The Role of Magma Mixing in Generating Granodioritic Intrusions Related to Cu–W Mineralization: A Case Study from Qiaomaishan Deposit, Eastern China

Abstract

The newly exploited Qiaomaishan Cu−W deposit, located in the Xuancheng ore district in the MLYRB, is a middle-sized Cu–W skarn-type polymetallic deposit. As Cu–W mineralization is a rare and uncommon type in the Middle-Lower Yangtze River Belt (MLYRB), few studies have been carried out, and the geochemical characteristics and petrogenesis of Qiaomaishan intrusive rocks related to Cu–W mineralization are not well documented. We studied two types of ore-bearing intrusive rocks in the Qiaomaishan region, i.e., pure granodiorite porphyry and granodiorite porphyry with mafic microgranular enclaves (MMEs). Age characterization using zircon LA–ICP–MS showed that they were formed almost simultaneously, around 134.9 to 135.1 Ma. Granodiorite porphyries are high Mg# adakites, characterized by high-K calc-alkaline and metaluminous features that are enriched in LILEs (e.g., Sr and Ba) and LREEs, but depleted in HFSEs (e.g., Nb, Ta, and Ti) and HREEs. Moreover, they have enriched Sr–Nd–Hf isotopic compositions (with whole-rock (87Sr/86Sr)i ratios (0.706666−0.706714), negative εNd(t) values of −9.1 to −8.6, negative zircon εHf(t) values of −12.2 to −6.7, and two-stage Hf model ages (TDM2) between 1.5 and 2.0 Ga). However, compared to host rocks, the granodiorite porphyry with MMEs shows variable geochemical compositions, e.g., high Mg#, Cr, Ni, and V contents and enriched with LILEs. In addition, they have more depleted ISr, εNd(t), and εHf(t) values (0.706025 to 0.706269, −6.4 to −7.4, and −10.6 to −5.7, respectively), overlapping with regions of Early Cretaceous mafic rocks derived from enriched lithospheric mantle in the MLYRB. Coupled with significant disequilibrium textures and geochemical features of host rocks and MMEs, we propose that those rocks have resulted from mixing the felsic lower crust-derived magma and the mafic magma generated from the enriched mantle. The mixed magmas subsequently rose to shallow crust to form the ore-bearing rocks and facilitate Cu–W mineralization.