Sources of ore-forming fluids and metallic materials in the Jinwozi lode gold deposit, eastern Tianshan Mountains of China

This paper presents gas compositions and H-, O-isotope compositions of sulfide- and quartz-hosted fluid inclusions, and S-, Pb-isotope compositions of sulfide separates collected from the principal Stage 2 ores in Veins 3 and 210 of the Jinwozi lode gold deposit, eastern Tianshan Mountains of China. Fluid inclusions trapped in quartz and sphalerite are dominantly primary. H- and O-isotopic compositions of pyrite-hosted fluid inclusions indicate two major contributions to the ore-forming fluid that include the degassed magma and the meteoric-derived but rock 18O-buffered groundwater. However, H- and O-isotopic compositions of quartz-hosted fluid inclusions essentially suggest the presence of groundwater. Sulfide-hosted fluid inclusions show considerably higher abundances of gaseous species CO2, N2, H2S, etc. Than quartz-hosted ones. The linear trends among inclusion gaseous species reflect the mixing tendency between the gas-rich magmatic fluid and the groundwater. The relative enrichment of gaseous species in sulfide-hosted fluid inclusions, coupled with the banded ore structure indicating alternate precipitation of quartz with sulfide minerals, suggests that the magmatic fluid has been inputted to the ore-forming fluid in pulsation. Sulfur and lead isotope compositions of pyrite and galena separates indicate an essential magma derivation for sulfur but the multiple sources for metallic materials from the mantle to the bulk crust.     

Sources of ore-forming fluids and metallic materials in the Jinwozi lode gold deposit,eastern Tianshan Mountains of China

This paper presents gas compositions and H-, O-isotope compositions of sulfide- and quartz-hosted fluid inclusions, and S-, Pb-isotope compositions of sulfide separates collected from the principal Stage 2 ores in Veins 3 and 210 of the Jinwozi lode gold deposit, eastern Tianshan Mountains of China. Fluid inclusions trapped in quartz and sphalerite are dominantly primary. H-and O-isotopic compositions of pyrite-hosted fluid inclusions indicate two major contributions to the ore-forming fluid that include the degassed magma and the meteoric-derived but rock ¹⁸O-buffered groundwater. However, H- and O-isotopic compositions of quartz-hosted fluid inclusions essentially suggest the presence of groundwater. Sulfide-hosted fluid inclusions show considerably higher abundances of gaseous species CO₂, N₂, H₂S, etc. than quartz-hosted ones. The linear trends among inclusion gaseous species reflect the mixing tendency between the gas-rich magmatic fluid and the groundwater. The relative enrichment of gaseous species in sulfide-hosted fluid inclusions, coupled with the banded ore structure indicating alternate precipitation of quartz with sulfide minerals, suggests that the magmatic fluid has been inputted to the ore-forming fluid in pulsation. Sulfur and lead isotope compositions of pyrite and galena separates indicate an essential magma derivation for sulfur but the multiple sources for metallic materials from the mantle to the bulk crust.

     

Evidence of mantle-rooted fluids and multi-level circulation ore-forming dynamics: A case study from the Xiadian gold deposit,Shandong province,China

Metallogensis of the Xiadian gold deposit in Shandong Province has been a question under dispute for a long time. There are many points such as metamorphic hydrothermal, magamatic hydrothermal and meteoric water. Detailed study shows that mantle-rooted fluids were involved in the ore-forming processes. Evidence for this argumentation comes from: (1) discor-dogenic fault; (2) intersecting and accompanying of basic veins and lodes; (3) geochemistry of stable isotopes; (4) geochemistry of fluid inclusions; and (5) multi-level circulation and exchanging of mantle-rooted fluids. Based on the characteristics of the circulation system of mantle-rooted fluids and its close relation to magmatic hydrothermal fluids and meteoric water, ore-bearing fluids are divided into three subsystems: (1) C-H-O-rich fluid circulation subsystem in mantle, (2) Si-rich fluid circulation subsystem in the middle and lower crust; and (3) S-rich fluid circulation subsystem in shallow and surface crust. Ore-forming functions of these subsystems are controlled respectively by their different geodynamic settings.     

Evidence of mantle-rooted fluids and multi-level circulation ore-forming dynamics: A case study from the Xiadian gold deposit, Shandong Province, China

Metallogensis of the Xiadian gold deposit in Shandong Province has been a question under dispute for a long time. There are many points such as metamorphic hydrothermal, magamatic hydrothermal and meteoric water. Detailed study shows that mantle-rooted fluids were involved in the ore-forming processes. Evidence for this argumentation comes from: (1) discordogenic fault; (2) intersecting and accompanying of basic veins and lodes; (3) geochemistry of stable isotopes; (4) geochemistry of fluid inclusions; and (5) multi-level circulation and exchanging of mantle-rooted fluids. Based on the characteristics of the circulation system of mantle-rooted fluids and its close relation to magmatic hydrothermal fluids and meteoric water, ore-bearing fluids are divided into three subsystems: (1) C-H-O-rich fluid circulation subsystem in mantle, (2) Si-rich fluid circulation subsystem in the middle and lower crust; and (3) S-rich fluid circulation subsystem in shallow and surface crust. Ore-forming functions of these subsystems are controlled respectively by their different geodynamic settings.     

Evidence of mantle-rooted fluids and multi-level circulation ore-forming dynamics: A case study from the Xiadian gold deposit,Shandong province,China

Metallogensis of the Xiadian gold deposit in Shandong Province has been a question under dispute for a long time. There are many points such as metamorphic hydrothermal, magamatic hydrothermal and meteoric water. Detailed study shows that mantle-rooted fluids were involved in the ore-forming processes. Evidence for this argumentation comes from: (1) discor-dogenic fault; (2) intersecting and accompanying of basic veins and lodes; (3) geochemistry of stable isotopes; (4) geochemistry of fluid inclusions; and (5) multi-level circulation and exchanging of mantle-rooted fluids. Based on the characteristics of the circulation system of mantle-rooted fluids and its close relation to magmatic hydrothermal fluids and meteoric water, ore-bearing fluids are divided into three subsystems: (1) C-H-O-rich fluid circulation subsystem in mantle, (2) Si-rich fluid circulation subsystem in the middle and lower crust; and (3) S-rich fluid circulation subsystem in shallow and surface crust. Ore-forming functions of these subsystems are controlled respectively by their different geodynamic settings.

     

Geochemistry of ore-forming fluids and geological significance of the Kuoerzhenkuola gold field in Xinjiang, China

The Kuoerzhenkuola gold field (including the Kuo- erzhenkuola and the Buerkesidai gold deposits), lo- cated 68 km east of Jimunai County in northern Xing- jiang, China, is an important component of the Sawuer gold belt which is the eastward extending part of the Zarma-Sawur gold-copper belt in Kazakhstan. Some studies are concerned with the geology of the gold ores[1―3], the associated volcanic rocks[4], radiogenic isotope[5―8], and the ore-forming environment[8]. Most researchers inferr…     

Re-Os dating of magnetite from the Shaquanzi Fe-Cu deposit,eastern Tianshan,NW China

Magnetite separates from the Shaquanzi Fe-Cu deposit in the eastern Tianshan are used for Re-Os geochronological study.Re-Os data show that magnetite separates contain ca.0.7 to 50.9 ppb Re and ca.16 to 63 ppt Os.Eight samples yield a model 3isochron age of(303±12)Ma(2),which is within uncertainty consistent with of the Re-Os date(295±7 Ma)of associated pyrite.Tectonic evolution shows that the Late Carboniferous Aqishan-Yamansu belt was a back-arc rift.Therefore,the Re-Os age of ca.300 Ma indicates that the Shaquanzi Fe-Cu deposit may have formed in a back-arc extensional environment and was closely related to mantle-derived magmatism.The successful application of Re-Os magnetite geochronology in the Shaquanzi Fe-Cu deposit suggests that the purity of magnetite,relatively high Re and Os contents,and the closure of Re-Os systematic are base factors for a successful Re-Os geochronology.There would be a good prospect for Re-Os geochronology for magnetite.     

Isotopic indication to source of ore materials and fluids of the Wangfeng gold deposit in Tianshan: A case study of metallogenesis during collisional orogenesis

The Wangfeng gold deposit is one of the five most important gold deposits in the Tianshan. Studies of its metallogenic time, space, geodynamic background, ore feature and ore fluid have proved that the deposit formed in the late Paleozoic continental collision, and consequently is a suitable delegate to probe mineralizing regularities during collisional orogenesis. Isotopic studies including O, D, C, S, Pb and Sr reveal ore materials derived from sedimentary association (including carbonate and sulfate), which further refers to the Hercynian carbonate-silicolite-argillite formation north to Wangfeng camp. At the end of Paleozoic, the southward intracontinental subduction of Hercynian synthem along the Hongwuyueqiao fault down to the Central Tianshan terrane induced large-scale fluidization which extracted and out-transported ore materials from Hercynian synthem upto shallow fair positions, and finally resulted in the formation of the Wangfeng deposit. This study excludes the possibility of other tectonic metallogenic models other than the tectonic model for collisional metallogenesis, petrogenesis and fluidization.     

Ore-forming fluids in the dongping gold deposit, northwestern Hebei Province

The Dongping gold deposit is contained within an inner contacting zone of the Hercynian Shuiquangou alkali syenite. The ores occur as veins or as replacement bodies. Fluid inclusion observation shows that in early and main mineralizing stages inclusion types are gas and gas-liquid inclusions, respectively. Gas inclusions occur in isolation in vein quartz, their homog-enization temperature is 372-306°C, and salinity 3.7-1.0 wt% NaCl. Gas-liquid inclusions occur in clusters or healed fractures but do not cut quartz boundary with homogenization temperature 342-267°C and salinity 1.9-0.8 wt% NaCl. Stable isotope measurements show that at main gold mineralization, hydrogen and oxygen isotopic ratios of the mineralizing fluids are -70.8‰-108.4‰ and 2.44‰-4.05‰, respectively. Primary ore fluids in Dongping are higher temperature and lower salinity NaCl-CO₂-H₂O fluids, and come from Yanshanian granitic magmatism. Fluid im-miscibility, fluid-rock interactions and meteoric water adding were main reasons for gold deposition.     

安徽省霍山县东溪-南关岭金矿地质特征与成矿条件

东溪-南关岭金矿为北淮阳东段发现的第一个原生金矿,产于磨子潭-晓天中生代火山盆地边缘,容矿围岩为安山质-英安质火山岩,矿化和蚀变受桐柏-桐城深大断裂带的次级构造带控制。该金矿发育陡倾斜的脉状矿体和缓倾斜的似层状矿体,成因类型为冰长石-绢云母型浅成低温热液金矿。火山岩盆地之下的变质基底可能起到了初始矿源层作用,桐柏-桐城断裂带及其次级构造破碎带为重要的导岩导矿构造,早白垩世强烈的岩浆活动提供了热源、动力源和部分矿源。参照国内外类似金矿的特征,认为本区成矿地质条件良好,有可能隐伏着与石英正长岩体有关的细脉浸染型矿化,晓天火山盆地具有良好的找矿前景。     

新疆西天山东段航磁异常特征及找矿效果

介绍了高精度航磁调查在西天山东段的应用效果.在高精度航磁图上,展现出多个不同磁场背景及磁异常特征区,它们是不同构造、岩浆活动、地层及岩性分布的综合反映.该区不仅区域磁场特征明显,而且局部异常信息也极为丰富.在最新的高精度航磁图上,已知铁矿异常特征明显,为矿区外围勘探和同类地区寻找新的铁矿提供了依据.利用高精度航磁资料,新发现了五十余处铁矿异常,在2007年进行了地面查证的5处异常中,有4处见矿.这些新的铁矿异常的成功发现不仅带来了巨大的经济效益,也为今后利用高精度航磁测量在类似地区进行找矿积累了经验.     

Glacial advances and ESR chronology of the Pochengzi Glaciation,Tianshan Mountains,China

The Pochengzi Glaciation is a typical glaciation in Quaternary in the Tianshan Mountains. The glacial landforms comprise several integrated end moraines, like a fan spreading from the north to the south at the mouth of the Muzhaerte River valley and on the piedmont on the southeastern slope of the Tumur Peak, the largest center of modern glaciation in the Tianshan Mountains. The landforms recorded a complex history of the ancient glacier change and contained considerable information of the glacial landscape evolution, and dating these landforms helps us understand the temporal and spatial shifts of the past cryosphere in this valley and reconstruct the paleoenvironment in this region. Electron spin resonance (ESR) dating of the glacial tills in the upper stratum from a well-exposed section, end moraines, and associated outwashes was carried out using Ge centers in quartz grains, which are sensitive to the sunlight and grinding. The results could be divided into three clusters, 13.6–25.3, 39.5–40.4 and 64.2–71.7 ka. Based on the principle of geomorphology and stratigraphy and the available paleoen- vironmental data from northwestern China, the end moraines were determined to deposit in the Last Glaciation. The landforms and the three clusters of ages demonstrate that at least three large glacial advances occurred during the Pochengzi Glaciation, which are corresponding to marine oxygen isotope stage 4 (MIS4), MIS3b and MIS2. The landforms also indicate that the gla- ciers were compound valley glacier in MIS2 and MIS3b and piedmont glacier in MIS4, and the ancient Muzhaerte glacier were 94, 95 and 99 km at their maximum extensions in these three glacial advances.     

On the ore-forming conditions and ore-forming model of the superlarge multimetal deposit in Shizhuyuan

Eight favorable ore-forming conditions for the Shizhuyuan W-multimetal deposit are proposed. They are: (i) the geochemistry background special enriching the volatile and W and Sn ore-forming elements; (ii) the existence of melt-fluid system very rich in volatile and ore-forming elements; (iii) supply of sufficient ore-forming material and volatile multi-source; (iv) the infiltration and convection water source and driving force partly supplied by the Jurassic reservoir basin; (v) favorable tectonic conditions; (vi) ore-bearing greisen and vein superimposed in the pre-existing skarn rocks; (vii) favorable ore-transport and ore-concentration strata condition; (viii) there were a set of favorable ore-forming structures in Shizuyuan area; (ix) the orebody has good ore-reserve condition. Finally, ore-forming models are proposed. The paper is one of the achievements on the research related to the Climbing Project “The basic related to searching for the superlarge deposits supported by the State Science and Technology Commission. This research is also granted by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 49572134).     

Small-scale upper mantle convection and orogeny of Tianshan Mountains in China

In this study, from the travel time data recorded in the Tianshan passive seismic array experiment, we present the P-wave velocity structure of the upper mantle down to 660 km along the Kuqa-Kuitun pro-file in terms of seismic tomography technique. Based on the P-wave velocity model, we derive the corresponding 2D upper mantle density model. The 2D small-scale convection of the upper mantle underneath the Tianshan Mountains in China driven by the density anomalies is simulated using the hybrid finite element method combining with the marker-in-cell technique. The main features of the upper mantle convection and the reciprocation between the convection and mountain building are in-vestigated. The results manifest that (1) in the upper mantle underneath the Junggar basin and North Tianshan exists a counterclockwise convection, which scale is ~ 500 km; (2) underneath the Tarim ba-sin and South Tianshan exists a clockwise northward convection, which is relatively weak; (3) the convective velocity at the top of the upper mantle underneath the Tianshan Mountains in China should not be less than 20 mm/a, while considering the dependent of convective velocity on the viscosity; (4) the northward extrusion of the Tarim block plays a key role in the Cenozoic Tianshan mountain building and the present-day tectonic deformation of the Tianshan range is related closely to the upper mantle convection; and (5) the northward subduction of the Tarim block does not influence obviously the up-per mantle convection.     

The effects of forest litter on snow energy budget in the Tianshan Mountains,China

Forest litter exerts an impact on the energy budget of snow surfaces, which lie beneath forest canopies. In this study, we measured shortwave and longwave radiation levels, as well as quantities of Asian spruce (Picea schrenkinan ) forest litter, over 3 snow study plots that representing an open environment, 20% forest canopy openness (20% FCO), and 80% forest canopy openness (80% FCO). The fractional litter coverage (lc ) was obtained through the binarization of digital photographs of forest litter. The effects of forest litter on snow surface albedo (α ), snow surface temperature (T _s ), upward shortwave and longwave radiation (K _↑ and L _↑), and sensible heat flux (H ) were then analyzed. According to our results, the energy budget over snow surface influenced by forest litter principally due to forest litter forcing α decrease and T _s increase. The effects of forest litter on the energy budget increased with time and lc . We found that forest litter exerted the most significant impact on K _↑ and L _↑ at daytime during the latter stages of the snowmelt period. The influence of forest litter on H was more apparent on windy days. The presence of forest litter increased gains in shortwave radiation and losses in longwave radiation and decreased gains in H . Compared to the simulated energy (K _↑ + L _↑ + H ) over a snow surface without litter, the calculated energy decreased by ?13.4 W/m² and increased by 9.0 W/m², respectively, at the 20% FCO and 80% FCO sites during the latter stages of the snowmelt period. Overall, forest litter facilitated snow surface energy gains at the 80% FCO site and impeded them at the 20% FCO site during the latter stages of the snowmelt period.     

Assessment of glacier- and snowmelt-driven streamflow in the arid middle Tianshan Mountains of China

Due to limitations in transport and communication infrastructures and difficulties in accessing glaciers, it is challenging to monitor snow and glaciers. In this study, the enhanced Utah Energy Balance (UEB) with a glacier melt model and snow above and below the forest ablation algorithm is used to assess the contributions of snow and glacier melting in three typical inland river basins (MRB, URB and KRB) in the middle Tianshan Mountains of China from 2002 to 2014. Forced by the spatial downscaling of the China meteorological forcing dataset (CMFD) coupled with other parameters, the model simulates the total surface water balance using surface water input from snowmelt, glacial melt and rainfall. Model simulations reveal that although the MRB, URB and KRB are all located on the northern slopes of the Tianshan Mountains, there are obvious differences in their water resource composition characteristics. Different from the URB, which is mainly replenished by glacial melt and had an average annual percentage of glacial melt of approximately 39% of the total surface water from 2009 to 2014, the MRB and KRB are mainly supplied by snowmelt and rainfall and both had an average annual percentage of snowmelt of approximately 37%. Although snowmelt is an important source of water to inland rivers, especially during the snowmelt season, the contributions of snowmelt in these three basins are very small especially for the URB, which had a contribution of 17%. This study effectively verifies the applicability of the CMFD and provides important scientific and technological support for determining the spatiotemporal variations in snow and glacial melt in the middle Tianshan Mountains, where meteorological observation data are scarce and some observational data, such as radiation data, are incomplete.     

N2-Ar-He systematics and source of ore-forming fluid in Changkeng Au-Ag deposit, central Guangdong, China*

Changkeng Au-Ag deposit is a newly-discovered new type precious metal deposit. N₂-Ar-He systematics studies and³He/⁴He and δD- δ¹⁸O composition analyses show that the ore-forming fluid of the deposit is composed mainly of formation water (sedimentary brine) but not of meteoric water, which was thought to be source of the ore-forming fluid by most previous researchers. The content of mantle-derived magmatic water in the ore-forming fluid is quite low, usually lower than 10%. According to the source of the ore-forming fluid, the Changkeng Au-Ag deposit should belong to sedimentary brine transformed deposits. From the Late Jurassic to the Early Cretaceous Period, with deposition and accumulation of thick sediments in Sanzhou Basin, the formation water in the sedimentary layers was expelled from the basin because of overburden pressure and increasing temperature. The expelled fluid moved laterally along sedimentary layers to the margin of the basin, and finally moved upward along a gently-dipping interlayer fault. Because of a decline in pressure and temperature, ore minerals were deposited in the fault. Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 495020291, the Natural Science Foundation of Zhongshan University, the Research Foundation of National Key Laboratory of Metallogenesis in Nanjing University (Grant No. 039704) and the Lingnan Foundation.     

Emplacement age and PGE geochemistry of lamprophyres in the Laowangzhai gold deposit,Yunnan, SW China

Widely-distributed lamprophyres in the Laowangzhai gold deposit were associated closely with gold ores. Phlogopite⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating suggests that the emplacement age of lamprophyric magma ranges from (30.8±0.4) to (34.3±0.2) Ma, and gold mineralization took place at (26.4±0.2) Ma. PGE geochemical tracing indicates that gold in the gold deposit did not come from the primitive lamprophyric magma. The tempo-spatial paragenesis between lamprophyres and mesothermal gold deposits along the Jinsha-Red River belt may be attributed to the fact that they formed in the same tectonic setting.

     

Conditions and processes leading to large-scale gold deposition in the Jiaodong province,eastern China

The gold deposits in the Jiaodong Peninsula constitute the largest gold mineralized province in China. The mineralization shows common characteristics in their tectonic setting, ore-forming fluid and metallogenic system. Sulfidation and fluid immiscibility are two important mechanisms controlling gold precipitation, both of which consume sulfur in the oreforming fluids. The escape of H_2S from the main ore-forming fluids and the decrease of total sulfur concentration not only lead to the efficient precipitation of gold, but also result in the crystallization of reducing minerals such as pyrrhotite and oxidizing minerals such as magnetite. Quartz solubility shows strong dependence on temperature, pressure, and CO_2 content. The dependence of quartz solubility on pressure is weak at low temperatures, and progressively stronger at higher temperatures.Similarly, the temperature dependence of quartz solubility is relatively low at low pressures, but becomes gradually stronger at high pressures. The results of solubility modeling can constrain the dissolution and reprecipitation behavior of quartz in the oreforming veins and the formation mechanism of different types of quartz veins. The multi-stage mineralization fluid activity resulted in the complex dissolution structure of quartz in the Jiaodong gold veins. Pyrite in the main metallogenic period in the Jiaodong gold deposits shows complex microstructure characteristics at single crystal scale. The trace elements(mainly the coupling of As-and Au-rich belt) and sulfur isotope composition also display a certain regularity. The As-rich fluids might have formed by the initial pulse of ore-forming fluids through As-rich metasedimentary strata, while the As-Au oscillation zone at the margin of pyrite grains is related to the pressure fluctuation caused by fault activity and the local phase separation of fluids. There is a temporal and spatial evolution of gold fineness in the Jiaodong gold deposits. Water/rock reaction(sulfidation) was the main ore-forming mechanism of early gold mineralization, forming relatively high fineness gold, while significant pressure drop in the shallow part accompanied by fluid phase separation promoted the late gold mineralization, forming low fineness gold. Under cratonic destruction setting, dehydration of the amphibolite and granulite facies metamorphic lower-crust resulted in the formation of Au-CO_2-rich ore-forming fluids, which rose along the deep fault and secondary structure, and formed the largescale fault-controlled gold deposits in Jiaodong.     

The distribution,characteristics and fluid sources of lode gold deposits: An overview

Lode gold deposits are among the most economically important types of gold deposits in the world. Globally, they formed mainly in three time intervals, 2.8 to 2.5 Ga, 2.1 to 1.8 Ga, and 700 Ma to the present. Sources of ore-forming fluids and other components are of critical importance in a better understanding of the genesis and the geodynamic controls of these deposits. Although ore-forming fluids were mostly derived from devolatization of sedimentary and/or volcanic sequences during greenschist to amphibolite facies metamorphism associated with orogenic deformation, magmatic hydrothermal fluids have been increasingly shown to be important in many gold deposits in various regions. In this review paper, we summarize the major features of lode gold deposits, possible sources of ore-forming fluids, and mechanisms of gold mineralization. While we acknowledge the critical role of metamorphically derived fluids in the genesis of such deposits worldwide, we emphasize that mantle-or basaltic magma-derived fluids may have been much more important than commonly thought. We use the Liaodong peninsula of the North China Craton as an example to demonstrate the significance of mantle-derived fluids. Integrating earlier studies and new data, we show that some of the late Mesozoic lode gold deposits in the North China Craton may have formed from magmatic hydrothermal fluids due to the extension and partial melting of the hydrated, metasomatized subcontinental lithosphere mantle, as best exemplified by the Wulong gold deposit.