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Petrographic study and zircon LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating reveal that the Taojiang pluton is mainly composed of Late Indosinian biotite granodiorites (216 ± 2 Ma, 217 ± 1 Ma and 217 ± 1 Ma) with contemporaneous microgranular enclaves (219 ± 3 Ma). The host rocks belong to metaluminous to peraluminous and high-K calc-alkaline granodiorite with mean K2O/Na2O ratio less than 1, while the microgranular enclaves belong to metaluminous and shoshonitic monzodiorite and quartz monzonite, with average K2O/Na2O greater than 1. The enclaves contain back-veins and xenocrysts of quartz, biotite and plagioclase, and have contents of K, Rb and total REE higher than their host rocks, indicating mingling of two different magmas and elemental diffusion from the felsic magma to the mafic magma due to temperature gradient between them. The host granodiorites have initial 87Sr/86Sr of 0.71411 ~ 0.71508, e Nd(t) values of −6.05 ~ −7.39 and Nd isotope two stage model ages $$ \left( {\mathrm{T}_{\mathrm{NdDM}}^2} \right) $$ of 1.49 Ga to 1.60 Ga, while the enclaves have initial 87Sr/86Sr of 0.71438, e Nd(t) values of −6.92 and $$ \mathrm{T}_{\mathrm{NdDM}}^2 $$ of 1.56 Ga, showing similar features. The zircon e Hf(t) values of the enclaves (−4.21 ~ 0.54) are slightly higher than those of the host rocks (−6.77 ~ −2.18), and the zircon Hf isotopic two stage model ages $$ \left( {\mathrm{T}_{\mathrm{NfDM}}^2} \right) $$ of the enclaves (mainly 1.21 Ga ~ 1.45 Ga) are accordingly slightly younger compared with those of the host rocks (1.39 Ga to 1.75 Ga). These data suggest that the host rock magma was derived mainly from partial melting of Mesoproterozoic - Paleoproterozoic crustal rocks, while the enclave magma was originated from partial melting of basic/ultrabasic rocks intruding in the crust during Mesoproterozoic period. Three inherited zircon cores from the granodiorites are dated 1512 Ma, 2325 Ma and 2458 Ma, also giving evidence for involvement of Mesoproterozoic- Paleoproterozoic crust rocks in the magma formation. The more evident negative Eu anomaly of the enclaves than their host granodiorites may have resulted from more distinct fractional crystallization of plagioclase in the enclave magma before mingling with the felsic magma.

The Late Mesozoic geology of Southeast China is characterized by extensive Jurassic to Cretaceous magmatism consisting predominantly of granites and rhyolites and subordinate mafic rocks, forming a belt of volcanic-intrusive complexes. The Xiangshan volcanic-intrusive complex is located in the NW region of the belt and mainly contains the following lithologies: rhyodacite and rhyodacitic porphyry, porphyritic lava, granite porphyry with mafic microgranular enclaves, quartz monzonitic porphyry, and lamprophyre dyke. Major and trace-element compositions, zircon U–Pb dating, and Sr–Nd–Hf isotopic compositions have been investigated for these rocks. The precise SHRIMP and LA–ICP–MS zircon U–Pb dating shows that the emplacement of various magmatic units at Xiangshan took place within a short time period of less than 2 Myrs. The stratigraphically oldest rhyodacite yielded a zircon U–Pb age of 135 ± 1 Ma and the overlying rhyodacitic porphyry has an age of 135 ± 1 Ma. Three porphyritic lava samples yielded zircon U–Pb ages of 136 ± 1 Ma, 132 ± 1 Ma, and 135 ± 1 Ma, respectively. Two subvolcanic rocks (granite porphyry) yielded zircon U–Pb ages of 137 ± 1 Ma and 137 ± 1 Ma. A quartz monzonitic porphyry dyke, which represented the final stage of magmatism at Xiangshan, also yielded a zircon U–Pb age of 136 ± 1 Ma. All these newly obtained precise U–Pb ages demonstrate that the entire magmatic activity at Xiangshan was rapid and possibly took place at the peak of extensional tectonics in SE China. The geochemical data indicate that all these samples from the volcanic-intrusive complex have an A-type affinity. Sr–Nd–Hf isotopic data suggest that the Xiangshan volcanic-intrusive complex derived mainly from remelting of Paleo-Mesoproterozoic crust without significant additions of mantle-derived magma. However, the quartz monzonitic porphyry, which has zircon Hf model ages older than the whole-rock Nd model ages, and which has eNd(T) value higher than the other rocks, may indicate involvement of a subordinate younger mantle-derived magma in its origin. Geochemical data indicate that the various rocks show variable REE patterns and negative anomalies of Ba, Nb, Sr, P, Eu and Ti in the trace element spidergrams, suggesting that these rocks may have undergone advanced fractional crystallization with separation of plagioclase, K-feldspar and accessory minerals such as allanite. We suggest that this Cretaceous volcanic-intrusive complex formed in an extensional environment, and the formation of the Xiangshan mafic microgranular enclaves can be explained by the injection of mafic magma from a deeper seated mantle magma chamber into a hypabyssal felsic magma chamber at the crustal emplacement levels.

The Dachang Sn-polymetallic ore district is one of the largest tin producing districts in China. Its origin has long been in dispute between magmatic-hydrothermal replacement and submarine exhalative-hydrothermal origin. The Dachang ore district comprises several types of ore deposits, including the Lamo magmatogenic skarn deposit near a granite intrusion, the Changpo-Tongkeng bedded and vein-type sulfide deposit, and the Gaofeng massive sulfide deposit. Sulfide minerals from the Lamo skarn ores show δ34S values in the range between −3 and +4‰ with a mean close to zero, suggesting a major magmatic sulfur source that likely was the intrusive Longxianggai granite. Sulfide minerals from the Gaofeng massive ores show higher δ34S values between +5 and +12‰, whereas sulfide minerals from the Changpo-Tongkeng bedded ores display lighter δ34S values between −7 and −0.2‰. The difference in the sulfur isotope ranges in the two deposits can be interpreted by different degrees of inorganic thermochemcial reduction of marine sulfate using a one-step batch separation fractionation model. Sulfur isotopic compositions from the vein-type ores at Changpo-Tongkeng vary widely from −8 to +4‰, but most of the data cluster around −2.9‰, which is close to that of bedded ores (−3.6‰). The sulfur in vein-type ores might be derived from bedded ores or it represents a mixture of magmatic- and sedimentary-derived sulfur. Pb isotopic compositions of sulfide minerals in the Dachang ore district reveal a difference between massive and bedded ores, with the massive ores displaying more radiogenic Pb isotope ratios. Correlations of 206Pb/204Pb and 207Pb/204Pb or 208Pb/204Pb for the massive and bedded ores are interpreted as two-component mixing of Pb leached from sedimentary host rocks and from deep-seated Precambrian basement rocks composed of metamorphosed volcano-sedimentary rocks. Pb isotopic compositions of sulfide minerals from vein-type ores overlap with those of bedded sulfides. Similar to the sulfur, the lead in vein-type ores might be derived from bedded ores. Skarn ores at Lamo show very limited variations in Pb isotopic compositions, which may reflect a major magmatic-hydrothermal lead source. Helium isotope data of fluid inclusions trapped in sulfides indicate that He in the massive and bedded ores has a different origin than He in fluorite of granite-related veins. The 3He/4He ratios of 1.2–2.9 Ra of fluid inclusions from sulfides at Gaofeng and Changpo-Tongkeng imply a contribution of mantle-derived fluids. Overall our data support a submarine exhalative-hydrothermal origin for the massive and bedded ore types at Dachang.

Zircons from a granodiorite porphyry at the Wushan copper deposit in the Lower Changjiang Metallogenic Belt, east central China, were dated using a Cameca IMS 1270 secondary ion mass spectrometer (SIMS); their chemical compositions and Hf isotopes were analyzed using a JEOL JX A8800 electron microprobe (EMPA) and a Neptune LA-MC-ICP-MS, respectively. The U–Pb dating of zircon reveals two age groups for the granodiorite porphyry; i.e. 144.6 ± 3.9 Ma and 121.0 ± 2.5 Ma. Zircons of the two age populations display distinct chemical compositional characteristics with respect to UO2/HfO2 ratios, and show a negative correlation of (UO2 + Y2O3 + ThO2) and HfO2. The older age group of ∼145 Ma, defined by the majority of the zircons, is interpreted as the magmatic emplacement age, whereas the younger age group of ∼121 Ma is interpreted as rejuvenation due to subsequent thermal or hydrothermal events. Other interpretations such as presence of two distinct magmatic crystallization stages or inheritance of the older zircons are also discussed in the paper. The ∼145 Ma magmatism at Wushan is consistent with the ages of most of the granitods in the Lower Changjiang Metallogenic Belt. The Hf isotope composition of zircons (ɛHf = −2.1 and −7.0; TDM Hf ages = 0.87 and 1.05 Ga), together with other available geochemical and Sr–Nd isotope data suggest that the granodioritic magma was derived from mixing of juvenile mantle with older crustal material. Due to the close spatial and temporal relationship of the granodiorite porphyry and the skarn mineralization at Wushan, the magamatic hydrothermal mineralization likely took place between 145 Ma and 121 Ma, likely around 121 Ma.