Fertility and longevity of hydrothermal systems are key parameters required to improve our ability in predicting new deposits and directly extracting metals from metalliferous fluids. Reconstructing evolutional trajectories of metalliferous fluids with high temporal resolution is critical for pushing our understanding forward, but this is inevitably challenging because traditional approaches for obtaining this information either have poor temporal resolution and/or bear considerable uncertainties. We present a novel approach (translating texture-controlled information to temporal patterns) to reconstruct the thermal and isotopic history of the Weilasituo vein-type tin deposit (Inner Mongolia, China) at the millennial scale. In situ oxygen isotope thermometry of paragenetically constrained quartz and cassiterite reveals that tin deposition was accompanied by gradual cooling of pure magmatic fluids from ~500 °C to ~390 °C at lithostatic conditions, while fluid mixing and/or water-rock interaction were not required. The system then transitioned to hydrostatic conditions and permitted penetration of meteoric water and further cooling. Aluminum diffusion in quartz chronometry yields time scales of ~50 k.y., ~5 k.y., and ~200 k.y. for pre-, syn-, and post-ore stages, respectively. Our results highlight that the magmatic-hydrothermal system did not form ore minerals for most of its lifetime, with mineralization occurring only briefly (i.e., <5% of its lifetime). Hence, the rates and efficiency of ore formation may need significant revision. For magmatic-hydrothermal systems with felsic magmas being stored at high crystallinity after extensive volatile exsolution, the efficiency of scavenging metals from melts to fluids critically controls their fertility. To directly extract metals from metalliferous fluids, the key is targeting systems with a high degree of magma crystallization (e.g., higher metal contents in fluids) in warm crust (e.g., able to sustain long-lived systems).

Zircon SIMS Zr isotope analytical method permits accurate Zr isotope measurements with high precision (∼0.04–0.07‰, 2SD), high efficiency (∼4 minutes per analysis) and high spatial resolution (∼13 × 14 × 0.3 μm ³ ).

Cassiterite is the principal ore mineral for tin, and its oxygen isotope is a promising proxy to trace the origin and evolution of ore‐forming fluids, which requires precise and accurate oxygen isotopic analysis. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) is a powerful tool for oxygen isotope analysis, especially when samples bear complicated textures, but matrix‐matched reference materials are critical for accurate microanalysis. The only available matrix‐matched reference material for cassiterite oxygen isotope analysis is Yongde‐Cst, and more reference materials are required. Here, we report Piaotang‐Cst as a potential working reference material for cassiterite oxygen isotope microanalysis. Our extensive SIMS microanalysis confirmed that Piaotang‐Cst is relatively homogeneous, with an average two standard deviations (2SD) of 0.49‰ ( n = 626). The δ ¹⁸ O _VSMOW value of Piaotang‐Cst is 5.33 ± 0.07‰ (2SD, n = 5) as determined by a conventional fluorination isotope ratio mass spectrometer. We also demonstrated that there is no measurable matrix effect caused by the variable contents of trace elements for cassiterite oxygen isotope microanalysis. We proposed that the Piaotang‐Cst can be used as a working reference material for monitoring the external reproducibility and accuracy of SIMS analysis.