The Yamansu deposit, which is hosted in the volcanic-sedimentary sequence of the Carboniferous Yamansu Formation in Eastern Tianshan, NW China, contains many skarns, and the orebodies occur in the ore district in stratoidal, banded or lenticular forms. Four alteration stages, namely, albite–tourmaline–apatite–Grt1 (Stage I), K-feldspar–Grt2 (Stage II), magnetite–chlorite–epidote (Stage III), and quartz–calcite–axinite–Grt3 (Stage IV), are distinguished in the Yamansu deposit. The mineral geochemistry associated with each different stage is presented to provide a better understanding of the corresponding metallogenic processes. The ore-forming fluid in Stage I was derived from a magmatic–hydrothermal source and formed at high temperatures with many volatiles. This ore-forming fluid, which contained considerable metallogenic materials during the early stage, likely experienced diffusive metasomatism in a closed system with low water/rock (W/R) ratios. Mineral geochemical analyses show that the Fe content gradually increases from Stage I to Stage II, indicating that accumulated ore-forming materials were available during changes in the physicochemical conditions from a reducing environment with neutral pH to oxidizing conditions with mildly acidic pH. During the main metallogenic stage (Stage III), mineral assemblages reflect moderate- to high-temperature conditions, and the ore-forming fluid was created and destroyed periodically; the magnetite ores were deposited in a fluctuating fluid system. The multilayered orebodies, multigenerational garnets, and minerals with oscillatory zoning indicate that the ore-forming fluid may have developed periodic fluctuations, and this special multistage fluctuation of the hydrothermal fluid in the Yamansu deposit was the key factor controlling the multiple extraction, enrichment and precipitation of metallogenic materials.
1 January 2023 in Earth Science-Journal of China University of Geosciences
In porphyry systems, the physicochemical properties of ore-related intrusions critically influence both metallogenic fertility and the resulting metal assemblages. Biotite is a widespread magmatic mineral capable of recording subtle changes in physicochemical parameters throughout the evolution of porphyry systems. Throughout the years, several biotite thermobarometers have been proposed; however, the most appropriate combination for application to porphyry systems remains uncertain. In the Julong Cu–polymetallic district, where magmatic biotite is pervasive in the ore-related intrusive suite, we integrate available temperature, pressure, and oxygen fugacity data to assess which combination of biotite-based thermobarometers best captures the physicochemical condition of the magma. Our results demonstrate that the structural formula recalculation method of Li et al. (2020), when combined with the thermometer of Li and Zhang (2022) and the barometer of Uchida et al. (2007), yields the most accurate reconstruction of magmatic conditions in porphyry systems. In the Julong district, this integrated approach reveals that the earliest granodiorite crystallized at depths of ~3.2–6.3 km, under strongly oxidizing conditions (~NNO+3 to HM) and in the presence of elevated volatile concentrations. A slightly younger monzogranite formed at ~4.4 km depth, recording lower oxygen fugacity conditions (~NNO+2 to NNO+4). Its elevated F concentration and lower oxygen fugacity suggest a genetic link to the fractional crystallization of magmatic phases, especially magnetite. On the other hand, the ore-related monzogranite porphyry (~NNO+3 to HM) shares the oxidized signature of the granodiorite and was emplaced at ~3.4 km depth. Its low log(fH2O/fHCl) value reflects elevated HCl activity, conducive to the efficient magmatic transport of Cu and Mo.