Genesis of the Wuxing Pt–Pd-rich Cu–Ni sulfide deposit in the eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt: evidences from geochronology, elemental geochemistry, and Sr–Nd–Hf isotopic data

Abstract

The Wuxing Pt–Pd-rich Cu–Ni sulfide deposit in Heilongjiang Province, Northeast China, is located to the northeast of the Dunhua–Mishan fracture of the eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt. The mafic–ultramafic complex consist of early-period hornblende–olivine pyroxenite, diopsidite, and hornblende pyroxenite and late-period gabbro and diabase units. An early-period hornblende pyroxenite yielded a zircon U–Pb age of 208.2 ± 2.6 Ma and a late-period diabase yielded a U–Pb age of 205.6 ± 1.1 Ma, with zircon εHf(t) values of +1.24 to +8.13. The early- and late-period lithofacies are relatively enriched in LILE (Rb, Ba, and Sr) and LREE, and variably depleted in HFSE (Nb, Ta). The whole-rock and single-mineral analyses of the early-period lithofacies yield (87Sr/86Sr)i ratios of 0.7055–0.7083 and εNd(t) ratios of −7.98–+3.10. These geochemical data suggest that the parental magmas of the Wuxing complex are high-Mg subalkaline basaltic in nature and were derived from an enriched mantle source. The magmas chamber formed after the injection of magma into the crust along with crustal contamination, producing early crystalline minerals and ore-bearing magmas. The rupturing of the magma chamber released evolved magmas, which then ascended and generated Pt–Pd-bearing lithofacies and Cu–Ni sulfide orebodies by fractional crystallization, accumulation, and liquation. During the late period, the residual magma invaded the early lithofacies and Cu–Ni orebodies. The fluids exsolved from the gabbroic magmas concentrated the mineralized metal elements and enhanced the precipitation of Pt–Pd-bearing veinlet-disseminated orebodies and Pt–Pd–Cu–Ni orebodies.