Sm–Nd Isochron Age Constraints of Au and Sb Mineralization in Southwestern Guizhou Province, China
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
minerals Article Sm–Nd Isochron Age Constraints of Au and Sb Mineralization in Southwestern Guizhou Province, China Zepeng Wang 1,2, Qinping Tan 3,* , Yong Xia 3,*, Jianzhong Liu 2,4, Chengfu Yang 1,2, Songtao Li 1,2, Junhai Li 1,2, Faen Chen 1, Xiaoyong Wang 1, Qiquan Pan 1 and Dafu Wang 1 1 Geological Party 105, Bureau of Geology and Mineral Exploration and Development Guizhou Province, Guiyang 550018, China; [email protected] (Z.W.); [email protected] (C.Y.); [email protected] (S.L.); [email protected] (J.L.); [email protected] (F.C.); [email protected] (X.W.); [email protected] (Q.P.); [email protected] (D.W.) 2 Innovation Center of Ore Resources Exploration Technology in the Region of Bedrock, Ministry of Natural Resources of People’s Republic of China, Guiyang 550018, China; [email protected] 3 State Key Laboratory of Ore Deposit Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang 550002, China 4 Bureau of Geology and Mineral Exploration and Development Guizhou Province, Guiyang 550004, China * Correspondence: [email protected] (Q.T.); [email protected] (Y.X.) Abstract: Southwestern Guizhou, China, is famous for hosting clusters of Carlin-type Au, Sb, and Hg-Tl deposits. These deposits are thought to be the products of a low-temperature hydrothermal metallogenic event. Calcite and fluorite are common and widespread gangue minerals in Au and Sb deposits, respectively. Ore-related calcite commonly coexists with stibnite, realgar, and orpiment at the periphery of high-grade orebodies in Au deposits, while ore-related fluorite is generally intergrown with stibnite in Sb deposits. In this study, ore-related calcite and fluorite samples from representative Au (Zimudang) and Sb (Dachang) deposits, respectively, were separated, and the rare earth element (REE) concentrations, Sm/Nd isotope ratios, and Sm–Nd isochron ages were analyzed. Citation: Wang, Z.; Tan, Q.; Xia, Y.; This study aims to determine the formation ages of the calcite and fluorite and to constrain the age Liu, J.; Yang, C.; Li, S.; Li, J.; Chen, F.; of low-temperature metallogenic event in Southwestern Guizhou. The calcite and fluorite samples Wang, X.; Pan, Q.; et al. Sm–Nd contain relatively high total concentrations of REEs (8.21–22.5 µg/g for calcite, 21.7–36.6 µg/g for Isochron Age Constraints of Au and fluorite), exhibit variable Sm/Nd ratios (0.51–1.01 for calcite, 0.35–0.49 for fluorite), and yield Sm–Nd Sb Mineralization in Southwestern isochron ages of 148.4 ± 4.8 and 141 ± 20 Ma, respectively. These ages are consistent with the age Guizhou Province, China. Minerals range constrained by the low-temperature thermochronology of zircon (132–160 Ma), crosscutting 2021, 11, 100. https://doi.org/10. relationships of stratigraphy or intrusions (96–160 Ma), and previous dating results (135–150 Ma) in 3390/min11020100 Southwestern Guizhou. Collectively, the ages obtained in this study add new evidence to previous Received: 23 November 2020 geochronology studies, such that the low-temperature hydrothermal mineralization in Southwestern Accepted: 18 January 2021 Guizhou can be constrained to 135–150 Ma, corresponding to the Yanshanian orogeny, which was Published: 21 January 2021 associated with a weak extensional tectonic environment. Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral Keywords: geochronology; mineralization; Zimudang; Dachang; Southwestern Guizhou with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affil- iations. 1. Introduction The Youjiang basin hosts clusters of Carlin-type Au, Sb, and Hg-Tl deposits (Figure1) [1–8], such that it is the second largest low-temperature Carlin-type Au mineralized area in Copyright: © 2021 by the authors. the world, after Nevada, USA [9–13]. The Au and Sb deposits in the Youjiang Basin are Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. primarily located within Southwestern Guizhou and account for more than 70% of the This article is an open access article deposits and endowments. distributed under the terms and Accurate geochronology is a crucial tool for understanding the genesis of ore deposits. conditions of the Creative Commons Direct dating of Au and Sb deposits in Southwestern Guizhou has been problematic owing Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// to a lack of suitable minerals for radiometric dating. Many studies have reported ages creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ for Au and Sb deposits in Southwestern Guizhou, but the true ages remain controversial 4.0/). Minerals 2021, 11, 100. https://doi.org/10.3390/min11020100 https://www.mdpi.com/journal/minerals Minerals 2021, 11, 100 2 of 13 because the results span a large age interval, i.e., 235–195 [14,15], 135–150 [16–20], and Minerals 2021, 1183–106, x FOR MaPEER [ 21REVIEW,22]. This uncertainty hampers our understanding of the genesis of Au and 2 of 13 Sb deposits and their relation to the geotectonic evolution of Southwestern Guizhou. a b Guizhou Qinlong Dachang t Zimudang Figure 2 Bel C entr c al eni rog Lannigou A O Tarim sia Beijing C en Q North tral ilia Ch n China ina S Or o oge Yunnan n ni Tibet g c B Liaotun p el a t Dabie n tze ng Figure 1b Ya n Guangxi na ua South H China Sea Northern Vietnam 0204060 km Granite Lamprophyre dike Provincial boundary Au deposit Diabase Quartz porphyry dike National boundary Sb deposit Basalt Fault Youjiang Basin Hg-Tl deposit Figure 1.Figure (a) Schematic 1. (a) Schematic tectonic map tectonic of China map showing of China the showing location theof the location Youjiang of theBasin. Youjiang (b) Geologic Basin. map (b) Geologicof the Youjiang Basin showing the locations of the Carlin-type Au, Sb, and Hg-Tl deposits. map of the Youjiang Basin showing the locations of the Carlin-type Au, Sb, and Hg-Tl deposits. Sm and Nd haveAccurate similar chemicalgeochronology properties, is a crucial and the tool143 Ndfor daughter,understanding which the decays genesis of ore deposits. Direct dating of Au and Sb deposits in Southwestern Guizhou has been from the parent 147Sm, is easily preserved in a mineral lattice. Sm–Nd isotope systemat- problematic owing to a lack of suitable minerals for radiometric dating. Many studies ics are liable to be kept closed and are partially capable of resisting weathering and/or have reported ages for Au and Sb deposits in Southwestern Guizhou, but the true ages alteration [23]. The Sm–Nd isochron method is an effective tool for dating hydrothermal Ca- remain controversial because the results span a large age interval, i.e., 235–195 [14,15], bearing minerals135–150 and has [16–20], beenused and 83–106 in various Ma [21,22]. hydrothermal This uncertainty deposits hampers for geochronology our understanding of studies (e.g., calcitethe [18genesis,19,24 of–26 Au], scheelite and Sb [deposits27–29], fluoriteand their [30 relation–32], and to tourmaline the geotectonic [27,28 evolution]). of Fluorite andSouthwestern calcite are widespreadGuizhou. Ca-bearing minerals in Au and Sb deposits in Southwestern Guizhou,Sm and respectively. Nd have similar They usuallychemical have properties, higher and rare the earth 143Nd element daughter, (REE) which decays concentrations andfrom relatively the parent variable147Sm, is easily Sm/Nd preserved ratios, in which a mineral are lattice. favorable Sm–Nd for isotope Sm–Nd systematics isotope dating [18are– 20liable,33]. to Ore-related be kept closed calcite and is are generally partially intergrown capable of withresisting realgar weathering and and/or orpiment at Au depositsalteration and [23]. is The thought Sm–Nd to isochron be the product method of is decarbonatizationan effective tool for (carbonatedating hydrothermal dissolution) of hostCa-bearing rocks, providingminerals and Fe2+ hasto formbeen Au-bearing used in various pyrite [18hydrothermal,19,33]. Calcite deposits for deposited from decarbonatizationgeochronology studies reflects (e.g., the calcite age of[18,19,24–26], Au mineralization scheelite [18 [27–29],,19]. Ore-related fluorite [30–32], and stibnite is symbiotictourmaline and coeval [27,28]). with fluorite crystallization, such that fluorite Sm–Nd dating can representFluorite the age ofand Sb calcite mineralization are widespread [20]. Ca-bearing minerals in Au and Sb deposits in In this paper,Southwestern we report the Guizhou, REE patterns, respectively. Sm/Nd They isotope usually ratios, have andhigher Sm–Nd rare earth isochron element (REE) ages of ore-relatedconcentrations calcite and fluoriteand relatively from representativevariable Sm/Nd Au ratios, (Zimudang) which are and favorable Sb (Dan- for Sm–Nd isotope dating [18–20,33]. Ore-related calcite is generally intergrown with realgar and gchang) deposits in Southwestern Guizhou, respectively. We aim to explore the temporal orpiment at Au deposits and is thought to be the product of decarbonatization (carbonate relationships of Au and Sb mineralization and constrain the age of low-temperature metal- dissolution) of host rocks, providing Fe2+ to form Au-bearing pyrite [18,19,33]. Calcite logenic events indeposited Southwestern from Guizhou.decarbonatization reflects the age of Au mineralization [18,19]. Ore- related stibnite is symbiotic and coeval with fluorite crystallization, such that fluorite Sm– 2. Geological Setting Nd dating can represent the age of Sb mineralization [20]. The Youjiang BasinIn this is paper, located we report at the the southwestern REE patterns, margin Sm/Nd isotope of the ratios, Yangtze and Craton Sm–Nd isochron (Figure1a). Thisages region of isore-related commonly calcite referred and to fluorite as the “Dian-Qianfrom representative Gui” Golden Au (Zimudang) Triangle and Sb Region (Figure1b)(Dangchang) [ 14]. The basindeposits overlays in Southwestern a Lower Paleozoic Guizhou, basement,respectively. which We aim evolved to explore the from a rift basintemporal (Early Devonian relationships to Late of Devonian) Au and Sb to mineralization a passive continental and constrain margin the (Early age of low- Carboniferous totemperature Early Triassic) metallogenic and then events a foreland in Southwestern basin (Middle Guizhou.