Petrogenesis of the Zhangmatun gabbro in the Ji’nan complex, North China Craton: Implications for skarn-type iron mineralization

Abstract

The Zhangmatun gabbro is part of the Ji’nan complex in the North China Craton. It is spatially and temporally associated with the Zhangmatun skarn-type high-grade iron deposit. U–Pb dating of zircons from the Zhangmatun gabbro yielded an age of 130.2±1.8Ma, indicating the emplacement time as Early Cretaceous. The Zhangmatun gabbro displays porphyritic texture with plagioclase and clinopyroxene as the major phenocryst phases, together with minor biotite, hornblende, and magnetite. The rocks show a restricted range of SiO2 (50.1–52.7wt.%) and Al2O3 (14.7–16.0wt.%), low TiO2 (0.69–0.86wt.%), relatively variable FeOT (2.87–8.62wt.%), high MgO (6.50–8.01wt.%) and Na2O (3.36–5.13wt.%). The gabbro is also characterized by marked enrichment of LREEs and other LILEs (e.g., Rb, Sr and Ba), and strong depletion in HFSEs (e.g., Nb, Ta, Ti, Zr and Hf), similar to arc-related magma. The plagioclase and clinopyroxene from the Ji’nan gabbro, Zhangmatun gabbro, as well as Yaoshan and Huashan gabbroic diorite exhibit higher oxygen isotopes than those of the primitive mantle, indicating involvement of crustal materials. The similarity in geology, geochronology and petrology of these rocks suggests that they are co-magmatic. The parent magma of the Zhangmatun gabbro was produced by partial melting of amphibole-bearing spinel lherzolite in the upper mantle which has been modified by the lower crustal materials beneath the North China Craton. In combination with the Sr–Nd isotopic compositions of the Zhangmatun gabbro, we recognize EMI-type mantle source beneath the Ji’nan area. Moreover, the relatively high values as well as the relatively large variation of εHf(t) (−9.1 to +1.8) imply that asthenospheric material was also involved in the mantle-derived melt. The formation of iron concentration in the hydrothermal fluids is attributed to the exsolution of Fe-rich magmatic fluids and leaching from the solidified Zhangmatun gabbro at the retrograde alteration stage.