The Bangong–Nujiang metallogenic belt consists of scattered Tethyan oceanic blocks, mainly distributed underneath the margins of the Qiangtang and Lhasa terranes in central Tibet. A new world-class metallogenic belt has been reported in this region recently, based on the geological mapping and ore deposit prospecting over the last two decades. It currently comprises inferred resources of 30 Mt Cu and 500 t Au, together with several Cr–Ni, Fe, and W (Mo) resources, forming a significant potential area for future mineral exploration. These metals are mainly hosted in porphyry copper, skarn copper, skarn iron, orogenic gold, quartz-vein tungsten, and ophitic chromite deposits. The mineral deposits in the Bangong–Nujiang metallogenic belt have been widely recognized in different localities, including the southern edge of the southern Qiangtang block, part of the north Lhasa block, and even part of the central Lhasa block, indicating they were formed in variable geological settings, from the initial opening, subduction, and collision to the extension of the Bangong–Nujiang Ocean. Specifically, five major tectonic events contributed to mineralization, including the stage 1 (240–165 Ma) initial opening of the Bangong–Nujiang Ocean, stage 2 (165–145 Ma) oceanic subduction, stage 3 (145–100 Ma) close of the ocean, stage 4 (100–65 Ma) continent–continent collisional orogenesis, and stage 5 (65–0 Ma) post-orogenesis. At stage 1, Cr–Ni deposits were formed during the initial opening of the ocean; porphyry–epithermal Cu (Au), skarn Fe, and minor orogenic Au deposits were formed at stage 2 and stage 3; a younger pulse of a few porphyry–skarn Cu ± Mo and orogenic Au deposits were formed during stage 4; finally, W(Mo) deposits were generated in stage 5. In general, porphyry Cu systems, orogenic Au, and skarn Cu polymetallic deposits that occurred in the subduction and post-collision settings related W(Mo) deposits have the most potential for future exploration. An in-depth investigation of several scientific problems, such as addressing the tectonic setting, magmatism, and metallogeny of this region and genetic linkage of these deposit preservations to plateau uplift, is essential for the future success of exploration in the Bangong–Nujiang metallogenic belt.

This article reports new zircon laser ablation-multicollector-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry U–Pb and Hf isotope, whole-rock major and trace element, and Sr–Nd isotope data for mineralized and barren intrusions associated with the Duolong porphyry–epithermal copper–(gold) deposit (DPCD, a mining camp containing several individual deposits) in the western Qiangtang Terrane (QT), central Tibet. These data are used to further our understanding of the geological evolution of this region. The mineralized and barren DPCD intrusions are typical I-type granitoids that were synchronously emplaced at ca. 112.6–125.9 Ma. These igneous rocks show arc affinities that are characterized by enrichments in the light rare earth elements (La_N/Yb_N = 4.08–15.23) and the light ion lithophile elements (Rb, Th, U, K, and Pb), and depletions in the high field strength elements (Nb, Ta, and Ti). They have ⁸⁷Sr/⁸⁶Sr_(i) values of 0.7046–0.7079, _Nd(t) values of –6.0 to +1.1, and two-stage Nd model ages of ca. 823–1410 Ma. Zircons from these intrusive rocks have variable but generally positive ε_Hf(t) values (–2.7 to +13.7) and relatively young zircon Hf crustal model ages of 335–1351 Ma. Combining these data with geochemical data reported in recent studies, we infer that the mineralized and barren DPCD intrusions formed in a continental marginal arc setting and likely originated from a common parental magma that was result of magma mixing of juvenile crust-derived basaltic melts and old lower crust-derived melts. The formation of the DPCD intrusions indicates that the Bangongco–Nujiang oceanic lithosphere was still undergoing northward subduction beneath the western QT at ca. 112.6–125.9 Ma, suggesting in turn that the oceanic basin have not closed completely during the Early Cretaceous. These new data also indicate that the processes that occur during the subduction of oceanic crust in continental marginal arc settings produce and preserve juvenile crustal material, leading to net continental crust vertical growth and thickening. GRAPHICAL ABSTRACT

The Ordovician intraoceanic Macquarie Arc terrane is faulted against coeval, quartz‐rich turbidites of the Adaminaby Group within the Lachlan Orogen of eastern Australia. Debates exist concerning the polarity of subduction beneath the Macquarie Arc and the nature of its emplacement, given it is juxtaposed against the Adaminaby Group to both the west and east. We present new provenance and zircon analyses of the Triangle Formation, which consists of interleaved quartz‐rich passive margin sandstones and island arc volcaniclastic rocks. In contrast, the structurally underlying Adaminaby Group contains no volcaniclastic detritus and displays a strong passive margin affinity. One sample from the Triangle Formation yielded a youngest zircon age of 456 ± 16 Ma indicating a subtle Macquarie Arc signature among an overwhelmingly Neoproterozoic and older Gondwanan provenance. The Adaminaby Group yielded a youngest zircon age of 481 ± 6 Ma and a strong Gondwanan zircon signature. We compared these results with volcaniclastic rocks from the Weemalla Formation stratigraphically higher in the Macquarie Arc, which yielded a distinctly unimodal zircon age of 451 ± 8 Ma, which is indistinguishable from the youngest zircon in the Triangle Formation. We suggest the Triangle Formation represents trench fill material sourced predominantly from the Gondwana margin but including some younger Macquarie Arc detritus. This constrains the initiation of this arc‐continent collision to between 448 and 462 Ma (Late Ordovician).

The Huajian gold deposit is one of the largest hydrothermal intrusion-related gold deposits in eastern Hebei Province, located in the northern margin of the North China Craton (NCC). The mineralization in this district displays a close spatial association with the shoshonitic Niuxinshan intrusive complex (NIC), which contributes to the characterization of the metallogeny associated with convergent margin magmatism. In the current study, new geochronological and geochemical data are combined with previously published isotopic data, obtained from the granitic rocks in the NIC, to constrain the timing of the district’s tectonic setting transformation and determine its bearing on regional metallogeny. The new geochronological data constrain the timing of the tectonic transformation between 155 and 185 Ma. The NIC’s granitic rocks can be geochemically subdivided into two groups. One group’s geochemical signature exhibits steep rare earth element (REE) patterns with negligible Eu anomalies, lower Yb, higher Sr, and negative Nb–Ta–Ti (NTT) anomalies, which indicate a volcanic-arc environment with a thickened crust in a convergent setting. The other group exhibits flat REE patterns with obvious negative Eu anomalies, higher Yb, lower Sr, and weak NTT anomalies, which indicate an intra-plate extensional environment with a thinning crust. Combining geochronologic and isotopic data, the mineralization is Late Jurassic (~155 Ma). This is interpreted to be genetically related to the crystallization of the shallow crustal-sourced portions of this complex. Additionally, a tectonic model is presented that provides a plausible explanation for the abundant polymetallic mineralization that occurs in the northern margin of the NCC after 155 Ma.