Mineralogy and 40Ar/39Ar geochronology of supergene Mn-oxides in the Dongxiangqiao deposit, Hunan Province, South China

Abstract

The Dongxiangqiao Mn deposit in Hunan Province is one of numerous supergene Mn-oxide deposits in central South China. This deposit is derived from chemical weathering of Permian Mn-rich shales and limestones. Mn-oxide samples from the Dongxiangqiao deposit consist mainly of pyrolusite, lithiophorite, and cryptomelane, with minor amounts of hollandite and nsutite. Cobalt and Ni are enriched in lithiophorite and cryptomelane-hollandite. Our studies suggest that Co occurs mainly in the structural and adsorption sites of lithiophorite. Cobalt in lithiophorite accounts for ~80 % of the bulk Mn-oxide ores, thus it can be comprehensively utilized when lithiophorite has been separated by a suitable physical beneficiation process. Four cryptomelane-dominated grains from the saprolite zone yield 40Ar/39Ar plateau ages ranging from 10.3 ± 0.3 to 4.19 ± 0.08 Ma (2σ). This indicates that intense enrichment of supergene Mn-oxides has prevailed at least in the late Miocene and persisted into the Pliocene at Dongxiangqiao. When combined sedimentalogical and thermochronoloical data, our dating results suggest that central South China has a relatively rapid surface uplift rate.