Abstract
The recently explored Xitian tungsten-tin (W-Sn) polymetallic ore field, located in Hunan province, South China, is one of the largest ore fields in the Nanling Range (NLR). Two major metallogenic types appeared in this ore field, skarn- and quartz vein-type. They are distributed within Longshang, Heshuxia, Shaiheling, Hejiangkou, Goudalan, and so on. Hydrothermal zircons from two altered granites yielded U-Pb ages of 152.8 ± 1.1 Ma, and 226.0 ± 2.8 Ma, respectively. Two muscovite samples from ore-bearing quartz vein yielded 40Ar/39Ar plateau ages of 156.6 ± 0.7 Ma, 149.5 ± 0.8 Ma, respectively. Combined with the geological evidence, two metallogenic events are proposed in the Xitian ore field, with skarn-type W-Sn mineralization in Late Triassic (Indosinian) and quartz vein/greisen type W-Sn mineralization in Late Jurassic (Yanshanian). The relatively low Ce/Ce* ratios and high Y/Ho ratios in zircons from two altered granites indicate that the hydrothermal fluids of two metallogenic events are characterized by low oxygen fugacities and enrichment in F. The similar chondrite-normalized patterns between the skarn and Xitian Indosinian granites and Sr-Nd-Pb isotopic compositions of wolframite suggest that the metal sources for both types W-Sn mineralization are derived from a crustal source.
Highlights
Tungsten (W) and tin (Sn) are important metals in many aspects of industrial manufacture.Accompanied by the greater demand for W-Sn, the study and exploitation of W-Sn deposits have long been a hot topic [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13]
An overwhelming majority of dating minerals are collected from ore-bearing quartz vein and/or greisen with ages ranging from 159 Ma to 149 Ma which has a congruent relationship with the early Yanshanian granitic magmatism [19,40,41,42,78]
It seems that the quartz vein and/or greisen type ore bodies in the Xitian W-Sn deposit is close to the early Yanshanian magmatic hydrothermal activities
Summary
Accompanied by the greater demand for W-Sn, the study and exploitation of W-Sn deposits have long been a hot topic [1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12,13]. In China, more than 83% of the W and 63% of the Sn reserves are in the Nanling region [15]. The Nanling region is famous for its large-scale and multi-stage magmatism and abundant W, Sn and other rare-metal resources and reserves [2,3,15,16,17,18,19,20,21,22]. Previous studies have revealed the presence of Minerals 2018, 8, 111; doi:10.3390/min8030111 www.mdpi.com/journal/minerals
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