramafic rocks have Mg^# [100 Mg/(Mg + Fe), molar] of 77–78, significantly lower than those in the ultramafic rocks of the Erbutu deposit. Olivine crystals in the Beiligaimiao ultramafic rocks have forsterite (Fo) contents from 72 to 75 mol%, which are also significantly lower than those in the ultramafic rocks of the Erbutu deposit (Fo, 86–88 mol%). The mineral chemical data indicate a more fractionated parental magma for the former. Ca-depletion in olivine (i.e., <1000 ppm Ca), which is common for ultramafic cumulates in arc settings worldwide, is present in both deposits. Like Erbutu, the host rocks of the Beiligaimiao deposit are characterized by enrichments in light rare earth elements (REE) relative to heavy REE and pronounced negative Nb-Ta anomalies, consistent with ultramafic rocks in arc settings. The δ³⁴S values of sulfide separates from the Beiligaimiao deposit are 1.7 to 2.5‰, significantly lower than those for the Erbutu deposit but still slightly higher than the MORB value (−1.5 to 0.5‰). Olivine websterites in the Beiligaimiao deposit have ε_Nd from −8.9 to −9.5 and (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)_i close to 0.7075, which are similar to those of an enriched lithospheric mantle. An orthopyroxenite sample from the deposit has much lower ε_Nd (−12.6) coupled with much higher (⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr)_i ratio (0.7132), indicating ∼25% crustal contamination. The Sr-Nd-S isotope data support the premise that both crustal contamination and addition of crustal sulfur played a role in triggering sulfur saturation in the parental magma of the Beiligaimiao deposit. Since the immediate country rocks are exclusively gabbros, these processes likely took place at depth. The close temporal and spatial association of the Beiligaimiao and Erbutu deposits points to the possibility that more Permian arc-type magmatic sulfide deposits are yet to be discovered in the region.     

Genesis of the Huangshannan high-Ni tenor magmatic sulfide deposit in the Eastern Tianshan,northwest China: Constraints from PGE geochemistry and Os–S isotopes

The Huangshannan magmatic Ni-Cu sulfide deposit is one of a group of Permian magmatic Ni-Cu deposits located in the southern Central Asian Orogenic belt in the Eastern Tianshan, northwest China. It is characterized by elevated Ni tenor (concentrations in recalculated 100% sulfide) in sulfide within ultramafic rocks (9–19 wt%), with values much higher than other deposits in the region. Sulfides of the Huangshannan deposit are composed of pentlandite, chalcopyrite, and pyrrhotite and the host rock is relatively fresh, indicating that the high-Ni tenor is a primary magmatic feature rather than formed by alteration processes. It is shown that sulfides with high-Ni tenor can be generated by sulfide-olivine equilibrium at an oxygen fugacity of QFM +0.5, for magmas containing 450 ppm Ni and 20% olivine. Ores with >10 wt% sulfur have relatively low PGE and Ni tenors compared to other ores, R factor (mass ratio of silicate to sulfide liquid) modeling of Ni indicates that they formed at moderate R values (150–600). Based on this constraint on R values, ores with <10 wt% sulfides in the Huangshannan deposit can be segregated from a similar parental magma with 0.05 ppb Os, 0.023 ppb Ir, and 0.5 ppb Pd at R values between 600 and 3000. This, coupled with the supra-cotectic proportions of sulfide liquid to cumulus silicates in the Huangshannan ores imply mechanical transport and deposition of sulfide liquid in a magma pathway or conduit, in which sulfides must have interacted with large volumes of silicate magma. Platinum and Pd depletion relative to other platinum group elements (PGEs) are observed in fresh and sulfide-rich samples (S > 4.5 wt%). As sulfide-rich samples are also depleted in Cu, and as interstitial sulfides in those samples are physically interconnected at a scale of several cms, the low Pt and Pd anomalies are attributed to solid Pt and Pd phases crystallization and retention with the monosulfide solid solution (MSS) and Cu-rich sulfide liquid percolation during MSS fractionation. This finding indicates that Pt anomalies in sulfide-rich rocks from magmatic Ni-Cu deposits in the Eastern Tianshan are the result of sulfide fractionation rather than a hydrothermal effect. ¹⁸⁷Os/¹⁸⁸Os_(278Ma) values of the lherzolite samples vary from 0.27 to 0.37 and γOs_(278Ma) values vary from 110 to 189, indicating significant magma interaction with crustal sulfides, rich in radiogenic Os. Well constrained γOs values and δ³⁴S values (−0.4 to 0.8‰) indicate that crustal contamination occurred at depth before the arrival of the magma in the Huangshannan chamber. Regionally, deposits with high-Ni tenor have not been reported other than the Huangshannan deposit; however, many intrusions with high-Ni contents in olivine are present in NW China, such as the Erhongwa, Poyi and Poshi intrusions. Those intrusions are capable of forming high-Ni tenor sulfides due to olivine-sulfide-silicate equilibrium and relative high-Ni content in parent magma, making them attractive exploration targets.     

Early Permian East-Ujimqin mafic–ultramafic and granitic rocks from the Xing’an–Mongolian Orogenic Belt,North China: Origin,chronology, and tectonic implications

The East-Ujimqin complex, located north of the Erenhot–Hegenshan fault, North China, is composed of mafic–ultramafic and granitic rocks including peridotite, gabbro, alkali granite, and syenite. We investigated the tectonic setting, age, and anorogenic characteristics of the Xing’an–Mongolian Orogenic Belt (XMOB) through field investigation and microscopic and geochemical analyses of samples from the East-Ujimqin complex and LA-MC-ICP-MS zircon U–Pb dating of gabbro and alkali granite. Petrographic and geochemical studies of the complex indicate that this multiphase plutonic suite developed through a combination of fractional crystallization, assimilation processes, and magma mixing. The mafic–ultramafic rocks are alkaline and have within-plate geochemical characteristics, indicating anorogenic magmatism in an extensional setting and derivation from a mantle source. The mafic–ultramafic magmas triggered partial melting of the crust and generated the granitic rocks. The granitic rocks are alkali and metaluminous and have high Fe/(Fe + Mg) characteristics, all of which are common features of within-plate plutons. Zircon U–Pb geochronological dating of two samples of gabbro and alkali granite yielded ages of 280.8 ± 1.5 and 276.4 ± 0.7 Ma, placing them within the Early Permian. The zircon Hf isotopic data give inhomogeneous ε_Hf(t) values of 8.2–14.7 for gabbroic zircons and extraordinary high ε_Hf(t) values (8.9–12.5) for the alkali granite in magmatic zircons. Thus, we consider the East-Ujimqin mafic–ultramafic and granitic rocks to have been formed in an extensional tectonic setting caused by asthenospheric upwelling and lithospheric thinning. The sources of mafic–ultramafic and granitic rocks could be depleted garnet lherzolite mantle and juvenile continental lower crust, respectively. All the above indicate that an anorogenic magma event may have occurred in part of the XMOB during 280–276 Ma.     

Geochemical characteristics of the Kuh-e Dom intrusion,Urumieh–Dokhtar Magmatic Arc (Iran): Implications for source regions and magmatic evolution

The Kuh-e Dom Pluton is located along the central northeastern margin of the Urumieh–Dokhtar Magmatic Arc, spanning a wide range of compositions from felsic rocks, including granite, granodiorite, and quartz monzonite, through to intermediate-mafic rocks comprising monzonite, monzodiorite, diorite, monzogabbro, and gabbro. The Urumieh–Dokhtar Magmatic Arc forms a distinct linear magmatic complex that is aligned parallel with the orogenic suture of the Zagros fold-thrust belt. Most samples display characteristics of metaluminous, high-K calc-alkaline, I-type granitoids. The initial isotopic signatures range from εNd (47 Ma) = −4.77 to −5.89 and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr(i) = 0.7069 to 0.7074 for felsic rocks and εNd (47 Ma) = −3.04 to −4.06 and ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr(i) = 0.7063 to 0.7067 for intermediate to mafic rocks. This geochemical and isotopic evidence support a mixed origin for the Kuh-e Dom hybrid granitoid with a range of contributions of both the crust and mantle, most probably by the interaction between lower crust- and mantle-derived magmas. It is seem, the felsic rocks incorporate about 56–74% lower crust-derived magma and about 26–44% of the enriched mantle-derived mafic magma. In contrast, 66–84% of the enriched mantle-derived mafic magma incorporates 16–34% of lower crust-derived magma to generate the intermediate-mafic rocks. According to the differences in chemical composition, the felsic rocks contain a higher proportion of crustal material than the intermediate to mafic ones. Enrichment in LILEs and depletion in HFSEs with marked negative Nb, Ba, and Ti anomalies are consistent with subduction-related magmatism in an active continental margin arc environment. This suggestion is consistent with the interpretation of the Urumieh–Dokhtar Magmatic Arc as an active continental margin during subduction of the Neotethys oceanic crust beneath the Central Iranian microcontinent.     

Compositional variations of several Early Permian magmatic sulfide deposits in the Kalatongke district,southern Altai,western China: With genetic and exploration implications

A Permian magmatic Ni-Cu sulfide deposit cluster occurs in the Kalatongke district in the Southern Chinese Altai Orogenic Belt, western China. These deposits are associated with the mafic units of the Y1, Y2, Y3, Y9 and G21 mafic-intermediate complexes. In this paper we report the first zircon U-Pb ages for the Y3 and G21 intrusions, which are 283.3 ± 1.3 Ma and 281.1 ± 1.5 Ma, respectively. Our new age data confirm that the sulfide-bearing mafic units of the Y1, Y2 (connected with Y1 at depth), Y3, Y9 and G21 intrusions all formed in Early Permian between ∼281 and ∼287 Ma. New and existing petrological-geochemical data show some important regular variations between these deposits. The host lithologies change from olivine-bearing rocks for the Y1-Y2-Y9 deposits to olivine-free rocks such as norite for the Y3 deposit and leucogabbro for the G21 deposit. The olivine Fo contents of the Y1 deposit are up to 82 mol%, which are slightly higher than those of the Y2 deposit (up to 81 mol%) and the Y9 deposit (up to 79 mol%). The average plagioclase An contents of the olivine-bearing Y1-Y2-Y9 deposits are higher than those of the olivine-free Y3-G21 deposits. Among the three deposits (Y1, Y2 and Y3) that occur closely along the same structural lineament, the Ni/Cu ratios of bulk sulfides decrease from the olivine-bearing deposits (Y1 and Y2) to the olivine-free deposit (Y3). The PGE tenors of these deposits (Y1, Y2 and Y3) and the nearby coeval deposits (Y9 and G21) are extremely low, indicating that their parental magmas are severely depleted in PGEs. The variations of PGE tenors within a single deposit as well as among the different deposits are mainly due to variable R factors. The host rocks of these deposits are all characterized by elevated initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratios from 0.7045 to 0.7047, positive εNd values from 4.95 to 6.86, positive εHf values of zircon from 9 to 16, and elevated δ¹⁸O values of zircon from 6.15 to 6.7‰. The isotope data indicate that the parental magmas for these deposits experienced up to ∼15 wt% crustal contamination. The δ³⁴S values of the sulfide minerals from these deposits are from −3.1‰ to 0.4‰, with a peak at −2.2‰, indicating the involvement of crustal sulfur. The isotope data and mineral chemistry together indicate that both olivine fractional crystallization and addition of crustal sulfur played a role in triggering sulfide saturation in the parental magmas for these deposits. Based on higher Ni/Cu ratios of sulfide mineralization in the olivine-bearing intrusions (Y1, Y2, Y9) than in the coeval olivine-free intrusions (Y3, G21), we recommend that Ni exploration in the region focus on the olivine-bearing intrusions that were emplaced in the Early Permian.     

Roles of xenomelts,xenoliths, xenocrysts,xenovolatiles, residues,and skarns in the genesis,transport, and localization of magmatic Fe-Ni-Cu-PGE sulfides and chromite

Most sulfide-rich magmatic Ni-Cu-(PGE) deposits form in dynamic magmatic systems by partial melting S-bearing wall rocks with variable degrees of assimilation of miscible silicate and volatile components, and generation of barren to weakly-mineralized immiscible Fe sulfide xenomelts into which Ni-Cu-Co-PGE partition from the magma. Some exceptionally-thick magmatic Cr deposits may form by partial melting oxide-bearing wall rocks with variable degrees of assimilation of the miscible silicate and volatile components, and generation of barren Fe ± Ti oxide xenocrysts into which Cr-Mg-V ± Ti partition from the magma. The products of these processes are variably preserved as skarns, residues, xenoliths, xenocrysts, xenomelts, and xenovolatiles, which play important to critical roles in ore genesis, transport, localization, and/or modification. Incorporation of barren xenoliths/autoliths may induce small amounts of sulfide/chromite to segregate, but incorporation of sulfide xenomelts or oxide xenocrysts with dynamic upgrading of metal tenors (PGE > Cu > Ni > Co and Cr > V > Ti, respectively) is required to make significant ore deposits. Silicate xenomelts are only rarely preserved, but will be variably depleted in chalcophile and ferrous metals. Less dense felsic xenoliths may aid upward sulfide transport by increasing the effective viscosity and decreasing the bulk density of the magma. Denser mafic or metamorphosed xenoliths may also increase the effective viscosity of the magma, but may aid downward sulfide transport by increasing the bulk density of the magma. Sulfide wets olivine, so olivine xenocrysts may act as filter beds to collect advected finely dispersed sulfide droplets, but other silicates and xenoliths may not be wetted by sulfides. Xenovolatiles may retard settling of – or in some cases float – dense sulfide droplets. Reactions of sulfide melts with felsic country rocks may generate Fe-rich skarns that may allow sulfide melts to fractionate to more extreme Cu-Ni-rich compositions. Xenoliths, xenocrysts, xenomelts, and xenovolatiles are more likely to be preserved in cooler basaltic magmas than in hotter komatiitic magmas, and are more likely to be preserved in less dynamic (less turbulent) systems/domain/phases than in more dynamic (more turbulent) systems/domains/phases. Massive to semi-massive Ni-Cu-PGE and Cr mineralization and xenoliths are often localized within footwall embayments, dilations/jogs in dikes, throats of magma conduits, and the horizontal segments of dike-chonolith and dike-sill complexes, which represent fluid dynamic traps for both ascending and descending sulfides/oxides. If skarns, residues, xenoliths, xenocrysts, xenomelts, and/or xenovolatiles are present, they provide important constraints on ore genesis and they are valuable exploration indicators, but they must be included in elemental and isotopic mass balance calculations.     

Mineral chemistry and genesis of the Permian Cihai and Cinan magnetite deposits,Beishan, NW China

Cihai and Cinan are Permian magnetite deposits related to mafic-ultramafic intrusions in the Beishan region, Xinjiang, NW China. The Cihai mafic intrusion is dominantly composed of dolerite, gabbro and fine-grained massive magnetite ore, while gabbro, pyrrhotite + pyrite-bearing clinopyroxenite and magnetite ore comprise the major units in Cinan. Clinopyroxene occurs in both deposits as 0.1–2 mm in diameter subhedral to anhedral grains in dolerite, gabbro and clinopyroxenite. High FeO contents (11.7–28.9 wt%), low SiO₂ (43.6–54.3 wt%) and Al₂O₃ contents (0.15–6.08 wt%), and low total REE and trace element contents of clinopyroxene in the Cinan clinopyroxenite imply crystallization early, at high pressure. This clinopyroxene is FeO-rich and Si and Ti-poor, consistent with the clinopyroxene component of large-scale Cu-Ni sulfide deposits in the Eastern Tianshan and Panxi ares, as well as Tarim mafic intrusion and basalt, implying the Cinan mafic intrusion and sulfide is related to tectonic activity in the Tarim LIP. The similar mineral chemistry of clinopyroxene, apatite and magnetite in the Cihai and Cinan gabbros (e.g., depleted LREE, negative Zr, Hf, Nb and Ta anomalies in clinopyroxene, lack of Eu anomaly in apatite and similarity of oxygen fugacity as indicated by V in magnetite), indicate similar parental magmatic characteristics. Mineral compositions suggest a crystallization sequence of clinopyroxenite/with a small amount of sulfide – gabbro – magnetite ore in the Cinan deposit, and magnetite ore – gabbro – dolerite in Cihai. The basaltic magma was emplaced at depth, with magnetite segregation (and formation of the Cinan magnetite ores) occurring in relatively low fO₂ conditions, after clinopyroxenite and gabbro fractional crystallization. The evolved Fe-rich basaltic magma rapidly rose to intermediate or shallow depths, forming an immiscible Fe-Ti oxide magma as fO₂ increased and leaving a Fe-poor residual magma in the chamber. The residual magmas was emplaced at different levels in the crust, forming the Cihai gabbro and dolerite, respectively. Finally, the immiscible Fe-Ti oxide magma was emplaced into the earlier formed dolerite because of late magma pulse uplift, resulting in a distinct boundary between the magnetite ores and dolerite.     

Discovery of Neoarchean suprasubduction zone ophiolite suite from Yishui Complex in the North China Craton

The Archean tectonic realm of the North China Craton (NCC) is considered in recent models as a collage of several microblocks which were amalgamated along zones of ocean closure during late Neoarchean. Here we report the finding of a dismembered ophiolite suite from the southern margin of the Jiaoliao microblock in the interior of the unified Eastern Block of the NCC. The suite is composed of lherzolite, pyroxenite, noritic and hornblende gabbro, and hornblendite intruded by veins and sheets of leuco granite. Together with transposed layers and bands of metavolcanics and amphibolites, banded iron formation (BIF), and diabase dykes in the adjacent locations, the Yishui complex corresponds well with a dismembered suprasubduction zone ophiolite suite. Clinopyroxene in the pyroxenite and gabbroic rocks is Mg rich and range in composition from augite to diopside. Among orthopyroxenes, those in lherzolite show the highest X_Mg of 0.84–0.85. Plagioclase in hornblende gabbro shows high anorthite content (An_50–64). Calcic amphiboles in the gabbroic rocks range in composition from ferropargasite to ferro-edenite, edenite and pargasite. Spinel inclusions in lherzolite are Cr-rich magnesiospinel. Geochemically, the mafic rocks from Yishui complex show subalkaline basaltic source, whereas the granitoids show volcanic arc affinity. The hornblende gabbro and gabbro, lherzolite and hornblendite show compositional similarity to E-MORB and N-MORB respectively. The lherzolite and hornblendite possess arc-related ultramafic cumulate nature, with overall features straddling the fields of IAT and IAT-MORB. The geochemical features are consistent with evolution in a suprasubduction regime with no significant crustal contamination. The majority of zircon grains in the Yishui suite exhibit magmatic texture and high Th/U ratios. Zircon grains from hornblendite define ²⁰⁷Pb/²⁰⁶Pb upper intercept age of 2538 ± 30 Ma. Zircons from the granite show ages of 2538 ± 16 Ma and 2503 ± 21 Ma, and those from the gabbros yield ages of 2503 ± 16 Ma and 2495 ± 10 Ma. The well defined major age peak at 2500 Ma is broadly coeval with Neoarchean ages reported from the microblocks in the North China Craton. The zircon Lu–Hf data from the Yishui suite display εHf(t) values between − 2.5 and 5.0, with corresponding model ages suggesting magma derivation from Neoarchean juvenile sources together with limited reworked Paleo-Mesoarchean crustal components.Our study is the first report of Neoarchean suprasubduction-type ophiolites from a locality far from the margins of the major crustal blocks and suture zones in the NCC and strengthens the concept that the craton is a mosaic of several microblocks with intervening oceans that closed along multiple subduction zones. We envisage that the amalgamation between the Xuhuai and the Jiaoliao microblocks resulted in the accretion of the Yishui suprasubduction zone ophiolitic assemblages onto the southern margin of the Jiaoliao microblock. The Neoarchean microblock amalgamation in the North China Craton provides new insights into continental growth in the early Earth and confirms that modern style plate tectonics might have been initiated early in the history of our planet.     

Petrology,geochemistry and geochronology of the magmatic suite from the Jianzha Complex,central China: Petrogenesis and geodynamic implications

The intermediate–mafic–ultramafic rocks in the Jianzha Complex (JZC) at the northern margin of the West Qinling Orogenic Belt have been interpreted to be a part of an ophiolite suite. In this study, we present new geochronological, petrological, geochemical and Sr–Nd–Hf isotopic data and provide a different interpretation. The JZC is composed of dunite, wehrlite, olivine clinopyroxenite, olivine gabbro, gabbro, and pyroxene diorite. The suite shows characteristics of Alaskan-type complexes, including (1) the low CaO concentrations in olivine; (2) evidence of crystal accumulation; (3) high calcic composition of clinopyroxene; and (4) negative correlation between FeO^tot and Cr₂O₃ of spinels. Hornblende and phlogopite are ubiquitous in the wehrlites, but minor orthopyroxene is also present. Hornblende and biotite are abundant late crystallized phases in the gabbros and diorites. The two pyroxene-bearing diorite samples from JZC yield zircon U–Pb ages of 245.7 ± 1.3 Ma and 241.8 ± 1.3 Ma. The mafic and ultramafic rocks display slightly enriched LREE patterns. The wehrlites display moderate to weak negative Eu anomalies (0.74–0.94), whereas the olivine gabbros and gabbros have pronounced positive Eu anomalies. Diorites show slight LREE enrichment, with (La/Yb)_N ratios ranging from 4.42 to 7.79, and moderate to weak negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu¹ = 0.64–0.86). The mafic and ultramafic rocks from this suite are characterized by negative Nb–Ta–Zr anomalies as well as positive Pb anomalies. Diorites show pronounced negative Ba, Nb–Ta and Ti spikes, and typical Th–U, K and Pb peaks. Combined with petrographic observations and chemical variations, we suggest that the magmatism was dominantly controlled by fractional crystallization and crystal accumulation, with limited crustal contamination. The arc-affinity signature and weekly negative to moderately positive ε_Nd(t) values (−2.3 to 1.2) suggest that these rocks may have been generated by partial melting of the juvenile sub-continental lithospheric mantle that was metasomatized previously by slab-derived fluids. The lithologies in the JZC are related in space and time and originated from a common parental magma. Geochemical modeling suggests that their primitive parental magma had a basaltic composition. The ultramafic rocks were generated through olivine accumulation, and variable degrees of fractional crystallization with minor crustal contamination produced the diorites. The data presented here suggest that the subduction in West Qinling did not cease before the early stage of the Middle Triassic (∼242 Ma), a back-arc developed in the northern part of West Qinling during this period, and the JZC formed within the incipient back-arc.     

Early Mesozoic southward subduction history of the Mongol–Okhotsk oceanic plate: Evidence from geochronology and geochemistry of Early Mesozoic intrusive rocks in the Erguna Massif,NE China

In this paper we present new zircon U–Pb ages, Hf isotope data, and whole-rock major and trace element data for Early Mesozoic intrusive rocks in the Erguna Massif of NE China, and we use these data to constrain the history of southward subduction of the Mongol–Okhotsk oceanic plate, and its influence on NE China as a whole. The zircon U–Pb dating indicates that Early Mesozoic magmatic activity in the Erguna Massif can be subdivided into four stages at ~ 246 Ma, ~ 225 Ma, ~ 205 Ma, and ~ 185 Ma. The ~ 246 Ma intrusive rocks comprise a suite of high-K calc-alkaline diorites, quartz diorites, granodiorites, monzogranites, and syenogranites, with I-type affinities. The ~ 225 Ma intrusive rocks consist of gabbro–diorites and granitoids, and they constitute a bimodal igneous association. The ~ 205 Ma intrusive rocks are dominated by calc-alkaline I-type granitoids that are accompanied by subordinate intermediate–mafic rocks. The ~ 185 Ma intrusive rocks are dominated by I-type granitoids, accompanied by minor amounts of A-types. These Early Mesozoic granitoids mainly originated by partial melting of a depleted and heterogeneous lower crust, whereas the coeval mafic rocks were probably derived from partial melting of a depleted mantle modified by subduction-related fluids. The rock associations and their geochemical features indicate that the ~ 246 Ma, ~ 205 Ma, and ~ 185 Ma intrusive rocks formed in an active continental margin setting related to the southward subduction of the Mongol–Okhotsk oceanic plate. The ~ 225 Ma bimodal igneous rock association formed within an extensional environment in a pause during the subduction process of the Mongol–Okhotsk oceanic plate. Every magmatic stage has its own corresponding set of porphyry deposits in the southeast of the Mongol–Okhotsk suture belt. Taking all this into account, we conclude the following: (1) during the Early Mesozoic, the Mongol–Okhotsk oceanic plate was subducted towards the south beneath the Erguna Massif, but with a pause in subduction at ~ 225 Ma; and (2) the southward subduction of the Mongol–Okhotsk oceanic plate not only caused the intense magmatic activity, but was also favorable to the formation of porphyry deposits.     

Laser Ablation ICP-MS U-Pb and 40Ar-39Ar age constraints on Neoarchean to Paleoproterozoic magmatic and tectono-metamorphic evolution of the link between Hope Bay and Elu greenstone belts,northeast Slave craton,NWT, Canada

The Elu Link connecting the Neoarchean Hope Bay and Elu granite-greenstone belts in the Bathurst block of the northeast Slave craton consists of volcano-sedimentary and gabbro–granite rocks. Laser ablation ICP-MS zircon and titanite U-Pb dating was combined with mineral ⁴⁰Ar-³⁹Ar age data to date the Elu Link rocks and D₁–D₃ tectono-metamorphic events, as well as characterize the response to the Thelon Orogeny in the area. The volcanic rocks are correlated with the ca. 2716 Ma Flake Lake suite in the adjacent Hope Bay belt, whereas the sedimentary units have a minimum depositional age of 2684 ± 11 Ma nearly coinciding with the onset of D₁ deformation. Most gabbro–granite bodies were emplaced between 2651 ± 14 Ma and 2577 ± 13 Ma coeval with the D₂ deformation whose accompanying metamorphism culminated at 2632 ± 7 Ma. Older ages (up to 3042 ± 22 Ma) retained by either the gabbro–granite or their hosts are indicative of crustal contamination. A few gabbro–granites were also emplaced during the 2577 ± 13 Ma to 2494 ± 21 Ma D₃ deformation event. However, the 2494 ± 21 Ma intrusions are unusual and mark the Archean–Paleoproterozoic transition. The D₃ deformation was followed by erosional exhumation and localized thermal pulses associated with the emplacement of diabase dikes at 2228 ± 8 Ma, 2128 ± 11 Ma, and 802 ± 75 Ma. The Thelon Orogeny imprint, inferred from the 2054 ± 11 Ma to 1919 ± 5 Ma biotite ages, corresponds to nearly isobaric, low-temperature (< 350 °C) metamorphic re-equilibration.     

Age and petrogenesis of the Neoproterozoic Chon-Ashu alkaline complex,and a new discovery of chalcopyrite mineralization in the eastern Kyrgyz Tien Shan

Neoproterozoic volcanics and granitoids formed at Rodinia margins within a time span of 880 Ma–700 Ma, are well-documented in many terranes of the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). Ages younger than 550 Ma corresponding to the opening of the Terskey Ocean are also common. However, so far, there were very few published ages in the range 700 Ma–550 Ma from the Kyrgyz Tien Shan. In this paper we present new data for the alkaline Chon-Ashu complex emplaced at the end of the Cryogenian Period of the Neoproterozoic (850–635 Ma, Gradstein et al., 2012). The alkaline complex intrudes the Precambrian metamorphic rocks north of the Nikolaev Line which separates the Northern and Middle Tien Shan terranes in the eastern Kyrgyzstan. The undeformed shallow level alkaline rocks range from olivine gabbro to nepheline and cancrinite syenites and leucosyenites. The differentiated rock assemblage can be explained by fractional crystallization of high-silica mineral phases which drives nepheline-normative melts away from the silica saturation boundary. The alkaline rocks of Chon-Ashu are enriched in LILE and HFSE indicative of their origin from lithospheric mantle. An age of 678 ± 9 Ma (U–Pb, SHRIMP) was obtained for a protolith of country gneiss, and an age of 656 ± 4 Ma was obtained for the crosscutting alkaline rocks of the Chon-Ashu complex. Seven zircon grains recovered from gneiss and alkaline rocks had bright overgrown rims which yielded a cumulative age of 400 ± 8 Ma. A metamorphic event, followed by uplift and emplacement of shallow level alkaline complex, constrains the geodynamic setting. Alkaline rocks usually form in an extensional setting and originate from lithospheric mantle. The 690 Ma xenoliths of mafic granulite from the NW Tarim have been interpreted to originate by mafic underplating. This mafic underplating may have been responsible for metamorphism in the middle crust prior to emplacement of the Chon-Ashu complex. The 670 Ma–630 Ma period of extension and emplacement of enriched alkaline rocks can be also traced on a regional scale through southern Kazakhstan and the northern Tarim. We tentatively interpret these events as a result of mafic underplating and subsequent rifting related to the break-up of Rodinia. During field work at Chon-Ashu, rich chalcopyrite mineralization has been discovered in carbonate veinlets in leucosyenite alkaline dikes and has also been found in the adjacent Cambrian gabbro and granites shown on the map as undivided Devonian–Silurian. Stockwork mineralization predominates though disseminated mineralization is also present. The Cu content reaches 16,184 ppm and is associated with elevated concentrations of Pb, Zn and Ag. The polyphase structural evolution of the area suggests that mineralization could have formed in several genetically unrelated stages. Based on structural and mineralogical evidence we tentatively relate the earliest stage of chalcopyrite mineralization to the late magmatic CO₂-rich fluids emanating from the Cryogenian alkaline complex. The Early Devonian thermal event registered by growth of new zircon at 400 Ma has important metallogenic implications on a regional scale. However the origin of two zones of alteration in the undivided Silurian–Devonian granites is ambiguous because their age was not determined geochronologically. The 522 ± 4 Ma Cambrian gabbro of the Tashtambektor Formation is strongly foliated along the splays of the Nikolaev Line, indicating a Hercynian origin of the fabric. Superimposed mineralized stockwork postdates the foliation and suggests a late-Hercynian age of mineralization in gabbro. The new data enable a reassessment of the metallogenic potential of the Eastern Kyrgyz Tien Shan. Presence of not eroded high-level mineralized Neoproterozoic alkaline intrusions points to a previously underestimated metallogenic potential of pre-Hercynian granitoids which may host preserved porphyry systems, skarns and shear-related mineralization. Finally, the Devonian magmato-metamorphic event which caused formation of a number of ore deposits in central Kyrgyzstan and Kazakhstan could also create potential exploration targets in eastern Kyrgyzstan.     

Volcanological and environmental controls on the Snowdon mineralization,North Wales,UK: A failed volcanogenic massive sulfide system in the Avalon Zone of the British Caledonides

The Snowdon caldera of North Wales is host to base metal sulfide-bearing veins and stockworks, mineralized breccias, disseminated sulfides, and localized zones of semi-massive to massive sulfide, with subordinate magnetite-rich veins. The late Ordovician host volcanic sequence accumulated in a shallow marine, back-arc environment in the Welsh Basin, which forms part of the Avalon Zone of the British and Irish Caledonides. New field evidence, sulfur isotopes, and U-Pb dating indicate that the Snowdon mineralization is genetically and temporally related to Late Ordovician magmatism and caldera formation. It is interpreted to represent volcanogenic pipe-style sulfide mineralization, resulting from focused hydrothermal fluids moving along caldera-related faults and simultaneous dispersal of fluids through the volcaniclastic pile. Sulfur isotope data suggest that, whilst a limited contribution of magmatic S cannot be ruled out, thermochemical reduction of contemporaneous Ordovician seawater sulfate was the dominant mechanism for sulfide production in the Snowdon system, resulting in a mean value of about 12‰ in both the host volcanic strata and the mineralized veins. Despite the tectonic setting being prospective for VMS deposits, strata-bound sulfide accumulations are absent in the caldera. This is attributed to the shallow water depths, which promoted boiling and the formation of sub-seafloor vein-type mineralization. Furthermore, the tectonic instability of the caldera and the high energy, shallow marine environment would have limited preservation of any seafloor deposits. The new U-Pb dates for the base (454.26 ± 0.35 Ma) and top (454.42 ± 0.45 Ma) of the host volcanic rocks, indicate that the Snowdon magmatic activity was short lived, which is likely to have limited the duration and areal extent of the ore-forming system. The absence of massive sulfide mineralization is consistent with the general paucity of economic VMS deposits in the Avalon Zone. Despite the highly prospective geological setting this study further illustrates the importance of volcanic facies mapping and associated paleo-environmental interpretations in VMS exploration.     

Volcanism,mineralization and metamorphism at the Xitieshan Pb–Zn deposit,NW China: Insights from zircon geochronology and geochemistry

The footwall volcanic rocks of the Ordovician Tanjianshan Group in the world-class Xitieshan Pb–Zn deposit have experienced prolonged arc volcanism followed by strong metamorphism and deformation. This has resulted in a complex thermal history and led to ambiguity in interpretation of zircon geochronological results. An integrated study involving textural characterization, CL imaging, trace element analysis, Ti-in-zircon thermometry and LA-ICPMS U–Pb dating has provided tight constraints on the age and genesis of the zircon groups in the volcanic rocks. The temperature of metamorphism and deformation indicated by metacryst minerals and micro-structures in the volcanic rocks ranges from 550 to 650 °C, which partially overlaps with the lower temperature range of zircon crystallization (600–750 °C) calculated using the Ti-in-zircon thermometer. Cathodoluminescence images and trace element compositions confirm a magmatic origin for the zircons, which have also been variably altered by metamorphic fluids. Two ranges of U–Pb ages, 475–470 Ma and 460–450 Ma, have been obtained on typical magmatic zircons and are interpreted to represent pre-mineralization arc volcanism in the Xitieshan deposit. A younger age group of 440–430 Ma for the fluid-modified zircons is considered to record post-ore metamorphism during the North Qadaim Orogeny. Thus, we propose that the original exhalative ores at the Xitieshan Pb–Zn deposit formed at 450–440 Ma.     

Origin of anomalously Ni-rich parental magmas and genesis of the Huangshannan Ni–Cu sulfide deposit,Central Asian Orogenic Belt,Northwestern China

The Huangshannan Ni–Cu sulfide deposit at the southern margin of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) is an important recent discovery in the Eastern Tianshan Region, Northwestern China. The Huangshannan Intrusion is composed of mafic and ultramafic rocks, and its websterite and lherzolite sequences host the sulfide orebodies. Olivine is the dominant mineral in the Huangshannan Intrusion, occurring as olivine inclusions hosted by pyroxene oikocrysts, as olivine crystals in magmatic sulfides, and as poikilitic crystals in the lherzolite. Small olivine inclusions always coexist with large poikilitic olivine crystals in the same sample, resulting in a heterogeneous texture on the scale of the oikocrysts. The Ni abundance ranges from 1540 to 3772 ppm in poikilitic olivine grains, from 2114 to 3740 ppm in olivine grains hosted by sulfide minerals, and from 2043 to 4023 ppm in olivine inclusions hosted by pyroxene oikocrysts. For the three types of olivine, the ranges in forsterite (Fo) content are 78.97–84.92 mol.%, 81.57–84.79 mol.%, and 80.33–84.68 mol.%, respectively. The Ni content of olivine in the lherzolite is anomalously high relative to the range found in most within plate olivine-bearing mafic-ultramafic rocks. The composition of olivine is controlled mainly by that of the parental magma, fractional crystallization and reactions with interstitial silicate and sulfide melts. Both fractional crystallization and reaction with interstitial silicate may cause a decrease in the Ni content of olivine. The possibility that Ni–Fe exchange causes the anomalously high Ni contents in olivine can be excluded because the olivine grains contained in sulfide have similar or lower Ni content than the olivine grains hosted in the silicate rock. Most of the olivine grains are unzoned, and they have anomalously high Ni contents throughout the crystal. Assuming a partition coefficient of Ni between olivine and silicate magma to be 7, the measured Ni content of olivine in the lherzolite (1540–4023 ppm with a mean of 2907 ppm) indicates that the parental magma contains 220–575 ppm (average of 415 ppm) Ni. This value is higher than that found in basaltic magmas that crystallized olivine with similar Fo contents compared to the Huangshannan Intrusion. As mentioned above, the symmetric and reproducible variations in both Fo and Ni contents from core to margin in most of the olivine grains cannot be explained by fractional crystallization and reactions with interstitial silicate or sulfide melts but may reflect the equilibration of the olivine with new fluxes of magma as the chamber was replenished. The anomalously Ni-rich composition of the parental magmas of the Huangshannan Intrusion, relative to those of many other mineralized olivine-bearing mafic-ultramafic intrusions, may be produced by upgrading and scavenging of metals from a previously formed sulfide melts by a moderately Ni-rich magma. The mass-balance calculations of PGE data indicate that the parental magma that formed lherzolite contains 0.04 ppb Os, 0.02 ppb Ir and 0.4 ppb Pd, whereas the parental magma that formed websterite has 0.02 ppb Os, 0.009 ppb Ir and 0.75 ppb Pd. Rayleigh modeling using PGE tenors indicates that the massive sulfides may be produced by monosulfide solid solution (MSS)-sulfide liquid fractionation from the magma that formed the websterite. Rayleigh modeling of Fo and Ni contents of olivine shows that the parental magma that formed the lherzolite has experienced previous sulfide segregation and olivine crystallization.     

Neoproterozoic arc magmatism in the southern Madurai Block,India: Subduction,relamination, continental outbuilding,and the growth of Gondwana

The Madurai Block in southern India is a composite collage of at least three sub-blocks, with Neoarchean–Paleoproterozoic segments in the north and central domains, and a Neoproterozoic segment in the south. Here we investigate a suite of rocks with magmatic protoliths that constitute the basement in the southern margin of the Madurai Block including alkali granites, charnockites, enderbites and gabbros. The alkali granites are dominantly composed of perthitic K-feldspar, minor plagioclase and quartz, with hornblende as the main mafic mineral suggesting a calc-alkaline nature. The enderbites and charnockites have a broadly similar mineralogical constitution except for the variation in the modal content of plagioclase, K-feldspar and quartz, as well as the additional presence of clinopyroxene in some of the enderbites. The high modal content of hornblende in the gabbros suggests crystallization from hydrous basaltic melts. The geochemical features of this suite are identical to those of arc magmatic rocks, with distinct Nb, Ta, and Ti depletion suggesting magmatism in a subduction-related environment. We envisage that the underplating of basaltic magmas within a convergent margin setting provided the heat input for lower crustal melting generating the charnockitic suite of rocks. The intrusion of the underplated mafic melts as gabbroic dykes and sills into the crystallizing felsic magmas resulted in magma mixing and mingling generating the widespread enclaves of gabbroic rocks. The alkali granites were derived from the differentiation of lower crustal melts. Zircon U–Pb data from the alkali granites yield weighted mean ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U ages of 786 ± 10 to 772 ± 11 Ma for the oldest and the most dominant group of magmatic grains, with a 662 ± 20 Ma subordinate group. The oldest group of magmatic zircons in the charnockite samples shows ages of 938 ± 27 Ma, 896 ± 12 Ma, and 786 ± 9 Ma, suggesting multiple magmatic pulses during early and mid-Neoproterozoic. A subordinate population of magmatic zircons with ages of 661 ± 9 Ma and 632 ± 7 Ma is also present. In the enderbites, the magmatic zircon population yields weighted mean ages of 926 ± 22 Ma, 923 ± 36 Ma, 889 ± 13 Ma, 803 ± 10 Ma, 787 ± 23 Ma, 786 ± 10 Ma, 748 ± 27 Ma, 742 ± 11 Ma, 717 ± 8 Ma and 692 ± 10 Ma suggesting continuous and multiple pulses of magmas emplaced throughout early to mid-Neoproterozoic. Magmatic zircons from the gabbros show weighted mean ²⁰⁶Pb/²³⁸U ages of 903 ± 13 Ma, 777 ± 10 Ma, 729 ± 10 Ma and 639 ± 27 Ma. Metamorphic zircons from all the rock types show latest Neoproterozoic-Cambrian ages in the range of 567 ± 19 Ma to 510 ± 8 Ma suggesting prolonged heating. Zircon Lu–Hf data show that the alkali granite-charnockite-enderbite suite has depleted mantle ages (T_DM) in the range of 1164–2172 Ma and crustal residence ages (T_DM^C) of 1227–3023 Ma. These spots show both negative εHf(t) and positive εHf(t) values (− 22.1 to 10.6), suggesting magma derivation from mixed juvenile mid- to late-Mesoproterozoic components and reworked Mesoarchean to mid-Mesoproterozoic components. Zircon grains from the gabbroic rocks show depleted mantle ages and (T_DM) in the range of 1112–2046 Ma, crustal residence ages (T_DM^C) of 1306–2816 Ma, and both negative and positive εHf(t) values (− 17.8 to 7.9), suggesting that the magmas were dominantly derived from juvenile mid-Mesoproterozoic to Neoproterozoic components as well as reworked Mesoarchean to mid-Mesoproterozoic sources.Our data clearly reveal multiple arc magmatism along the southern Madurai Block during distinct pulses throughout early to late Neoproterozoic, suggesting an active convergent margin along this zone at this time. Crustal thickening occurred through relamination by mafic magmas associated with slab melting. Continental outbuilding and southward growth of the Madurai Block were associated with the lateral accretion of the vast sedimentary belt of Trivandrum Block, culminating in collisional metamorphism during latest Neoproterozoic–Cambrian associated with Gondwana assembly.     

The Mesoproterozoic Guaporé suture in the SW Amazonian Craton: Geotectonic implications based on field geology,zircon geochronology and Nd–Sr isotope geochemistry

A major Mesoproterozoic paleo-plate boundary in the southwestern Amazonian Craton, the Guaporé Suture Zone, is investigated by U–Pb zircon geochronology, Sr–Nd isotope geochemistry and aeromagnetic data. This suture zone is constituted dominantly by ophiolitic mafic–ultramafic rocks of the Trincheira Complex, and minor proportion of tonalites of the Rio Galera and São Felipe complexes, Colorado Complex, amphibolites of the Rio Alegre Terrane and syn- to late-kinematic mafic to felsic plutonic rocks. The ophiolitic Trincheira Complex formed during an accretionary phase from 1470 to 1430 Ma and was overprinted by upper amphibolite–granulite facies metamorphism during the collisional phase of the Ectasian followed by syntectonic emplacement of gabbro and granite plutons (1350–1340 Ma). The ophiolites were intruded by syntectonic tonalitic–plagiogranitic plutons ca. 1435 Ma. Mafic–ultramafic rocks of the Trincheira ophiolites show moderate to highly positive initial epsilon Nd (t = 1.46 Ga) values (+2.6 to +8.8) and very low initial ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr ratio (0.7013–0.7033). It is suggested that these magmas originated from a depleted mantle source in an island-arc–back-arc setting. The identification of a fossil ophiolite in the Guaporé Suture Zone early as 1470–1435 Ma and later collisional phase, as late as 1350 Ma, marks the impingement of the proto-Amazonian Craton against the Paragua Block, before the formation of the Rodinia supercontinent. The results provide important insights into the geodynamic history of the SW Amazonian Craton, with evidence for both accretionary orogen and subduction of oceanic lithosphere in the Mesoproterozoic, and provide information that allows other workers to evaluate the configuration of supercontinents.     

Geochemistry,petrogenesis and tectonic setting of Neoproterozoic mafic–ultramafic rocks from the western Jiangnan orogen,South China

The Jiangnan orogenic belt (JOB) has been interpreted as a suture zone between the Yangtze craton and Cathaysian terranes in South China. The Neoproterozoic mafic–ultramafic rocks are extensively exposed in the western JOB, providing an ideal opportunity to study the Neoproterozoic assembly and tectonic evolution of South China. We present integrated field and geochemical studies including LA-ICP-MS zircon U–Pb dating, and whole-rock major and trace element and Sm–Nd isotope analyses of the Neoproterozoic mafic–ultramafic rocks exposed in the northern Guangxi Province, South China. Geochronological results show that the magmatic events took place in two distinct periods: the early Neoproterozoic (861–834 Ma) and the late Neoproterozoic (770–750 Ma). Early Neoproterozoic ultramafic rocks of the Sibao Group have positive ε_Nd(t) values (+ 2.7 to + 6.6) whereas mafic rocks exhibit negative ε_Nd(t) values (− 5.8 to − 0.9). The basaltic rocks show TiO₂ contents of 0.62–0.69 wt.% and Mg-number of 59–65, and also display an enrichment of light rare earth elements (LREEs) and pronounced negative Nb, Ta and Ti anomalies on chondrite- and primitive mantle-normalized diagrams, consistent with subduction-related geochemical signatures. Late Neoproterozoic rocks of the Danzhou Group show ε_Nd(t) values (− 1.23 to + 3.19) for both ultramafic and mafic rocks. The basaltic rocks have TiO₂ contents of 1.01–1.33 wt.% and Mg-number of 57–60, and have a mixture of MORB- and arc-like geochemical affinities, inferred to have formed in an extensional arc environment. Geochemical signatures suggest that all rock types in this study were derived from subarc mantle wedge sources and underwent various degrees of crustal contamination. Thus, we suggest that subduction may have continued to ca. 750 Ma in the western JOB, implying that the amalgamation event between the Yangtze craton and Cathaysian terranes was later than 750 Ma.     

Structure,age, and tectonic development of the Huoshishan–Niujuanzi ophiolitic mélange,Beishan, southernmost Altaids

The Huoshishan–Niujuanzi ophiolitic mélange (HNO) is located near the central part of the Beishan Orogenic Belt in the southernmost Altaids. The HNO consists of ultramafic rocks, cumulate gabbros, gabbros, plagiogranites, diorites, diabases, basalts, andesites, rhyolitic volcaniclastic rocks and siliceous sedimentary rocks, many of which are in a schist matrix (Gongpoquan Group). Geochemical data of the mafic rocks indicate a calc-alkaline or a mixture of calc-alkaline and tholeiitic rocks with negative Nb, Ta and positive Pb, Ba and La anomalies, suggesting formation in an island arc or supra-subduction zone setting. A gabbro from a block in the mélange in the Niujuanzi area has a zircon age of 435.0 ± 1.9 Ma and a plagiogranite with an age of 444.3 ± 1.9 Ma, and another gabbro from the Huoshishan area has an age of 410.5 ± 3.7 Ma. The schist matrix has a zircon age of 512 ± 5.3 Ma and contains Silurian, Devonian and Carboniferous fossils, thus the mélange formed in the late Carboniferous or later. Our structural analysis of fault planes in the HNO, the crenulation cleavages (S₂) of the schist, and fold axial planes of early Permian sandy limestone/quartz veins and late Permian sandstones indicates that the mélange underwent a north-to-south compression, and the orientation of stretching lineations, slickensides and fold hinge lines implies that the HNO experienced top-to-the north (or -northwest) movement. The entire planar and linear structural data set suggests that the subduction polarity was probably to the south in the late Paleozoic. The emplacement age of the HNO was probably near the end-Permian based on the age of the youngest rocks in the ophiolitic mélange, and by the presence of a late Permian unconformity. From our work, integrated with published regional data, we outline a comprehensive geodynamic model for the central BOC.     

Cu–(Ni–Co–Au)-bearing massive sulfide deposits associated with mafic–ultramafic rocks of the Main Urals Fault,South Urals: Geological structures,ore textural and mineralogical features,comparison with modern analogs

Cu-rich massive sulfide deposits associated with mafic–ultramafic rocks in the southern portion of the Main Urals Fault (MUF) are characterized by variable enrichments in Ni (up to 0.45 wt.%), Co (up to 10 wt.%) and Au (up to 16 ppm in individual hand-specimens). The Cu (Ni–Co)-rich composition of MUF deposits, as opposed to the Cu (Zn)-rich composition of more eastward massive sulfide deposits of broadly similar age along the western flank of the Magnitogorsk arc, reflects the abundance of seafloor-exposed, Ni–Co-rich ultramafic rocks in the most external portion of the Early-Devonian Magnitogorsk forearc. Morphological, textural, and compositional differences between individual deposits are interpreted to be the result of the sulfide deposition style and, in part, of the original subseafloor lithology. One deposit produced by dominantly on-seafloor hydrothermal processes is characterized by pyrite–marcasite ≫ pyrrhotite, not so low Zn grades (occasionally up to 2 wt.%), abundant clastic facies and periodical superficial oxidation. Deposits produced by dominantly subseafloor hydrothermal processes are characterized by pyrrhotite > pyrite, very low Zn (generally < to ≪ 0.1 wt.%), volumetrically minor clastic facies, and multi-layer deposit morphology. Very low Ni/Co ratios in the on-seafloor deposit may indicate a dominant metal contribution from a mafic rather than ultramafic source. The sulfide mineralization was associated with extensive hydrothermal alteration of the host ultramafic and mafic rocks, leading to formation of abundant talc, talc–carbonate and chlorite rocks. Occurrence of large volumes of such altered lithotypes in ophiolitic belts may be considered as a potential searching criteria for MUF-type (Cu, Co, Ni)-deposits. In spite of the contrasting geodynamic environment, geological, geochemical, textural and mineralogical peculiarities of the MUF deposits in many respects are similar to those of ultramafic-hosted massive sulfide deposits along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. In geological time, supra subduction-zone settings appear to have been more effective than mid-ocean ridge settings for preservation of ultramafic-hosted massive sulfide deposits.