The 127 Ma gold mineralization in the Wulong deposit, Liaodong Peninsula, China: Constraints from molybdenite Re-Os, monazite U-Th-Pb, and zircon U-Pb geochronology

B. Yu; Q. Zeng; H.E. Frimmel; H. Qiu; Q. Li; J. Yang; Y. Wang; L. Zhou; P. Chen; J. Li

doi:10.1016/j.oregeorev.2020.103542

The 127 Ma gold mineralization in the Wulong deposit, Liaodong Peninsula, China: Constraints from molybdenite Re-Os, monazite U-Th-Pb, and zircon U-Pb geochronology

B. Yu
, Q. Zeng
, H.E. Frimmel
, H. Qiu
, Q. Li
, J. Yang
, Y. Wang
, L. Zhou
, P. Chen
, J. Li

Research output: Contribution to Journal › Article › Academic › peer-review

Abstract

© 2020 Elsevier B.V.The Wulong deposit is a large tonnage deposit (>80 t of Au), characterized by quartz vein style of gold mineralization in the Liaodong Peninsula, China. The auriferous quartz veins are mainly hosted by Late Jurassic gneissic two-mica granite (165–157 Ma) and Early Cretaceous granodiorite (129 Ma) and are structurally controlled by NNE- and NW-trending faults. Previous attempts to date the gold mineralization yielded ambiguous results (135–112 Ma). Here we report the first in-situ and direct age constraint for gold mineralization at Wulong. Five molybdenite samples from Mo-bearing quartz ± pyrite veins yielded an isochron age of 127.6 ± 2.3 Ma. In-situ SIMS U-Th-Pb dating of hydrothermal monazite that coexists with gold-bearing pyrite and quartz yielded a 208Pb-232Th age of 126.7 ± 3.2 Ma. These robust ages, together with new age data of the Wulong host intrusion and post-ore dike, allow for a better interpretation of the ore genesis of the Wulong deposit relative to a well constrained sequence of regional geological events. Zircon U-Pb dating of the Wulong host intrusion (gneissic two-mica granite), representing the oldest magmatic event at Wulong, gave a weighted mean age of 159.3 ± 1.4 Ma that is interpreted to be the magma emplacement age. Subsequent magmatic events are recorded by the Early Cretaceous dikes with zircon U-Pb ages between 127 and 113 Ma. A post-ore diorite porphyry dike that crosscuts the Early Cretaceous dikes has a U-Pb zircon age of 121.5 ± 1.5 Ma. All the lines of geochronology evidence suggest a distinct genetic link between the gold mineralization and the Early Cretaceous magmatism in the Wulong orefield. This episode of magmatism and mineralization corresponds to the lithospheric thinning within the northeastern North China Craton, which is triggered by the subduction of the Paleo-Pacific plate.

Original language	English
Article number	103542
Journal	Ore geology Reviews
Volume	121
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2020.103542
Publication status	Published - 1 Jun 2020
Externally published	Yes

Funding

This work was jointly supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2016YFC0600108-03-1), Opening Project of State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research, Nanjing University (No. 2019-LAMD-K09), and joint Ph.D. project of the China Scholarship Council (No. 201904910709). We are indebted to all the staff of the Wulong Gold Mine for their field assistance, especially Liqiang Xie, Xianyu Chen, and Baoshen Yu. We appreciate the kind help of Hongfang Chen from the Wuhan Sample Solution Analytical Technology Co. Ltd. on the zircon U-Pb analysis, and Xinwei Li and Chao Li from the National Research Center of Geoanalysis, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences on the molybdenite Re-Os analysis. We also thank Xin Yan and Si Chen for assistance with FSEM analysis, and Xiaoxiao Ling, Yu Liu, Jiao Li, and Hongxia Ma for assistance with SIMS analysis at the IGGCAS. Finally, we are grateful to Drs. Peter Lightfoot, Halley Keevil and three anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments and significant help in improving the manuscript. This work was jointly supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (No. 2016YFC0600108-03-1 ), Opening Project of State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research , Nanjing University (No. 2019-LAMD-K09 ), and joint Ph.D. project of the China Scholarship Council (No. 201904910709 ). We are indebted to all the staff of the Wulong Gold Mine for their field assistance, especially Liqiang Xie, Xianyu Chen, and Baoshen Yu. We appreciate the kind help of Hongfang Chen from the Wuhan Sample Solution Analytical Technology Co., Ltd. on the zircon U-Pb analysis, and Xinwei Li and Chao Li from the National Research Center of Geoanalysis, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences on the molybdenite Re-Os analysis. We also thank Xin Yan and Si Chen for assistance with FSEM analysis, and Xiaoxiao Ling, Yu Liu, Jiao Li, and Hongxia Ma for assistance with SIMS analysis at the IGGCAS. Finally, we are grateful to Drs. Peter Lightfoot, Halley Keevil and three anonymous reviewers for their constructive comments and significant help in improving the manuscript.

Funders	Funder number
IGGCAS
National Research Center of Geoanalysis
China Scholarship Council	201904910709
Nanjing University	2019-LAMD-K09
National Key Research and Development Program of China	2016YFC0600108-03-1
Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences
State Key Laboratory for Mineral Deposits Research

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 14 Life Below Water

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title = "The 127 Ma gold mineralization in the Wulong deposit, Liaodong Peninsula, China: Constraints from molybdenite Re-Os, monazite U-Th-Pb, and zircon U-Pb geochronology",

abstract = "{\textcopyright} 2020 Elsevier B.V.The Wulong deposit is a large tonnage deposit (>80 t of Au), characterized by quartz vein style of gold mineralization in the Liaodong Peninsula, China. The auriferous quartz veins are mainly hosted by Late Jurassic gneissic two-mica granite (165–157 Ma) and Early Cretaceous granodiorite (129 Ma) and are structurally controlled by NNE- and NW-trending faults. Previous attempts to date the gold mineralization yielded ambiguous results (135–112 Ma). Here we report the first in-situ and direct age constraint for gold mineralization at Wulong. Five molybdenite samples from Mo-bearing quartz ± pyrite veins yielded an isochron age of 127.6 ± 2.3 Ma. In-situ SIMS U-Th-Pb dating of hydrothermal monazite that coexists with gold-bearing pyrite and quartz yielded a 208Pb-232Th age of 126.7 ± 3.2 Ma. These robust ages, together with new age data of the Wulong host intrusion and post-ore dike, allow for a better interpretation of the ore genesis of the Wulong deposit relative to a well constrained sequence of regional geological events. Zircon U-Pb dating of the Wulong host intrusion (gneissic two-mica granite), representing the oldest magmatic event at Wulong, gave a weighted mean age of 159.3 ± 1.4 Ma that is interpreted to be the magma emplacement age. Subsequent magmatic events are recorded by the Early Cretaceous dikes with zircon U-Pb ages between 127 and 113 Ma. A post-ore diorite porphyry dike that crosscuts the Early Cretaceous dikes has a U-Pb zircon age of 121.5 ± 1.5 Ma. All the lines of geochronology evidence suggest a distinct genetic link between the gold mineralization and the Early Cretaceous magmatism in the Wulong orefield. This episode of magmatism and mineralization corresponds to the lithospheric thinning within the northeastern North China Craton, which is triggered by the subduction of the Paleo-Pacific plate.",

author = "B. Yu and Q. Zeng and H.E. Frimmel and H. Qiu and Q. Li and J. Yang and Y. Wang and L. Zhou and P. Chen and J. Li",

year = "2020",

month = jun,

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doi = "10.1016/j.oregeorev.2020.103542",

language = "English",

volume = "121",

journal = "Ore geology Reviews",

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T1 - The 127 Ma gold mineralization in the Wulong deposit, Liaodong Peninsula, China

T2 - Constraints from molybdenite Re-Os, monazite U-Th-Pb, and zircon U-Pb geochronology

AU - Yu, B.

AU - Zeng, Q.

AU - Frimmel, H.E.

AU - Qiu, H.

AU - Li, Q.

AU - Yang, J.

AU - Wang, Y.

AU - Zhou, L.

AU - Chen, P.

AU - Li, J.

PY - 2020/6/1

Y1 - 2020/6/1

N2 - © 2020 Elsevier B.V.The Wulong deposit is a large tonnage deposit (>80 t of Au), characterized by quartz vein style of gold mineralization in the Liaodong Peninsula, China. The auriferous quartz veins are mainly hosted by Late Jurassic gneissic two-mica granite (165–157 Ma) and Early Cretaceous granodiorite (129 Ma) and are structurally controlled by NNE- and NW-trending faults. Previous attempts to date the gold mineralization yielded ambiguous results (135–112 Ma). Here we report the first in-situ and direct age constraint for gold mineralization at Wulong. Five molybdenite samples from Mo-bearing quartz ± pyrite veins yielded an isochron age of 127.6 ± 2.3 Ma. In-situ SIMS U-Th-Pb dating of hydrothermal monazite that coexists with gold-bearing pyrite and quartz yielded a 208Pb-232Th age of 126.7 ± 3.2 Ma. These robust ages, together with new age data of the Wulong host intrusion and post-ore dike, allow for a better interpretation of the ore genesis of the Wulong deposit relative to a well constrained sequence of regional geological events. Zircon U-Pb dating of the Wulong host intrusion (gneissic two-mica granite), representing the oldest magmatic event at Wulong, gave a weighted mean age of 159.3 ± 1.4 Ma that is interpreted to be the magma emplacement age. Subsequent magmatic events are recorded by the Early Cretaceous dikes with zircon U-Pb ages between 127 and 113 Ma. A post-ore diorite porphyry dike that crosscuts the Early Cretaceous dikes has a U-Pb zircon age of 121.5 ± 1.5 Ma. All the lines of geochronology evidence suggest a distinct genetic link between the gold mineralization and the Early Cretaceous magmatism in the Wulong orefield. This episode of magmatism and mineralization corresponds to the lithospheric thinning within the northeastern North China Craton, which is triggered by the subduction of the Paleo-Pacific plate.

AB - © 2020 Elsevier B.V.The Wulong deposit is a large tonnage deposit (>80 t of Au), characterized by quartz vein style of gold mineralization in the Liaodong Peninsula, China. The auriferous quartz veins are mainly hosted by Late Jurassic gneissic two-mica granite (165–157 Ma) and Early Cretaceous granodiorite (129 Ma) and are structurally controlled by NNE- and NW-trending faults. Previous attempts to date the gold mineralization yielded ambiguous results (135–112 Ma). Here we report the first in-situ and direct age constraint for gold mineralization at Wulong. Five molybdenite samples from Mo-bearing quartz ± pyrite veins yielded an isochron age of 127.6 ± 2.3 Ma. In-situ SIMS U-Th-Pb dating of hydrothermal monazite that coexists with gold-bearing pyrite and quartz yielded a 208Pb-232Th age of 126.7 ± 3.2 Ma. These robust ages, together with new age data of the Wulong host intrusion and post-ore dike, allow for a better interpretation of the ore genesis of the Wulong deposit relative to a well constrained sequence of regional geological events. Zircon U-Pb dating of the Wulong host intrusion (gneissic two-mica granite), representing the oldest magmatic event at Wulong, gave a weighted mean age of 159.3 ± 1.4 Ma that is interpreted to be the magma emplacement age. Subsequent magmatic events are recorded by the Early Cretaceous dikes with zircon U-Pb ages between 127 and 113 Ma. A post-ore diorite porphyry dike that crosscuts the Early Cretaceous dikes has a U-Pb zircon age of 121.5 ± 1.5 Ma. All the lines of geochronology evidence suggest a distinct genetic link between the gold mineralization and the Early Cretaceous magmatism in the Wulong orefield. This episode of magmatism and mineralization corresponds to the lithospheric thinning within the northeastern North China Craton, which is triggered by the subduction of the Paleo-Pacific plate.

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The 127 Ma gold mineralization in the Wulong deposit, Liaodong Peninsula, China: Constraints from molybdenite Re-Os, monazite U-Th-Pb, and zircon U-Pb geochronology

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