Genesis of the Heiyanshan Tungsten Skarn Deposit in the East Tianshan, NW China: Insights From Geology, Fluid Inclusion, Isotopic Geochemistry and Geochronology

The eastern Tianshan Terrane is a highly prospective zone that contains several porphyry Cu–Mo, VMS Cu–Zn, magmatic Cu–Ni, epithermal and orogenic Au deposits. However, few attention has been paid to tungsten deposits. Of these, the source and evolution of the mineralising fluids related to the skar...

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Main Authors: Dong Xue, Xiao-Hua Deng, Leon Bagas, Xu-An Chen, Yan-Shuang Wu, Xiao Jiang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2021-09-01
Series:Frontiers in Earth Science
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2021.664603/full
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author Dong Xue
Dong Xue
Xiao-Hua Deng
Leon Bagas
Leon Bagas
Xu-An Chen
Yan-Shuang Wu
Xiao Jiang
author_facet Dong Xue
Dong Xue
Xiao-Hua Deng
Leon Bagas
Leon Bagas
Xu-An Chen
Yan-Shuang Wu
Xiao Jiang
author_sort Dong Xue
collection DOAJ
description The eastern Tianshan Terrane is a highly prospective zone that contains several porphyry Cu–Mo, VMS Cu–Zn, magmatic Cu–Ni, epithermal and orogenic Au deposits. However, few attention has been paid to tungsten deposits. Of these, the source and evolution of the mineralising fluids related to the skarn W deposits are poorly understood. The Heiyanshan W deposit is hosted by metamorphosed clastic and carbonate beds in the Mesoproterozoic Jianshanzi Formation deposited on a continental margin tectonic setting. The Jianshanzi Formation is intruded by biotite monzogranite that yield weighted 206Pb/238U age of 326.9 ± 1.6 Ma, which suggest that the Heiyanshan W deposit was formed in the Carboniferous. The mineralisation is hosted by a prograde hydrothermal altered zone represented by a garnet (–pyroxene) skarn, and retrograde skarn characterised by fine-grained scheelite. The paragenesis of the Heiyanshan mineralisation can be subdivided into prograde skarn stage, retrograde skarn stage, quartz-sulphide stage and quartz-calcite vein stage. The types of fluid inclusions recognised in the various minerals in the deposits are liquid-rich aqueous, vapour-rich aqueous, and daughter mineral-bearing. The homogenisation temperatures of fluid inclusions from the Heiyanshan deposit decrease from 290 ± 28°C in garnet, through 232 ± 31°C in scheelite, to 232 ± 36°C in quartz and 158 ± 15°C in non-mineralised calcite, which is typical of W-bearing skarn deposits worldwide. The δ18Owater values from the Heiyanshan deposit range from +4.7 to +6.6‰ in garnet, +1.3 to +1.9‰ in quartz and −6.1 to −4.4‰ in calcite. We have measured δD in fluid inclusions from different minerals, although these bulk analyses are just a mixture of the different FIA’s present in the sample. The δD values of fluid inclusions in garnet, quartz, and calcite are from −121 to −71‰, −84 to −75‰ and −101 to −82‰, respectively, also indicative of deep-sourced magmatic fluids mixed with meteoric water. The decrease in the homogenisation temperatures for the fluid inclusions at the Heiyanshan deposit is accompanied by a drop in salinity indicating that tungsten-bearing minerals precipitated during fluid mixing between magmatic fluids and meteoric water. We conclude that eastern Tianshan Terrane contains two pulse of tungsten metallogenic events of Late Carboniferous and Early Triassic.
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spelling doaj.art-313261f1ff2c44bf96609f355d6e633d2022-12-21T21:26:03ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Earth Science2296-64632021-09-01910.3389/feart.2021.664603664603Genesis of the Heiyanshan Tungsten Skarn Deposit in the East Tianshan, NW China: Insights From Geology, Fluid Inclusion, Isotopic Geochemistry and GeochronologyDong Xue0Dong Xue1Xiao-Hua Deng2Leon Bagas3Leon Bagas4Xu-An Chen5Yan-Shuang Wu6Xiao Jiang7State Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, ChinaBeijing Institute of Geology for Mineral Resources Co., Ltd., Beijing, ChinaBeijing Institute of Geology for Mineral Resources Co., Ltd., Beijing, ChinaCentre for Exploration Targeting, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, AustraliaKey Laboratory for the Study of Focused Magmatism and Giant Ore Deposits of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Xi’an Center of China Geological Survey, Xi’an, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi, ChinaNo.6 Geological Survey Team, Bureau of Xinjiang Geological Exploration, Hami, Urumqi, ChinaThe eastern Tianshan Terrane is a highly prospective zone that contains several porphyry Cu–Mo, VMS Cu–Zn, magmatic Cu–Ni, epithermal and orogenic Au deposits. However, few attention has been paid to tungsten deposits. Of these, the source and evolution of the mineralising fluids related to the skarn W deposits are poorly understood. The Heiyanshan W deposit is hosted by metamorphosed clastic and carbonate beds in the Mesoproterozoic Jianshanzi Formation deposited on a continental margin tectonic setting. The Jianshanzi Formation is intruded by biotite monzogranite that yield weighted 206Pb/238U age of 326.9 ± 1.6 Ma, which suggest that the Heiyanshan W deposit was formed in the Carboniferous. The mineralisation is hosted by a prograde hydrothermal altered zone represented by a garnet (–pyroxene) skarn, and retrograde skarn characterised by fine-grained scheelite. The paragenesis of the Heiyanshan mineralisation can be subdivided into prograde skarn stage, retrograde skarn stage, quartz-sulphide stage and quartz-calcite vein stage. The types of fluid inclusions recognised in the various minerals in the deposits are liquid-rich aqueous, vapour-rich aqueous, and daughter mineral-bearing. The homogenisation temperatures of fluid inclusions from the Heiyanshan deposit decrease from 290 ± 28°C in garnet, through 232 ± 31°C in scheelite, to 232 ± 36°C in quartz and 158 ± 15°C in non-mineralised calcite, which is typical of W-bearing skarn deposits worldwide. The δ18Owater values from the Heiyanshan deposit range from +4.7 to +6.6‰ in garnet, +1.3 to +1.9‰ in quartz and −6.1 to −4.4‰ in calcite. We have measured δD in fluid inclusions from different minerals, although these bulk analyses are just a mixture of the different FIA’s present in the sample. The δD values of fluid inclusions in garnet, quartz, and calcite are from −121 to −71‰, −84 to −75‰ and −101 to −82‰, respectively, also indicative of deep-sourced magmatic fluids mixed with meteoric water. The decrease in the homogenisation temperatures for the fluid inclusions at the Heiyanshan deposit is accompanied by a drop in salinity indicating that tungsten-bearing minerals precipitated during fluid mixing between magmatic fluids and meteoric water. We conclude that eastern Tianshan Terrane contains two pulse of tungsten metallogenic events of Late Carboniferous and Early Triassic.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2021.664603/fulltianshanheiyanshanisotopic geochemistryfluid inclusiontungsten skarn
spellingShingle Dong Xue
Dong Xue
Xiao-Hua Deng
Leon Bagas
Leon Bagas
Xu-An Chen
Yan-Shuang Wu
Xiao Jiang
Genesis of the Heiyanshan Tungsten Skarn Deposit in the East Tianshan, NW China: Insights From Geology, Fluid Inclusion, Isotopic Geochemistry and Geochronology
Frontiers in Earth Science
tianshan
heiyanshan
isotopic geochemistry
fluid inclusion
tungsten skarn
title Genesis of the Heiyanshan Tungsten Skarn Deposit in the East Tianshan, NW China: Insights From Geology, Fluid Inclusion, Isotopic Geochemistry and Geochronology
title_full Genesis of the Heiyanshan Tungsten Skarn Deposit in the East Tianshan, NW China: Insights From Geology, Fluid Inclusion, Isotopic Geochemistry and Geochronology
title_fullStr Genesis of the Heiyanshan Tungsten Skarn Deposit in the East Tianshan, NW China: Insights From Geology, Fluid Inclusion, Isotopic Geochemistry and Geochronology
title_full_unstemmed Genesis of the Heiyanshan Tungsten Skarn Deposit in the East Tianshan, NW China: Insights From Geology, Fluid Inclusion, Isotopic Geochemistry and Geochronology
title_short Genesis of the Heiyanshan Tungsten Skarn Deposit in the East Tianshan, NW China: Insights From Geology, Fluid Inclusion, Isotopic Geochemistry and Geochronology
title_sort genesis of the heiyanshan tungsten skarn deposit in the east tianshan nw china insights from geology fluid inclusion isotopic geochemistry and geochronology
topic tianshan
heiyanshan
isotopic geochemistry
fluid inclusion
tungsten skarn
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feart.2021.664603/full
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