Determining the origin of the Makeng Fe deposit, Fujian Province, China

Abstract

The genesis of the Makeng Fe deposit, located in Fujian Province in southeastern China, has been the focus of numerous studies. Recent studies have revealed that the mineralization and alteration of the deposit may have occurred during the intrusion of granitic magma. In this study, we focus on the magmatic activity that has occurred in the region, as well as the geological context of the Makeng and similar deposits. We have divided the magmatic activity that occurred in the Makeng and adjacent areas into four main stages: the first occurred during the early Yanshanian at ~195 Ma, the second occurred from 150 to 170 Ma (related to Cu–Au–Fe mineralization), the third occurred from 140 to 120 Ma (related to FeMo mineralization and producing the Makeng and Longfengchang plutons), and the fourth occurred from 90 to 110 Ma (related to Ag–Cu–Mo mineralization). We propose that the formation of the Makeng Fe deposit was both spatially and temporally related to local granitic magmatism, and that the granitic magma transported Fe during the formation of the deposit. The Juzhou and Dayang plutons also played important roles in the transport and enrichment of other metals during the formation of the Makeng Fe deposit. The Makeng Fe deposit is a concealed or semi-concealed type of granite mineralization, and its ore genesis was due to multiple coupling, critical transformation, and boundary mineralization processes. The contact areas between the granite and the surrounding rocks, as well as the interfaces between the host rock carbonates and silica-rich sediments, are important targets for future prospecting.