Zircon and cassiterite U-Pb ages, petrogeochemistry and metallogenesis of Sn deposits in the Sibao area, northern Guangxi: constraints on the neoproterozoic granitic magmatism and related Sn mineralization in the western Jiangnan Orogen, South China

Abstract

A number of Sn deposits associated with Neoproterozoic granites are located in the western Jiangnan Orogen of northern Guangxi. The distribution of Sn mineralization is controlled by faults occurring within and around the Neoproterozoic granites. The hydrothermal alteration and mineralization of these Sn deposits exhibit zoning from the granite to the wall rock. The laser ablation inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) U-Pb ages of the cassiterite and zircon from ore-bearing granite in the Menggongshan Sn deposit are 829 ± 19 Ma and 822 ± 4 Ma, respectively, indicating that the Sn mineralization and granites formed in the Neoproterozoic and can considered to be products of coeval magmatic and hydrothermal activities. The ore-bearing granite and Neoproterozoic granites in northern Guangxi are high-K, calc-alkaline, peraluminous, S-type granites that are depleted in Nb, Ti, Sr and Ba and highly enriched in Rb, U and Pb. All the granites show steep fractionated light rare earth element (LREE) and flat heavy rare earth element (HREE) patterns, with strongly negative Eu anomalies. The eHf(t) values of the ore-bearing granite vary from − 9.0 to − 1.7, with an average value of − 4.1. Additionally, the ore-bearing granite exhibits low oxygen fugacity values. The magmatic source experienced partial melting during their evolution, and the source was dominated by recycled heterogeneous continental crustal materials. Our evidence confirms that the Neoproterozoic granites in northern Guangxi formed in a collisional tectonic setting. The collision between the Cathaysia and Yangtze blocks or between the Sibao arc (Jiangnan arc) and the Yangtze Block caused asthenospheric upwelling, leading to partial melting and recycling of the crust, forming the peraluminous S-type granites in the Neoproterozoic. The Sn mineralization has a close genetic relationship with the Neoproterozoic granite. The highly differentiated, peraluminous, B-enriched, crustally derived Neoproterozoic granites provided the heat source and ore-forming material for the Sn mineralization. Furthermore, the low oxygen fugacity of these Neoproterozoic granites also favoured the Sn mineralization.