Source Of Ore-forming Materials Research Articles

Modeling experimental study on weathering-leaching of Emeishan basalt and its relation with metallogenesis

The Emeishan basalt has a high Cu background value (170×10−6 on average), and thus provides a ore-forming material source for copper ores. The collected samples were exposed in basalt lavas of the third segment of the Emeishan basalt eruptive cycle. By using a set of automatically cycling glass apparatuses, weathering-leaching experiments by three kinds of rainwater on the collected samples were carried out in the open system (at normal temperature and normal pressure). The analysis results showed that the most intensive export of Cu occurred under acidic rainwater-induced weathering-leaching conditions, almost 2–3 orders of magnitude the export of Cu by modern air rainwater, and 1–2 orders of magnitude higher than the export of Cu by CO2 rainwater. In addition, the total amount of Zn, Cu, U, Ni and Sr exported by acidic rainwater are greater than 1%. All this indicates that copper in the Emeishan basalt provided the copper source for Cu mineralization at the contact between the basalt and the Maokou Formation limestone at the bottom.

Analysis of the ore-controlling structure of the Shihu gold deposit, Hebei Province and deep-seated ore-prospecting prediction

Under the guidance of the theory of mantle-branch structure-associated metallogenesis and on the basis of the geological characteristics, analysis of the ore-forming and ore-controlling structures, the geochemical characteristics of metallogenesis, the source of ore-forming materials, changes in the physical and chemical conditions of metallogenesis, changes in the vertical width of ore veins, and changes in gold grade of the Shihu gold deposit, the mechanism of its metallogenesis was discussed and the rules of vertical variation of ore veins were summarized in this study. It is pointed out that the orebodies under exploitation at present time should be in the middle and upper portions of gold veins in the Shihu gold mining district. Particularly on the basis of the characteristics of mantle-branch structure-associated metallogenesis, it is indicated that metallogenesis is controlled mainly by such ore-forming conditions as temperature and pressure. Deep-seated ore-forming fluids are characterized mainly by injection and precipitation. So the vein bodies in the adjacent metallogenic structures are of obvious comparability, and there would be great prospects for ore search both at depth and in the periphery of the Shihu gold deposit. Therefore, ore prospecting should be strengthened both at depth and in the peripheries.

Helium-argon isotopic tracing for the Pb-Zn-Ag polymetallic ore deposits in the central-south segment of the Da Hinggan Ling Range

In recent years big strides have been made in the exploration of ores in the central-south segment of the Da Hinggan Ling Range, though some debates still exist on the metallogenesis and sources of ore-forming materials. Pyrite and other sulfides in direct relation to the Pb-Zn-Ag ore deposits were chosen for the He and Ar isotopic analysis of ore-forming fluids, and the first He and Ar isotope data have been obtained from the study region. 3He/4He ratios in 14 samples collected from 7 mining districts are 2.17×10−6−12.52×10−6, averaging 6.86×10−6 and their R/Ra ratios are 1.56−9.01 Ra, averaging 4.37 Ra. By projecting the data points onto the 3He-4He concentrations diagram, all the points fall near the mantle helium area. The calculated mantle-source helium ratios are within the range of 19.58%–76.96%, with an average of 49.52%. Argon isotopic characteristics are close to those of mantle source, indicating that the ore-forming material was transport upwards via the multi-stage evolution of mantle plume and concentrated as ores in the favorable loci of mantle branch structures.

Ore-forming material sources of the Baiyangping Cu-Co-Ag polymetallic deposit in the Lanping Basin, western Yunnan Province

The ore-forming material sources of the Baiyangping copper-cobalt-silver polymetallic deposit have been studied in view of the S, Pb, C, O and H isotopic characteristics and the ratio of Co/Ni of cobaltite. The results showed that sulfur in metallic sulfides may have come from a mixed sulfur-source consisting of the sulfur-source from metamorphic rocks in the basin basement with basic volcanic rocks and the sulfur-source from basin sulfates; lead in the ores was provided by the sedimentary rocks and basement rocks; CO2 in ore-forming fluids was derived from thermolysis of altered and normal marine facies carbonates and decarboxylation of sedimentary organic matter respectively; the ore-forming fluids belong to the SO4-Cl-Na-Ca-type basin thermal brines derived from paleo-meteoric waters; cobalt in the deposit may also be derived from the metamorphic rocks in the basin basement with basic volcanic rocks.

Helium, lead and sulfur isotope geochemistry of the Gejiu Sn-polymetallic ore deposit and the sources of ore-forming materials

Studies on the helium, lead and sulfur isotopic composition were performed of the Gejiu super-large Sn-polymetallic ore deposit. The results indicated that the ore-forming materials came from different sources and the deposit is a product of superimposed mineralization. The deposit is characterized by multi-source and multi-period mineralization, which experienced submarine hydrothermal deposition and Late Yanshanian magmatic hydrothermal mineralization. It is held that the Gejiu super-large Sn-polymetallic ore deposit is a multi-genesis deposit.

Temporal and spatial distribution of Au-Ag polymetallic ore deposits and source of ore-forming materials in the Zhangjiakou-Xuanhua mantle-branch metallogenetic zone

The Zhangjiakou-Xuanhua area is a mineral resource-concentrated area for gold-silver polymetallic ore deposits. The temporal and spatial distribution and origin of mineral resources have been argued for a long time. Based on the comprehensive studies of geochronology and sulfur, lead, oxygen, carbon and noble gas isotopes, it is considered that the temporal and spatial distribution of mineral resources in this area is obviously controlled by the Zhangjiakou-Xuanhua mantle branch structure, as is reflected by the occurrence of gold deposits in the inner parts and of Ag-Pb-Zn polymetallic ore deposits in the outer parts. The mineralization took place mainly during the Yanshanian period. Ore-forming materials came largely from the deep interior of the Earth, and hydrothermal fluids were derived predominantly from Yanshanian magmatism.

Metallogeny by Trans-magmatic Fluids—Theoretical Analysis and Field Evidence

This paper is aimed at introducing and developing the principle of Metallogenic Theory through Trans-magmatic Fluids (MTTF) proposed by the Russian Kozhinskii's school. Some fundamental problems of metallogeny are discussed on geodynamic bases. In this theory, the trans-magmatic fluid is interpreted as a moving fluid passing through magma which is not yet consolidated. The intensive wallrock alteration of most of hydrothermal ore systems suggests that large scale fluid flow accompanies metallogenesis. However, geological observations and experiments imply a very limited solubility of fluids in magmas. In addition, the close relationship between small igneous bodies and large ore systems together with the difficulty of fluids that from the wallrocks might enter a magmatic body, which is under high pressure and temperature, need also to be considered. Those ore-bearing fluids that originate from a deep fluid system, are independent of magmas. Experiments show rapid increases of the solubility of ore-forming elements or their compounds in hydrothermal fluids. Therefore, the essential prerequisites for mineralization are (1) large volumes of deep ore-bearing fluids with high concentration of metals, and (2) the large amounts of metal accumulation depend on the rapid ascent of the deep ore-bearing fluid. Magmas are the favorable medium for the ascending fluids, because these magmas provide conditions that prevent re-equilibrium between the fluid and the wallrocks at different deep levels. The fluids in turn, may provide the driving force for the rapid ascent of magmas. Therefore, the two systems act together to account for the close relationship between magmatism and metallogeny. According to this theory, the scale and location of an ore-forming process are decided by (1) the volumetric ratio of the magma and the fluid systems, (2) the ascending rate of the ore-bearing fluid, (3) the boundary conditions for metal accumulation and (4) the segregation of the fluid from the magma. The field investigations of copper-bearing Melanocratic Macrogranular Enclaves (MME) in the Qushui massif, Gangdise belt are very helpful for understanding of source, transport and precipitation of ore-forming materials. In this example, it can be seen that fluid-rich MMEs is the source of the ore-forming element copper. Copper is transported out from MMEs by the fluid, following dispersal in the granitic magma. The copper-bearing fluid is then transferred through the magma and induced to deposit mineralization elsewhere. These processes have been noted when comparing the metallogenic features in both MME in the Qushui massif and the porphyry copper deposits in Yulong, eastern Tibet. It is obvious that MTTF is a very important theory for metallogeny of endogenic deposits. Using this theory, many paradoxes in metallogenesis can be interpreted in easier manner.

Lead isotopic composition and lead source of the Tongchanghe basalt-type native copper-chalcocite deposit in Ninglang, western Yunnan, China

The Tongchanghe native copper-chalcocite deposit at Ninglang occurs in low-Ti basalts of western Yunnan, and the mode of fault-filling & metasomatism metallogenesis indicates that this deposit is of late-stage hydrothermal origin. This makes it more complicated to define the source of ore-forming materials. This paper introduces the Pb isotope data of Himalayan alkali-rich porphyries, regional Early-Middle Proterozoic metamorphic rock basement and various types of rocks of the mining district in western Yunnan with an attempt to constrain the origin of the Tongchanghe native copper-chalcocite deposit at Ninglang. The results showed that the ores are relatively homogeneous in Pb isotopic composition, implying a simple ore-forming material source. The three sets of Pb isotopic ratios in the Himalayan alkali-rich porphyries are all higher than those of the ores; the regional basement metamorphic rocks show a wide range of variations in Pb isotopic ratio, quite different from the isotopic composition of ore lead; the Pb isotopic composition of the Triassic sedimentary rocks and mudstone and siltstone interbeds in the Late Permian Heinishao Formation (corresponding to the forth cycle of basaltic eruption) in the mining district has the characteristics of radiogenic lead and is significantly different from the isotopic composition of ore lead; like the ores, the Emeishan basalts in the mining district and those regionally distributed possess the same Pb isotopic composition, showing a complete overlap with respect to their distribution range. From the above, the possibilities can be ruled out that the ore-forming materials of the Tongchanghe deposit were derived from the basement, a variety of Himalayan magmatic activities, etc. It is thereby defined that the ore-forming materials were derived largely from the Emeishan basalts. From the data available it is deduced that the native cupper-chalcocite-type metallogenesis that occurred in the Emeishan basalt-distributed area has the same metal source as the Tongchanghe deposit.

Rare Earth Elements Geochemistry of Laowan Gold Deposit in Henan Province: Trace to Source of Ore-Forming Materials

The compositions of REE in quartz and pyrite from the main stage of the Laowan gold deposit in Henan Province and that in quartz from Laowan granite were determined by inductively coupled plasma-mass-spectrometry (ICP-MS) to trace the source of ore-forming materials. Meanwhile, the REE compositions of the deposit ore, granite and metamorphic wall rock were also considered for comparative studies in detail. The range of ∑REE of quartz and pyrite from the deposit ores is 4.18 × 10 −6 ∼ 30.91 × 10 −6, the average of ∑REE is 13.39 × 10 −6, and the average of ∑REE of quartz in the Laowan granite is 6.68 × 10 −6. There is no distinct difference of REE parameters between the deposit ore quartz and granite quartz. The quartz in gold deposit has the same REE particular parameters as quartzes from Laowan granite, such as δ Eu, δ Ce, (La/Yb) N and (La/Sm) N , partition degree of LREE to HREE, especially, the chondrite-normalized REE patterns, but no similarity to those from metamorphic wall rock, which shows that ore-forming hydrothermal fluid is mainly the fluid coming from the Laowan granite magma, rather than metamorphic fluid. Meanwhile, comparison studies on REE features between minerals from the deposit ores and related geological bodies in the deposit show that REE characteristics of minerals can serve as an indicator of ore-forming fluid properties and sources, while the REE characteristics of the bulk samples (such as deposit ores, granites and wall rocks) can not trace the source of the ore-forming materials exactly.

Discovery of double-peaking potassic volcanic rocks in Langshan Group of the Tanyaokou hydrothermal-sedimentary deposit, Inner Mongolia, and its indicating significance

It is revealed that the protolith of gray-light brown potash-feldspar-leucogranulites and granulites in the 2nd formation of the LG in Tanyaokou deposit are quartz kerotophyre of synsedimentary eruption based on the following facts and features: (1) The rocks look compact and homogeneous without obvious crystals with naked eyes; (2) they contain blastoporphyritic or glomeroporphyritic and blasto-crystalloclastic crystals consisting of quartz with wavy extinction and albite with obvious alteration and deformation; (3) they also contain radiated and fibrous blasto-microspherulitic texture and swallow-tailed bifurcate and blasto-hollow-skeleton crystal texture, representing the rapid cooling characteristic of the magma during submarine volcanic eruption; (4) the major chemical compositions of the rocks are: SiO 2 = 70.80%―76.00%, K 2 O (4.83%―6.22%)>Na 2 O(2.78%―3.80%), and K 2 O+Na 2 O = 8.63%―9.00%; and (5) their petrochemical diagrams indicate that they are volcanic rocks. Together with the characteristic that they occur in the same sequence with potassic spilite (SiO 2 = 46.12%―50.68%, K 2 O = 4.23%―5.93%>Na 2 O = 2.15%―3.14%, K 2 O+Na 2 O = 6.51%―8.08%), it can be confirmed that the volcanics occurring in the 2nd Formation of the LG in Tanyaokou district are double-peaking potassic volcanic rocks. The discovery, together with the tuffs with ore minerals and the distribution of lead isotopic as well as the value of Co/Ni of pyrites >1 showing the obvious endogenic metalization, can prove that the Tanyaokou deposit is an untypical SEDEX-type deposit formed in the extension fault basin in the Mesoproterozonic aulacogen of the northern margin of the North China Platform, and its metallogenesis is related to the synsedimentary volcanic activities and the hydrothermal exhalation, and both the ore-forming material source and volcanics came from mantle or lower crust. These facts mentioned above, together with the meta-volcanic rocks (double-peaking) found in the Dongshengmiao and Huogeqi districts and the host stratigraphic sequence of LG, can further prove that the Mesoproterozoic aulacogen of passive continental margin of Langshan-Zhaertaishan area had been unevenly expanded. This provides some information and new approaches for the study on tectonic-hydrothermal events in Langshan-Zhaertaishan aulacogen and their evolutionary process, hydrothermal dynamical source, the relationship between the volcanic activities and the ore-forming process, the regional ore-forming regularity as well as for the correlation with the similar deposits abroad.

The isotopic composition of noble gases in gold deposits and the source of ore-forming materials in the region of North Hebei, China

The source of ore-forming materials has long been a controversial focus both in metallogenic theory and in ore-searching practice. This study deals with the helium and argon isotopic characteristics of pyrites from 11 gold deposits and some country rocks in the gold mineralizationconcentrated areas within the three mantle-branch structures in the region of North Hebei Province. It is indicated that3He/4He ratios in the gold deposits are within the range of 0.93 × 10−6 –7.3 × 10−6, with an average of 3.55 × 10−6; R/Ra = 0.66−4.93, averaging 2.53;40Ar/39 Ar ratios vary between 426 and 2073, with the average value of40Ar being 8.32; and the average of4He/40 Ar ratios is 2.17.3He/4He ratios in gneiss and granite in the periphery of the mining district are within the range of 0.001 × 10−6–0.55 × 10−6, reflecting significant differences in their sources.3He and4He fall near the mantle, as is shown in the He concentration diagram. Studies have shown that the ore-forming materials in this region should come from the deep interior of the Earth. With the multi-stage evolution of mantle plume, ore-forming fluids in the deep interior were moving upwards to shallow levels (crust). Under such circumstances, there would be inevitably occur crust/mantle fluid mixing, so their noble gas isotopic characteristics are intermediate between the mantle and the crust.

Isotopic characteristics of mesozoic Au-Ag polymetallic ore deposits in northern Hebei and their ore-forming materials source

It has long been a controversy about the source of ore-forming materials of Au-Ag polymetallic deposits both-in metallogenic theory and in ore-searching practice. In terms of a large wealth of the isotopic statistics data from Indosinian-Yanshanian endogenic ore deposits in northern Hebei (generally referring to the areas along the northern part of Taihang Mountains and northern Hebei, the same below), it is considered that the ore-forming materials came from the deep interior of the Earth, which had migrated through plumes to the Earth surface while experienced multi-stage evolution and then emplaced progressively in favorable structural loci to form ores. Their isotope data show that 559 sulfur isotopic data from 40 ore deposits are, for the most part, within the range of −5% - 5%, with a high degree of homogenization, indicating that the sulfur is derived mainly from magma; 200 lead isotope data from 37 ore deposits indicate that the ore-forming materials are principally of mantle source though some crust-source material was involved; 96 oxygen, hydrogen and carbon isotope data from 34 ore deposits illustrate that the ore-forming fluids are dominated by magmatic water while other sources of water would be involved. It may therefore be seen that the formation of endogenic deposits has nothing to do with the strata.

Trace elements in fluid inclusions in the Carlin-type gold deposits, southwestern Guizhou Province

Fluid inclusions in quartz from the Lannigou and Yata Carlin-type gold deposits in southwestern Guizhou were analyzed by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry for their trace elements (Co, Ni, Cu, Pb, Zn, Pt, etc. ). The results show that quartz fluid inclusions entrapped at different ore-forming stages contain higher Co, Ni, Cu, Pb and Zn. It has been found for the first time that the ore-forming fluids responsible for the Carlin-type gold deposits are rich in Pt. From this it can be concluded that basic volcanic rocks seem to be one of the important sources of ore-forming materials for the Carlin-type gold deposits.

Sr isotope constraints on the age and source of ore-forming materials of gold deposits, southwestern Hunan

We have measured Rb and Sr concentrations in fluid inclusions of quartz in gold deposits, southwestern Hunan. The Rb-Sr isochron ages of 435±9Ma and 412±33Ma are respectively determined, revealing that gold mineralization in this area took place in the Caledonian period rather than in the Wuling-Xuefeng period as traditionally considered. Sr isotope geochemistry of the hydrothermal fluid indicates that the ore-forming materials are of crust origin, derived largely from the ore-hosting strata rather than from the basic dikes.

REE geochemical characteristics of volcanic rocks in Zhejiang and Jiangxi provinces and their geological significance

Based on the data of 64 samples, the REE geochemical characteristics of volcanic rocks in northern Zhejiang and eastern Jiangxi provinces are discussed in this paper. The REE distribution patterns in acid and intermediate-acid volcanic rocks in these areas display some similarities, as indicated by rightward-inclined V-shaped curves with negative Eu anomalies, which are parallel to each other. In addition, their REE parameters (ΣREE, ΣLREE/ ΣHREE, δEu,Ce/ Yb, La/ Sm, La/ Yb, etc.) also vary over a narrow range with small deviations. HREE are particularly concentrated in the volcanic rocks associated with uranium mineralization. The initial87Sr /86Sr ratio in the volcanic rocks is about 0.7056–0.7139. All these features in conjunction with strontium isotopic data indicate that the rock-forming materials come from the sialic crust. The REE distribution patterns and REE geochemical parameters of the volcanic rocks, as well as La/ Sm-La and Ce/ Yb-Eu/ Yb diagrams may be applied to the sources of rock-forming and ore-forming materials.

REE geochemical characteristics of tungsten minerals as a discriminant indicator of genetic types of ore deposits

Tungsten minerals (scheelite and wolframite) from two genetic types of granitoids show significant differences in REE distribution, probably due to different material sources and origins. Tungsten minerals in granite porphyry of the crust-mantle source are relatively high in ΣREE(1884ppm on average). Σ Ce is rich relative to Σ Y and Σ Ce/ΣY is relatively high (>1). The chondrite-normalized REE distribution patterns are characterized by a group of rightward-inclined curves. Tungsten minerals in quartz veins intruding the granites of crust origin have lower ΣREE (335 ppm on average). ΣY is rich relative to ΣCe and ΣCe/ΣY is relatively low (<1). The chondrite-normalized REE distribution patterns are characterized by a group of leftward-inclined curves. So the REE distribution patterns can be used to discriminate the sources of rock-and ore-forming materials and the genetic types of W deposits so as to provide clues to ore prospecting.