Superimposed Gold Mineralization Events in the Tuanshanbei Orogenic Gold Deposit, Central Jiangnan Orogen, South China

Abstract

Abstract The Jiangnan orogen, one of the largest gold-producing areas in China, has experienced multiple orogenic events with complex structural overprinting that is marked by multiple stages of magmatism, deformation, metamorphism, and orogenic gold mineralization. Different orogenic events have been recognized in the Neoproterozoic, mid-Paleozoic, Triassic, and Early Cretaceous, reflecting collisions and intracontinental orogenic episodes. The age of gold deposition in the Jiangnan orogen, however, has been poorly constrained owing to the absence of suitable dating minerals. Field studies in the orogen indicate the Tuanshanbei gold deposit includes two generations of auriferous quartz-ankerite-pyrite-arsenopyrite veins (Q2 and Q3), with the latter of the two notable for containing more abundant ankerite and base metal sulfides. The Q2 veins were formed throughout the near S-N–directed shortening associated with D1 deformation and along resulting subhorizontal to low-angle-dipping EW- to WNW-striking transpressive faults. The Q3 veins, containing about 70% of the total gold resource, were primarily localized in moderately to steeply dipping NW-striking tensional/tensional shear faults and moderately dipping NE- to NNE-striking transpressive faults that were products of NW-SE–directed shortening during D2 deformation. Both vein generations are temporally younger than the 437.2 ± 4.2 Ma Tuanshanbei granodiorite host, and both are crosscut by postgold ca. 225 Ma diabase dikes. Hydrothermal monazite coexists with native gold and gold-bearing metal sulfides in the Q2 and Q3 veins. The Q2 monazite yielded a Tera-Wasserburg lower intercept age of 415.1 ± 2.1 Ma, consistent within error with an ankerite Sm-Nd isochron age of 410 ± 15 Ma and a laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry hydrothermal zircon 206Pb/238U age of 411.2 ± 4.0 Ma. The Q3 monazite yielded a Tera-Wasserburg lower intercept age of 234.3 ± 1.1 Ma. These new ages suggest that the Early Devonian gold event was overprinted by hydrothermal activity along the same structural system almost 200 m.y. later such that the gold resource must be a product of two temporally distinct events. Geologic and structural evidence, coupled with existing published geochemical data, suggests both ore-forming events were related to crustal metamorphism typical of most orogenic gold deposits. Fluids would have been derived from Neoproterozoic metasedimentary basement rocks, most likely from metamorphic devolatilization of the Neoproterozoic Cangxiyan Group greenschist-amphibolite facies metasediments. There is no evidence suggesting any type of magmatic contribution to the ore-forming process at either time. The data are best interpreted to suggest that various parts of the basement were metamorphosed near the greenschist-amphibolite boundary at different times, but during both times, the gold-bearing metamorphic fluids eventually migrated into the same structural conduits.