Paleozoic Epithermal Au and Porphyry Cu Deposits in North Xinjiang, China: Epochs, Features, Tectonic Linkage and Exploration Significance

Abstract. Based on field investigation of large number of ore deposits including some latest discoveries and multidiscipline comprehensive research, we demonstrated the general features of metallic deposits and we suggest that Paleozoic archipelago-type collisional orogen at North Xinjiang, northwestern China show intimate similarity with the metallogenesis of Southeast Asia Cenozoic archipelago. We briefly described the characteristics of major porphyry-type, skarn-type Cu deposits and typical high-sulfidation type (HS-type) and low-sulfidation type (LS-type) epithermal Au deposits as well as some latest discoveries. Systematic isotopic age-dating on the Tuwu-Yandong superlarge porphyry Cu deposits revealed that they formed in Late Devonian to Early Carboniferous in an accretionary arc setting. The tectonic settings of epithermal Au deposits and its linkage with porphyry Cu deposits are further discussed. The formation condition for porphyry Cu deposits is more strict than epithermal Au deposits. The distribution width for porphyry Cu deposits in the orogenic belts is more limited than epithermal Au deposits. The discovery and prospecting progress of the Kalatage HS-type Cu-Au deposit were reported. The significance in further exploration was suggested.     

Late Cenozoic Metallogeny of Southwest Hokkaido, Japan

Abstract: This paper reviews the Miocene to Pleistocene tectonic framework, geology, magmatic style and stress field of southwest Hokkaido, Japan, and compiles deposit form, type, ore and alteration minerals, strike and length of mineralized veins, and associated igneous activity. The late Cenozoic tectonic regime of the Sapporo‐Iwanai ore district is divided into five periods on the basis of the subduction mode of the Pacific plate: Period 1 (15.0–12.1 Ma) oblique‐subduction setting with an orthogonal convergence rate (OCR) of 51–81 mm/y; Period 2 (12.1–6.2 Ma) normal subduction with an OCR of 81–94 mm/y; Period 3 (6.2–3.6 Ma) oblique subduction setting with an OCR of 73–99 mm/y; Period 4 (3.6–1.5 Ma) normal‐subduction setting with an OCR of 99–103 mm/y and Period 5 (1.5–0 Ma) oblique‐subduction setting with an OCR from 99 to 57 mm/y. The hydrothermal deposits in the district include Kuroko deposits of Period 1 and epithermal vein‐type deposits of Periods 2 to 5. The Kuroko deposits were accompanied by submarine monogenetic rhyolite volcanism associated with tholeiitic basalt in the backarc region. In contrast, Late Miocene to Pliocene epithermal vein‐type deposits were associated mainly with polygenetic andesite and monogenetic rhyodacite volcanism of calc‐alkaline series. These different styles of magmatism occurred in an extensional tectonic regime (Period 1), and weakened extensional (Periods 2–3) or neutral tectonic regimes (Periods 4). Periods 2–5 epithermal vein‐type deposits are divided into base‐metal and precious‐metal deposits. The base‐metal deposits are associated mainly with large (>5 km in diameter) polygenetic andesitic volcanoes and subvol‐canic intrusions. The precious‐metal deposits are associated with small (<5 km in diameter) polygenetic or monogenetic volcanoes and/or subvolcanic intrusions of andesite, dacite and rhyolite near the volcanic arc front. This difference in distribution is ascribed to different states of horizontal differential stress. Productive vein‐type deposits, such as Toyoha, Inakuraishi, Ohe and Chitose, formed in the neutral regime with a large horizontal differential stress during Period 4, which may have promoted strike‐slip faulting and non–extrusive, subvol‐canic intrusion. This tectonic regime and stress field resulted from the normal subduction of the Pacific plate with elevated velocity. This observation leads to the conclusion that large metallic deposits in southwest Hokkaido are expected to have formed primarily during Pliocene magmatic‐hydrothermal activity, when the orthogonal convergence rate was highest and strike‐slip faulting was active.     

Geochronological Constraints Using 40Ar/39Ar Dating on the Mineralization of the Hishikari Epithermal Gold Deposit, Japan

Abstract. Ages for thirty adularia samples collected from various veins were in the Hishikari gold deposit determined by ⁴⁰Ar/³⁹Ar dating to constrain the timing of adularia‐quartz vein formation and to determine the temporal change in temperature of hydrothermal fluid. Plateau ages were obtained from all adularia samples, and significant excess ⁴⁰Ar is not recognized from inverse isochrones. The duration of mineralization within individual veins was determined by adularia ages from the early and late stages of mineralization within the same vein. The durations of mineralization in the Daisen‐1, Daisen‐3, Hosen‐2 and Keisen‐3 veins in the Honko‐Sanjin zone were 7,000, 140,000, 160,000 and 170,000 years, respectively. The durations of mineralization in the Seisen‐2 and Yusen‐1–2 veins in the Yamada zones were 360,000 and 320,000 years, respectively. Mineralization lasted for a relatively longer period in individual veins at the Yamada zone. Mineralization ages from the Honko‐Sanjin zone range from 1.04 to 0.75 Ma, and most mineralization ages are concentrated in a short period from 1.01 to 0.88 Ma. In contrast, mineralization ages for the Yamada zone range from 1.21 to 0.64 Ma. These results indicate that fracturing and subsequent vein formation lasted for a longer period in the Yamada zone (about 570,000 years) compared with those events in the Honko‐Sanjin zone (about 290,000 years). The homogenization temperatures of liquid‐rich fluid inclusions in columnar adularia used for age determination were determined to be 223°C on average, and most of these temperatures range from 180 to 258d?C. No significant temporal change in homogenization temperature is recognized in this study. However, adularia in the Keisen veins indicated higher homogenization temperatures compared with elsewhere in the deposit, suggesting that the principal ascent of mineralizing hydrothermal fluid was via the Keisen veins.     

与陆相火山岩有关的铁、铜、金矿床成矿地质特征及矿床成因

文章对与陆相火山岩有关的浅成低温金矿、斑岩铜矿和玢岩铁矿产出的大地构造背景、火成岩性质和矿化蚀变特征、成矿流体以及成矿物质来源等方面进行了综述.三类矿床在成矿地质条件上各具特色,表现在:成矿构造背景上,斑岩铜矿和浅成低温金矿均以岛弧和活动大陆边缘为主,其次是陆内环境;而长江中下游玢岩铁矿的形成环境可能为陆内似裂谷环境.浅成低温金矿、斑岩铜矿及玢岩铁矿的主要围岩分别为中、酸性火山岩系、中酸性次火山岩及中基性次火山岩;围岩蚀变分别以硅化、钾化、钠化为特征.浅成低温金矿床成矿流体以低盐度、低温(200～300℃)为主;而斑岩铜矿中则主要是高温(400～800℃)高盐度的流体;玢岩铁矿成矿温度介于两者之间.从低硫亚类浅成热液矿床、高硫亚类浅成热液矿床到斑岩型矿床,流体中大气水含量逐渐减少,岩浆水含量逐渐增多.成矿物质来源上,Fe主要来源于赋矿的火山-次火山岩或原始岩浆,Cu,Au,S和Na等成矿物质的来源更为复杂,还可能来源于与岩浆无关的围岩,其他的可能还包括Cu,S的岩浆混合来源以及Na的高盐卤水来源.一些特殊的岩石类型,如埃达克岩、橄榄玄粗岩及碱性岩与陆相火山岩矿床有密切联系.     

东胜砂岩型铀矿床低温热液流体的证据及意义

东胜地区砂岩型铀矿床是近年来发现的大型砂岩型铀矿床。笔者首次发现了低温热液流体成矿作用的证据：矿体中有后生的钛铀矿和锐钛矿组合。矿石流体包裹体均一温度为58～176℃，平均114．9℃。研究表明，鄂尔多斯盆地在中晚侏罗世-白垩纪发生过显著的构造热事件，造成砂岩型铀矿含矿层之下产生大量的微裂隙与裂隙带的出现，导致下部热液流体向上运移。低温热液流体的成矿作用是形成东胜铀矿床的重要因素。     

东南亚加里曼丹新生代金成矿作用及成矿动力学

对加里曼丹岛区域地质背景、金成矿作用与新生代岩浆弧关系研究认为,该区浅成低温热液金矿床与新生代岩浆弧内晚渐新世—中中新世钙碱性岩浆活动存在着密切的时空及成因联系。其动力学机制为,始新世—中新世期间印度—澳大利亚板块向欧亚板块俯冲引起的地幔物质向南东方向的流动导致早渐新世亚洲边缘发生裂解,裂解作用又导致南中国海板块向加里曼丹岛北缘俯冲。俯冲过程中加里曼丹岛北缘在晚渐新世—中中新世发生大规模的构造岩浆活动及浅成低温热液金成矿作用。成岩成矿作用是在总体挤压背景体制下的局部拉张环境下进行的。     

东疆红山高硫型浅成低温Cu-Au矿床氧化带钾铁矾、板铁矾、副基铁矾的首次发现及其意义

新疆哈密红山高硫化物型浅成低温Cu-Au矿床的氧化带呈漏斗状产于原生硫化物矿体的上部,延深50～60m,以硫酸盐矿物为主。X射线粉晶衍射、湿法化学和差热分析研究表明,钾铁矾、板铁矾和副基铁矾3种硫酸盐矿物均系在中国首次发现。钾铁矾湿法化学分析为:H2O6.35%,SO349.72%,Na2O0.15%,Fe2O326.00%,K2O12.47%,FeO0.25%,SiO23.25%,不溶物0.85%,CaO0.11%,总计99.15%;XRD特征谱线为:4.40(100),4.26(70),6.58(47)。板铁矾湿法化学分析为H2O26.51%,SO349.91%,Na2O0.03%,Fe2O322.52%,MgO0.01%,CaO0.03%,总计99.01%;XRD特征谱线为:9.16(100),3.29(9),4.06(8)。副基铁矾湿法化学分析为H2O24.82%,SO338.53%,Al2O30.18%,Fe2O336.10%,MgO0.02%,CaO0.04%,总计99.69%;XRD特征谱线为:5.00(100),3.11(41),5.85(39)。热分析实验进一步验证了化学分析的可靠性,并对这些硫酸盐热反应机制作了解释。该类硫酸盐矿物已作为新型资源直接制酸用于湿法炼铜,具有选矿和环保上的巨大优势。对该类硫酸盐矿物的共生组合、形成次序、形成条件的深入研究还可用来反演古环境和古气候。     

云南澜沧地区南角河银多金属矿床的地质特征及成因

南角河银多金属矿是在地质调查过程中发现并评价的一个具有大型找矿远景的矿床.矿床产于临沧-勐海复式花岗岩基南段西侧与新元古界澜沧群变质岩的接触断裂破碎带(白章断裂)中,矿体呈脉状,形态单一.同位素及成矿流体分析结果表明,成矿物质主要来源于花岗岩和澜沧群地层,成矿流体以大气降水下渗加热上升回返并混合少量岩浆热液为特征,以花岗岩和澜沧群变质岩为矿源层,以断裂破碎带为赋存空间,为具有明显垂向分带特征的低温热液矿床.     

Characteristics of the Cibaliung Gold Deposit: Miocene Low-Sulfidation-Type Epithermal Gold Deposit in Western Java, Indonesia

Middle Miocene (11.18–10.65 Ma) low sulfidation‐type epithermal gold mineralization occurred in the Cibaliung area, southwestern part of Java Island, Indonesia. It is hosted by andesitic to basaltic andesitic lavas of the Middle Miocene Honje Formation (11.4 Ma) and is covered by Pliocene Cibaliung tuff (4.9 Ma). The exploration estimates mineral resource of approximately 1.3 million tonnes at 10.42 g/t gold and 60.7 g/t silver at a 3 g/t Au cut‐off. This equates to approximately 435,000 ounces of gold and 2.54 million ounces of silver. That resource resulted from two ore shoots: Cibitung and Cikoneng. Studies on ore mineralogy, hydrothermal alteration, geology, fluid inclusion, stable isotopes and age dating were conducted in order to characterize the deposit and to understand a possible mechanism of preservation of the deposit. The ore mineral assemblage of the deposit consists of electrum, naumannite, Ag‐Se‐Te sulfide minerals, chalcopyrite, pyrite, sphalerite and galena. Those ore minerals occur in quartz veins showing colloform–crustiform texture. They are enveloped by mixed layer clay illite/smectite zone, which grades into smectite zone outward. The temperature of mineralization revealed by fluid inclusion study on quartz in the veins ranges from 170 and 220°C at shallow and deep level, respectively. The temperature range is in agreement with the temperature deduced from the hydrothermal alteration mineral assemblage including mixed layered illite/smectite and laumontite. The mineralizing fluid is dilute, with a salinity <1 wt% NaCl equivalent and has stable isotopes of oxygen and hydrogen composition indicating a meteoric water origin. Although the deposit is old enough that it would have been eroded in a tropical island arc setting, the coverage by younger volcanic deposits such as the Citeluk tuff and the Cibaliung tuff most probably prevented this erosion.     

Types, Characteristics, and Geodynamic Settings of Mesozoic Epithermal Gold Deposits in Eastern China

Mesozoic epithermal gold deposits in eastern China are divided into calc‐alkaline and alkaline magma‐related gold deposits, and are also grouped as low‐sulfidation, intermediate‐sulfidation and high‐sulfidation types, of which the first two predominate. These gold deposits are distributed in the Tianshan–Yinshan–Great Xing’anling Variscan fold belt of North China craton, Qinling‐Dabie Indo‐Sinian fold belt of Yangtze craton, and South China fold belt or Cathaysian block, from north to south along the eastern China continent. Most of the epithermal gold orebodies are hosted either in volcanic rocks or their related granitoids, and volcanic breccia pipes. These orebodies are mainly associated with adularia–chalcedony–sericite, and alunite–kaolinite–quartz alteration. These orebodies formed in four mineralization pulses at 175, 145–135, 127–115, and 110–94 Ma. The first three pulses correspond to the post‐collision period between the North China and Yangtze cratons, an extension period during late‐stage rotation of the principal compressional stress from N‐S to E‐W, and a dramatic thinning period of the lithosphere, respectively. The last mineralizing pulse was the result of another extension in South China. Although the mineralizing pulses occurred at different times, they all occurred in extensional settings and were accompanied by crust and the mantle interaction.