Geochemical studies of Sr-Nd-Pb-Hf isotopes on the Guojialing granite suite: Implications to region Au mineralization in the Jiaodong ore-cluster region

Abstract

Based on the systematic elemental and isotope geochemical study on the Guojialing granite that is closely related to the gold mineralization in the Jiaodong ore-cluster region, further understandings have been made regarding its genetic mechanism, source material and gold mineralization conditions of the Guojialing granites. The (87Sr/86Sr)i values of Guojialing granite range from 0.7106 to 0.7120, and the εNd(t) from −18.1 to −13.2, respectively, which are similar to the initial SrNd isotopic compositions of those Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous granites widely distributed in the Sulu orogenic belt, indicating similar sources of these intrusions in both Jiaodong and Su-Lu regions. The values of (206Pb/204Pb)i and(207Pb/204Pb)i of Guojialing granite are from 17.158–17.316, 15.453–15.478, respectively, indicating that the source of granites could be originated from mantle mixed with orogenic belt. The zircon Hf isotope of the Guojialing granite is decoupled from the Nd isotope of the whole rock, it has a zircon Hf model age(1979–3202 Ma) older than the full-rock Nd model age (1928 Ma). Compared to the full-rock Nd model age, the zircon Hf model age provides a more reliable age of crust-mantle differentiation and crust formation, suggesting that there is extensive crust deep-melting in the source area before the granitic magma activity, which was accompanied by strong Sm/Nd differentiation. Guojialing granite has similar characteristics to adakite, indicating that garnet is an important residual phase during magma formation. The formation of the Guojialing granite magma may be the partial melting of lithospheric mantle and thickened lower crust under eclogite facies, mixed with significant Neoarchaean crust or even Linglong granites when the magma upwelling. The Guojialing granite has high zircon Ce4+/Ce3+ ratios with the average values of 1151.7 and 811.4 respectively, indicating that the Guojialing granite was formed in a high oxygen fugacity environment, where sulfur is mainly present in the form of SO or SO2, which prevents the immiscibility of sulfides in the magma and avoids the removal of the sulfide metal elements. With crystallization differentiation, high oxygen fugitive magma will become a magma-hydrothermal fluid which is rich in sulfide metal elements, providing favorable material and environmental conditions for gold mineralization, thus favorably formed such giant gold deposit.