Origin of Late Mesozoic granitoids in the newly discovered Zha-Shan porphyry Cu district, South Qinling, central China, and implications for regional metallogeny

Abstract

The newly discovered porphyry Cu deposits in the South Qinling Belt (SQB) have not been well researched as compared with the large porphyry Mo province in the southern North China Block (S-NCB), and the origin of granitoids associated with porphyry Cu mineralization in the Zha-Shan district, SQB is poorly constrained. Here, we present detailed zircon U–Pb geochronological, whole rock elemental and Sr–Nd isotopic data for important Late Mesozoic granitoid stocks associated with porphyry Cu deposits in the Zha-Shan district; these data are used to constrain the age and the source of magmas that formed these granitoids, and implication of regional metallogeny. The new zircon LA-ICPMS U–Pb ages presented here indicate that the granitoids related to porphyry Cu system at Chigou, Beishagou, Shuangyuangou and Yuanjiagou developed at 148–144Ma, 144Ma, 145–144Ma and 146Ma, respectively. These rocks are high-K calc-alkaline I-type granitoids, which are enriched in large ion lithophile elements (e.g., Th, U, and Pb) and light rare earth elements, are depleted in Nb, Ta and Ti, characterizing by wide variations in initial εNd(t) (−3.8 to −9.5), and moderate radiogenic Sr isotopes ((87Sr/86Sr)i=0.7046 to 0.7093). These features indicate that the magmas that formed the granitoids related to porphyry Cu system in the Zha-Shan district formed as a result of variable degrees of mixing between crustal and metasomatic lithospheric mantle. The new zircon LA-ICPMS U–Pb ages in this study, combined with previous published data, suggest that regional-scale Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous granitoid stocks, and associated porphyry Cu and Mo systems in both the S-NCB and SQB formed almost contemporaneously, with 147–139Ma porphyry Mo deposits in the S-NCB and 148–145Ma porphyry Cu deposits in the SQB. The Cu-related intrusions contained a greater contribution of lithospheric mantle component than the Mo-related intrusions in the East Qinling Orogeny.