Ore genesis and tectonic setting of the Laojiagou porphyry molybdenum deposit, Inner Mongolia, China: evidence from geology, fluid inclusions, H–O isotopes, zircon U–Pb geochronology, and geochemistry

Abstract

The Middle Triassic Laojiagou porphyry Mo deposit is located in the Xilamulun metallogenic belt, along the northern margin of the North China Craton (NCC). Molybdenum mineralization is associated with a monzogranite porphyry and occurs primarily in quartz veins and veinlets hosted in wall rocks affected by potassic, silicic, sericitic, and propylitic alteration. The ore-forming process is divided into three stages, characterized by veinlets comprising molybdenite + pyrite + quartz (stage I), pyrite + chalcopyrite + molybdenite + quartz (stage II), and pyrite + quartz (sulfide-poor) (stage III). We identify three fluid inclusion types in quartz grains: carbonic (C-type), liquid-rich two-phase (L-type), and rare vapor-rich two-phase (V-type) inclusions. Microthermometric results indicate that an initial high-temperature (> 350 °C) and low-salinity (< 10 wt% NaCl equiv.) CO2-rich fluid evolved to a low-temperature (< 280 °C) and CO2-poor fluid, comprising dominantly of meteoric water. Hydrogen and oxygen isotopes indicate that initial ore-forming fluids were magmatic and became progressively mixed with meteoric water (stage I δ18OH2O = 4.4–4.8‰ and δDH2O = − 105.8 to − 101.5‰). Zircon U–Pb dating indicates that the monzogranite porphyry formed at 232.2 ± 3.6 Ma (MSWD = 0.88). The porphyry has high SiO2, K2O, and Al2O3 and low MgO and CaO concentrations and is classified as high-K calc-alkaline and weakly peraluminous. All samples are enriched in light rare earth and large-ion lithophile elements and depleted in high-field-strength elements. Our results indicate that the Laojiagou porphyry Mo deposit formed in the Middle Triassic, associated with post-orogenic extension following closure of the Palaeo-Asian Ocean.