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The Laird Lake property, southwest Red Lake greenstone belt, straddles the contact between the Balmer (2.99–2.96 Ga) and the Confederation (2.74–2.73 Ga) assemblages. The property is 10 km along strike from the Madsen and Starrat–Olsen Au mines that are hosted near the contact. The Balmer assemblage consists of fine-grained, aphyric, locally pillowed mafic volcanic rocks, ultramafic intrusive and volcanic rocks with flow breccia textures hosting local spinifex-bearing clasts, and banded-iron formations. In contrast, the Confederation assemblage comprises porphyritic mafic volcanic rocks intercalated with intermediate to felsic volcanic rocks that include crystal lapilli tuffs, crystal tuffs, and tuffs. The Balmer assemblage is composed of tholeiitic mafic volcanic rocks with minor Al-undepleted komatiites, whereas the Confederation assemblage is calc–alkalic. Neodymium isotopes, in conjunction with trace element geochemistry, suggests that parts of the Balmer assemblage were weakly contaminated by an older intermediate basement. Both arc and back-arc volcanism occurs in the Confederation assemblage, with the arc rocks showing a stronger crustal component than the back-arc rocks. A maximum U–Pb age of 2741 ± 19 Ma for a crystal tuff and an age of 2737.68 ± 0.79 Ma for a diorite are consistent with a Confederation assemblage affinity for the intermediate calc–alkaline rocks south of the Au-bearing horizon. The Balmer assemblage represents an oceanic plateau formed by plume magmatism on the margins of the North Caribou Terrane, whereas the Confederation assemblage at Laird Lake formed in an oceanic arc setting where both arc and back-arc volcanism occurred simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The St. Ignace Island complex in Northern Ontario is a package of dominantly felsic rocks emplaced within the upper portions of the Osler Volcanic rocks of the ~1.1 Ga Midcontinent Rift System. The Osler volcanic rocks are predominantly tholeiitic basalts intercalated with rare interflow sediments and rhyolites. The St. Ignace Island complex is an ~26-km2 stock with a felsic core of quartz–feldspar–phyric rhyolites and dacites and an outer ring of anorthosite and gabbro. Textures at a variety of scales within the rocks of the complex show clear evidence of the mingling and mixing of partially crystallized mafic and felsic liquids. Two multigrain (zircon/baddeleyite) fractions from a sample of the gabbro define a Discordia line with an upper intercept date of 1107 ± 8.9 Ma. The core of the complex consists of dacites and rhyolites with similar REE abundances with negative Nb anomalies, whereas the surrounding mafic rocks are gabbros to monzogabbros that are less LREE-enriched than the felsic rocks but with similar HREE. Felsic units have a narrow range of 87Sr/86Sri (0.7032–0.7045) and 143Nd/144Ndi (0.51051–0.51057), whereas the mafic end members have similar 87Sr/86Sri (0.7040–0.7061) but more radiogenic 143Nd/144Ndi (0.51067–0.51085). Very well-preserved silicate melt inclusions (MI), many completely glassy, were observed in quartz, clinopyroxene, and some plagioclase phenocrysts from the complex. These represent some of the oldest unrecrystallized silicate melt inclusions described to date. Melt inclusions within quartz from the felsic volcanics are broadly rhyolitic in composition, whereas MI from plagioclase in the mafic volcanics range from basalt to basaltic andesite; these felsic and mafic melt compositions are interpreted to represent the end-member liquids in the system and bulk rock analyses affirm mixtures of the two. Concentrations of Cu and Ag (in both mafic and felsic MI), and Mo (in felsic MI), are up to an order of magnitude higher in the mafic and felsic MI than in continental crust. Bulk rock metal concentrations are also significantly lower than in the MI, suggesting that the melt inclusions may preserve pre-eruptive metal tenors that were subsequently modified by sulfide saturation, degassing, or post-solidus hydrothermal alteration. The whole rock and MI geochemistry of the St. Ignace complex are broadly similar to the Central Osler Group and, given the broad similar ages, suggests they may have been derived from a similar mantle source, but distinct from the source of rhyolites in the Black Bay Peninsula. The negative Nb anomalies and negative εNd values for the St. Ignace complex are consistent with mixing with older continental crust during ascent and emplacement. The rocks of the St. Ignace Island complex likely formed as the result of emplacement of a large mafic magma chamber at the base of the Osler volcanic pile that triggered partial melting to generate the rhyolite end members. The felsic melts ascended to shallower levels in the crust where they mixed with mafic magmas derived directly from the deeper chamber. Generally, melt inclusions in the complex have very high Cu and Ag contents, similar to those observed in arc-related and extremely oxidized early rift-related rocks and may account for the world-class volcano-sediment-hosted Cu–(Ag) deposits within the rift and the presence of small porphyry-style deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Midcontinent Rift System of North America is a ∼1.1 Ga large igneous province comprising mainly flood basalts and intrusive rocks. We present new data for the Pillar Lake Volcanics and Inspiration Sill from the northern edge of the Midcontinent Rift in the northwestern Nipigon Embayment. The Pillar Lake Volcanics comprise a ∼20–40 m thick, flat-lying sequence of mafic pillowed and massive flows, pillowed flow breccia, and hyaloclastite breccia. They are characterized by SiO2 of 52–54 wt%, TiO2 of 1.2–1.3 wt%, and K2O of 0.9–1.1 wt%. They are light rare earth element (LREE) enriched, with La/Smn of 3.0–4.4 with fractionated heavy rare earth elements (HREE) (Gd/Ybn = 1.4–1.7). The Inspiration diabase sill is ≤ 50 m thick and is in direct contact with the underlying Pillar Lake Volcanics. Baddeleyite and zircon data from the Inspiration Sill yield a combined U–Pb upper intercept age of 1105.6 ± 1.6 Ma. The Inspiration Sill is characterized by uniform SiO2 of 52–53 wt%, TiO2 of 1.1–1.2 wt%, and K2O of 0.9–1.2 wt%. Inspiration Sill samples are LREE enriched with La/Smn of 3.2–3.3 and fractionated HREE (Gd/Ybn = 1.6). The Pillar Lake Volcanics are at least 1120 Ma, and perhaps as old as 1130 Ma, and represent an early, thin, and restricted mafic volcanic sequence, largely preserved below the younger Inspiration Sill. The Pillar Lake Volcanics and Inspiration Sill display a marked geochemical similarity, suggesting that they may represent magmatism associated with the earliest stages of Midcontinent rifting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mafic intrusions on the NE shoulder of the Midcontinent Rift (Keweenawan LIP), including Cu–PGE mineralized gabbros within the Coldwell Complex (CC), and rift parallel or radial dykes outside the CC are correlated based on characteristic trace element patterns. In the Coldwell Complex, mafic rocks are subdivided into four groups: (1) early metabasalt; (2) Marathon Series; (3) Layered Series; (4) Geordie–Wolfcamp Series. The Marathon Series are correlated with the rift radial Abitibi dykes (1140 Ma), and the Geordie–Wolfcamp Series with the rift parallel Pukaskwa and Copper Island dykes. U–Pb ages determined for five gabbros from the Layered and Marathon Series are between 1107·7 and 1106·0 Ma. Radiogenic isotope ratios show near chondritic (CHUR) εNd(1106 Ma) and 87Sr/86Sri values that range from –0·38 to +1·13 and 0·702537 to 0·703944, respectively. Distinctive geochemical properties of the Marathon Series and Abitibi dykes, such as Ba/La (14–37), Th/Nb (0·06–0·12), La/Sm (3·8–7·7), Sr/Nd (21–96) and Zr/Sm (9–19), are very different from those of the Geordie–Wolfcamp Series and a subset of Copper Island and Pukaskwa dykes with Ba/La (8·7–11), Th/Nb (0·12–0·13), La/Sm (6·7–7·9), Sr/Nd (5–7·8) and Zr/Sm (18–24). Each unit exhibits covariation between incompatible element ratios such as Zr/Sm and Nb/La or Gd/Yb, Sr/Nd and Ba/La, and Nb/Y and Zr/Y, which are consistent with mixing relationship between two or more mantle domains. These characteristics are unlike those of intrusions on the NW shoulder of the MCR, but resemble those of mafic rocks occurring in the East Kenya Rift. The results imply that an unusual and long-lived mantle source was present in the NE MCR for at least 34 Myr (spanning the 1140 Ma Abitibi dykes and the 1106 Ma Marathon series) and indicate potential for Cu–PGE mineralization in an area much larger than was previously recognized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Miocene Cuonadong leucogranites in the easternmost section of the Tethyan Himalaya, Southern Tibet, are characterized by two types of tourmaline. Tourmaline occurs as needle-like crystals in the two-mica ± tourmaline granites (Tur G) and large patches in the pegmatites (Tur P). Both the granite and the pegmatites yield Miocene ages (ca. 20 Ma) based on monazite U(-Th)-Pb dating, whereas 40Ar/39Ar geochronology of the coarse-grained tourmalines (Tur P) crosscut by pegmatite veins yielded an Eocene mini-plateau age of 43 ± 6 Ma. Major element concentrations of tourmaline indicate that both Tur P and Tur G belong to the schorl group with a magmatic origin, but trace elements such as V indicate that they are not cogenetic. Boron isotopes suggest that Tur P (average –9.76‰) was derived from typical crustal sources, whereas Tur G (average –7.65‰) contains relatively more mafic input. The capture of Eocene tourmaline by the Miocene leucogranites at Cuonadong suggests that the crustally derived Eocene magmatism may have occurred in the southern Tethyan Himalaya. Identification of the inherited magmatic tourmaline (Tur P), although not common, challenges the current application of tourmaline chemistry to the investigation of magmatic-hydrothermal systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Naozhi deposit of northeast China comprises intermediate-sulfidation epithermal-style veins and subeconomic, porphyry-style Cu mineralization hosted by dioritic to granitic plutons, which formed at ca. 130 Ma. These intrusive phases were fed by magmas that ponded at mid- to upper-crustal levels and were finally emplaced at < 0.6 kbar based on amphibole geobarometry. The magmas were moderately oxidized (∆NNO − 0.35 to 2.21; with NNO being the nickel–nickel–oxide buffer) and water-rich (mostly > 4 wt. %), and likely experienced a relatively prolonged evolution in the shallow crust rather than at depth. Magma devolatilization and fluid exsolution at shallow-crustal levels lead to decreases in both oxygen fugacity (log ƒO2 − 10.96 to − 14.13) and water content (6.53 to 2.26 wt. %) at < 2.5 kbar pressures. Thermochronological data of zircon and apatite, thermal history modeling, and geological preservation record complex time–temperature histories of the mineralized intrusive rocks, from the cooling of the parent magma itself through burial by younger volcanic rocks to protracted erosion with time. It is estimated that < 2 km of pre-mineralization material was removed from the top of the Naozhi magmatic–hydrothermal system from the Early Cretaceous to present. A 108 ± 2 Ma volcanic event possibly tilted the hydrothermal system, but buried the ores, protecting them from extensive erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Porphyry- and epithermal-style mineralization is associated with ∼ 130 Ma magma event. • The mineralizing fluids were predominantly magmatic water with addition of meteoric water. • Metal deposition resulted from cooling, sulfidation, neutralization, and boiling of fluids. The Naozhi deposit in the Yanbian district of northeastern China contains polymetallic epithermal veins and subeconomic porphyry-style Cu mineralization within 2 km of each other. These two mineralization styles are genetically associated with 130–126 Ma andesites and dioritic–granitic intrusions. Isotopic ages determined on sericite (128.2 ± 2.9 Ma; 40Ar–39Ar plateau age) and sulfide (124.6 ± 2.7 Ma; Rb–Sr isochron) associated with the epithermal mineralization constrain the hydrothermal activity to at approximately 128 Ma. Three types of fluid inclusions, including halite-bearing, vapor-rich, and liquid-rich inclusions were trapped in quartz from porphyry-style veinlets associated with an assemblage of K-feldspar–biotite–magnetite. Based on microthermometry and the homogenization behavior of halite-bearing inclusions, they were trapped at lithostatic pressures of > 500 bars and at temperatures of ≥ 350 °C, whereas the vapor- and liquid-rich inclusions were trapped at pressures and temperatures of 110 ± 35 bars and ≤ 350 °C. Epithermal mineralization comprises four vein stages, which, from oldest to youngest, are quartz–pyrite, quartz–base metal sulfide, quartz–precious metal, and quartz–carbonate. The ore assemblage precipitated from low-salinity fluids (<10 wt% NaCl equiv.) at temperatures and pressures of ≤ 350 °C and ≤ 100 bars. The δ18O H2O (2.5 to −2.4 ‰) and δD H2O (−85 to −114 ‰) compositions of fluids related to porphyry- and epithermal-style mineralization indicate a mixture of magmatic and meteoric waters. The δ34S H2S (−3.1 to 4.5 ‰) values of fluids become isotopically heavier from the quartz–pyrite stage to the quartz–base metal sulfide stage, reflecting continuous reduction during epithermal mineralization. The mineral assemblage and chemical composition of sulfide minerals indicate a transition from oxidizing, high sulfidation porphyry-style fluids to reducing, intermediate–low sulfidation epithermal fluids, with log ƒO 2 values ranging from −31 to > −33, and log ƒS 2 values ranging from −7.0 to ≤ −13.4 during the epithermal veining stage. Metal deposition in the Naozhi magmatic–hydrothermal system resulted from cooling, sulfidation, neutralization, and boiling of predominantly magmatically sourced hydrothermal fluids that mixed with meteoric water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stratabound ore has been recognized as an end-member of porphyry copper systems, but pyrite chemistry has not been widely applied to linking stratabound ore with the related porphyry and skarn system. Stratabound ore is commonly developed around porphyry-skarn systems in eastern China, and is characterized by abundant colloform pyrite; however the origin of the colloform pyrite has been contentious. Xinqiao deposit is ideal for study of pyrite geology and geochemistry with the aim of elucidating formation of the stratabound ore and to decipher the evolution of pyrite compositions in a porphyry-skarn environment. The colloform pyrite paragenesis and S isotopes indicate that it formed during early skarn mineralization, based on its occurrence in stockwork veins cutting skarn minerals, and that it is replaced by later hypogene sulfides; the δ34S of colloform pyrite (average 6.12‰) is close to the δ34S value of both porphyry- (average 5.06‰) and skarn-type pyrite (average 4.65‰). The colloform texture formed as an aggregate of nanometer- or micrometer-sized (<0.2 μm) pyrite cubes produced by rapid crystallization from a high-fS2, low-temperature, and supersaturated fluid. Supersaturation of the fluid was probably produced by rapid decompression that triggered fluid boiling and cooling when the magmatic-hydrothermal fluid (derived from Cretaceous magma) flowed along the Devonian-Carboniferous unconformity. Subsequently, the colloform pyrite was replaced by later stage pyrite with distinctive trace elements (Co, Ni, and Se), indicating that the stratabound ore at Xinqiao formed from multiple pulses of magmatic-hydrothermal fluids derived from an Early Cretaceous stock. Co, Ni, and Se enrichment in porphyry- and proximal skarn-type pyrite suggests they formed at relatively high temperature, whereas the colloform pyrite shows trace element contents (Cu, Pb, Zn, Ag, and Bi) similar to those in distal skarn pyrite, suggesting that they may have formed in the same fluid environment. The trace element variations in pyrite from stratabound, skarn and porphyry ore probably resulted from decreasing fluid temperature and increasing pH away from the source. Our data, combined with previous studies, show that Co and Ni in pyrite increase toward porphyry and skarn ore, whereas As, Sb, Pb, Ag, and Bi are enriched in pyrite in distal stratabound ore, which extends for 1–2 km away from the intrusion. A plot of As/Se vs. Co discriminates the three ore types that occur associated with porphyry-skarn Cu systems in the Middle and Lower Yangtze belt (MLYB). These results indicate pyrite chemistry can be effective in discriminating the genesis of different deposit types related to porphyry-skarn systems and can potentially be used as a vectoring tool during exploration in the MLYB and elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lake Nipigon Region Geoscience Initiative (LNRGI) was a 3-year collaborative geoscience data acquisition and compilation project that focussed on Lake Nipigon in Ontario and involved partnerships between mineral industry, university, and provincial and federal government geoscientists. A major objective of the initiative was to collect new geoscience information to better understand the geological history of the Nipigon region to inform land-use planning, identify areas of high mineral potential, and attract mineral exploration. The Special Issue on the LNRGI highlights the scientific successes of the Initiative in the fields of geology, petrology, geochemistry, geochronology, stratigraphy and basin analysis, mineral deposits, and surficial geology and geochemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ca. 1110–1120 Ma diabase sills of the Nipigon Embayment represent the oldest phase of the Midcontinent Rift recognized to date. The sills can be subdivided into five geochemically distinct suites: Nipigon, McIntyre, Inspiration, Shillabeer, and Jackfish. Sm–Nd, Rb–Sr, and Pb–Pb isotope data for the sills can be used to evaluate the source regions and emplacement histories of these sills. The εNdT values for all the sill suites are consistently negative (–0.5 to –6.6) but show coherent variations both within and between suites. The negative εNdT values can be interpreted as the result of contamination of a plume-related mantle source by older crustal material. The initial strontium (Sri) values (0.7032–0.7068) for the sills indicate that at least two distinct contaminants are required: (1) a source with strongly negative εNdT and lower Sri, likely Archean metasediment or granite, and (2) one with elevated Sri, likely sedimentary rocks of the Proterozoic Sibley Group. The Pb data for the Nipigon and Inspiration sills form distinct linear arrays consistent with variable contamination of a source comparable to that of other igneous suites of the Midcontinent Rift. The radiogenic isotopes preserve a complex contamination history best interpreted as the result of <5% contamination by a variety of Archean and Proterozoic sources. The ultramafic Jackfish sill shows the least evidence of contamination and is interpreted to have been emplaced along a crustal-scale fault with little interaction with crustal material. In contrast, the other sill suites have undergone complex contamination histories requiring variable crustal residence times and assimilation of material both at depth in large magma chambers and during emplacement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mesoproterozoic 1108–1105 Ma Osler Group, a 3 km thick succession of basaltic flows and sedimentary units on the north shore of Lake Superior, is among the oldest expressions of the Midcontinent Rift. Basal sediments of the Simpson Island Formation (new name) deposited by braided fluvial systems record westward transport of debris eroded from local Archean and Proterozoic rock units. Strata deposited by this fluvial system are intercalated with, and overlain by, ocean-island basalt (OIB)-like basalts, which become increasingly contaminated up section (εNd(1100Ma) = +0.3 to –5.3). The light rare-earth element (LREE) enriched (La/Smn = 1.5–3.9) and heavy REE (HREE) fractionated (Gd/Ybn = 1.5–3.7) subaerial flows are divisible into two units that correlate with other sections of the Osler Group to the east, but simple correlations with more distant sequences are difficult. The volcanic rock dominated portion of the succession is overlain by a thin (25 m thick) conglomerate–sandstone assemblage representing southeast progradation of an alluvial fan in a semi-arid climatic setting. Clast lithologies and geochemistry indicate no extra-rift detritus was delivered from the hinterland of the fan. Various lines of evidence in both volcanic and sedimentary rocks support a scenario where early, pre-1108 Ma, subsidence along a north–south axis from the western arm of the rift to the Nipigon Embayment was replaced by subsidence along the east–west rift axis between 1108 and 1105 Ma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mesoproterozoic English Bay Complex consists of a granite-rhyolite assemblage outcropping on the shores of Lake Nipigon in western Superior Province, Canada. It intrudes Neoarchean rocks and is disconformably overlain by a rift–infracratonic basin sedimentary succession recording subsidence following a heating event. The granites and rhyolites are characterized by light rare-earth element (LREE) enrichment (La/Smn = 2.8–5.1) and only weakly fractionated heavy REE (HREE; Gd/Ybn = 1.1–1.6). The felsic igneous rocks are high-K, enriched in Zr, Nb, Y, and REE satisfying all the criteria for an A-type suite. Trace element geochemistry, particularly the absence of any negative Nb anomalies, indicates this melt did not originate in a suprasubduction zone setting, unlike the St. Francois Mountain Complex to the south. The English Bay Complex may record the northern portion of a Mesoproterozoic plume track— a plume that possibly led to earlier igneous activity and infracratonic basin formation to the north and would later interact with a suprasubduction zone margin to the south. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information pertaining to the influence of the long-lived mantle on an Archean protocontinent, with reference to the 3 Ga Lumby Lake greenstone belt, Ontario, Canada. Important consequences of the recognition of the complex geodynamic settings in the Archean; Information on the Archean rock record; What investigations of mantle-flow dynamics indicates.

The origin of stratabound deposits in the Middle-Lower Yangtze River Valley Metallogenic Belt (MLYRB), Eastern China, is the subject of considerable debate. The Xinqiao Cu-Fe-Au deposit in the Tongling ore district is a typical stratabound ore body characterized by multi-stage magnetite. A total of six generations of magnetite have been identified. Mt1 is commonly replaced by porous Mt2, and both are commonly trapped in the core of Mt3, which is characterized by both core-rim textures and oscillatory zoning. Porous Mt4 commonly truncates the oscillatory zoning of Mt3, and Mt5 is characterized by 120° triple junction texture. Mt1 to Mt5 are commonly replaced by pyrite that coexists with quartz, whereas Mt6, with a fine-grained foliated and needle-like texture, commonly cuts the early pyrite as veins and is replaced by pyrite that coexists with calcite. The geochemistry of the magnetite suggests that they are hydrothermal in origin. The microporosity of Mt2 and Mt4 magnetite, their sharp contacts with Mt1 and Mt3, and lower trace-element contents (e.g., Si, Ca, Mg, and Ti) than Mt1 and Mt3 suggest that they formed via coupled dissolution and reprecipitation of the precursor Mt1 and Mt3 magnetite, respectively. This was likely caused by high-salinity fluids derived from intensive waterrock interaction between the magmatic-hydrothermal fluids associated with the Jitou stock and Late Permian metalliferous black shales. The 120° triple junction texture of Mt5 suggests it is the result of fluid-assisted recrystallization, whereas Mt6 formed by replacement of hematite as a result of fracturing. The geochemistry of the magnetite suggests that the temperature increased from Mt2 to Mt3 and implies that there were multiple pulses of fluids from a magmatic-hydrothermal system. Therefore, we propose that the Xinqiao stratiform mineralization was genetically associated with multiple influxes of magmatic hydrothermal fluids derived from the Early Cretaceous Jitou stock. This study demonstrates that detailed texture examination and in situ trace-elements analysis under robust geological and petrographic frameworks can effectively constrain the mineralization processes and ore genesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Garnet is a common U-bearing mineral in various magmatic and metamorphic rocks with a high U–Pb closure temperature (> 850 °C), rendering it a potentially valuable U–Pb geochronometer. However, a high U (> 10 ppm) garnet reference material that suits both quadrupole and/or multi-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) is yet to be established. This study evaluates a potential reference material for in situ garnet U–Pb analysis with anomalously high U content from the Prairie Lake alkaline complex, Canada. The PL57 garnet, occurring in a calcite ijolite, has high TiO2 (6.5–15.0 wt%, average 12.7 wt%) and Fe2O3 (17.1–21.3 wt%) contents and is a member of the andradite (26–66 mol.%)-morimotoite (18–41 mol.%)-schorlomite (16–35 mol.%) solid solution series. Four samples were dated by U–Pb ID-TIMS to assess reproducibility. Twelve TIMS analyses produced concordant, equivalent results. Garnet PL57 yielded a concordant age of 1156.2 ± 1.2 Ma (2σ, n = 10, MSWD = 1.0), based on ten analyses with two results discarded due to possible mineral inclusions (if included, the concordia age is 1156.6 ± 1.8 Ma; n = 12, MSWD = 2.0). PL57 had 27–76 ppm (average 41 ppm) U with Th/U of 0.51–0.68 (average 0.63). The total common Pb content ranged from 0.4 to 3.9 pg (average 1.1 pg). Laser ablation coupled with ICP-MS and high angle annular dark-field scanning transmission electron microscopy (HAADF-STEM) imaging provide direct evidence that U is incorporated and homogeneously distributed within the garnet lattice rather than as defects or pore spaces. Published garnet samples and standards were then tested by calibrating the Willsboro, Mali, Qicun, and Tonglvshan garnet against PL57, which gave accurate ages within the recommended values. Case studies of garnet from the Archean Musselwhite orogenic gold deposit in Canada and the Cenozoic Changanchong and Habo skarn deposits in China yield reliable ages. This suggests that PL57 is a robust U–Pb isotope reference material. The limited variations of U and Pb isotopic ratios, together with the high U concentration and extremely low initial common Pb, make PL57 an ideal calibration and monitor reference material for in situ measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploitable or potentially exploitable deposits of critical metals, such as rare-earth (REE) and high-field-strength elements (HFSE), are commonly associated with alkaline or peralkaline igneous rocks. However, the origin, transport and concentration of these metals in peralkaline systems remains poorly understood. This study presents the results of a mineralogical and geochemical investigation of the Na-metasomatism of alkali amphiboles and clinopyroxenes from a barren peralkaline granite pluton in NE China, to assess the remobilization and redistribution of REE and HFSE during magmatic-hydrothermal evolution. Alkali amphiboles and aegirine-augites from the peralkaline granites show evolutionary trends from sodic-calcic to sodic compositions, with increasing REE and HFSE concentrations as a function of increasing Na-index [Na#, defined as molar Na/(Na + Ca) ratios]. The Na-amphiboles (i.e., arfvedsonite) and aegirine-augites can be subsequently altered, or breakdown, to form hydrothermal aegirine during late- or post-magmatic alteration. Representative compositions analyzed by insitu LA-ICPMS show that the primary aegirine-augites have high and variable REE (2194-3627 ppm) and HFSE (4194-16,862 ppm) contents, suggesting that these critical metals can be scavenged by alkali amphiboles and aegirine-augites. Compared to the primary aegirine-augites, the presentative early replacement aegirine (Aeg-I, Na# = 0.91-0.94) has notably lower REE (1484-1972) and HFSE (4351-5621) contents. In contrast, the late hydrothermal aegirine (Aeg-II, Na# = 0.92-0.96) has significantly lower REE (317-456 ppm) and HFSE (6.44-72.2 ppm) contents. Given that the increasing Na# from aegirine-augites to hydrothermal aegirines likely resulted from Na-metasomatism, a scavenging-release model can explain the remobilization of REE and HFSE in peralkaline granitic systems. The scavenging and release of REE and HFSE by Na-metasomatism provides key insights into the genesis of globally significant REE and HFSE deposits. The high Na-index of the hydrothermal aegirine might be useful as a geochemical indicator in the exploration for these critical-metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Pyrite-bearing veins at Qulong can be divided into seven subclasses. • The contents of Co and Ni and the ratios of Co/Ni and Ni/Se in pyrite can be used to investigate the evolution of fluid composition, temperature and oxygen fugacity. • Changes in trace elements and S isotopes in pyrite can be used to investigate the evolution of magmatic-hydrothermal fluids. The post-collisional Qulong porphyry Cu-Mo deposit is the largest in the Gangdese Cu belt, southern Tibet. Despite many previous studies, the evolution of ore-forming fluids in the Qulong deposit remains controversial. Pyrite-bearing veins at Qulong can be divided into seven subclasses, including Mt-type, Bt-type, A-type, B-type, C-type, D-type, and E-type veins. To decipher the evolution of magmatic-hydrothermal fluids at Qulong, in situ LA-ICP-MS trace element and sulfur isotope compositions of pyrites from different veins were analyzed. The δ34S values (+1.01‰ to + 4.28‰) for pyrites indicate a magmatic sulfur source and the high Se/S ratios of pyrite at Qulong are consistent with hydrothermal fluids being mainly magma-derived. The low Co/Ni ratio (0.01–0.1) of pyrite in Mt-type vein suggests that the earliest magmatic-hydrothermal fluids may have contributed from mafic magma injection. From Mt- to Bt- to A-type veins, the δ34S values in the hydrothermal fluids decrease as the temperature decreases, whereas the Cu and Co contents increase and the As and Ni contents decrease. In B- and C-type veins, the relatively high and stable Co and Ni contents and the range of δ34S isotope values in pyrite indicate the existence of multiple-stages of magmatic-hydrothermal fluids during the main mineralization period. During the late stages of mineralization, the decrease of Co, Ni and As contents and increase of Cu in pyrite in D- and E-type veins, as well as the narrow range of δ34S values, may be due to decreasing temperature as a result of fluid dilution caused by mixing with meteoric waters. The slightly negative δ34S fluid values for chalcopyrite (-1.56‰ to −0.75‰) in sample Q711-1968 also suggests the addition of external water at Qulong. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep-sea sediments rich in rare earth elements and yttrium (REY) are promising mineral resources that are believed to be associated with the burial of fish debris. However, the nature of the REY enrichment is poorly understood, in part due to a lack of robust age constraints. We report bioapatite U-Pb ages from an Ocean Drilling Program (Leg 199, Hole 1218A) core and a REY-rich sedimentary core from the Pacific Ocean, which yielded U-Pb ages rang- ing from 22.8 to 18.2 Ma and 6.5 to 2.2 Ma, respectively. The U-Pb fish teeth ages from the 1218A core are consistent with biostratigraphic constraints, shed light on the application of the U-Pb bioapatite chronometer, and yield an absolute time scale for stratigraphy, especially for sequences deposited below the calcite compensation depth (CCD), where there is an ab- sence of fossil carbonate. The successful measurement of U-Pb ages from REY-enriched fish teeth in the REY-rich sediment core suggests the mineralization occurred no later than the Miocene in the western Pacific Ocean. Uranium is positively correlated with REY, suggesting that the U and REY were incorporated into the fish teeth lattice simultaneously, making the bioapatite U-Pb chronometer suitable for constraining the timing of REY mineralization. When combined with published data, our study suggests that the Miocene REY accumula- tion event in the western Pacific Ocean was influenced by high P2O5 and MnO2 contents correlated with oxic bottom water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • LA-ICP-TOFMS was used for rapid and high-resolution element maps of Fe-Mn nodules. • 10 * 9 mm2 and 700 * 350 µm2 size area took 2.27 h and 0.62 h, respectively. • Macro area element maps indicate that the nodule underwent mineral maturation. • LA-ICP-TOFMS element mapping is suitable for soft, porous samples. Polymetallic nodules are one of the most ubiquitous critical metal reservoirs in the deep sea during early diagenesis. Trace elements including REY (Rare earth elements + Y), can provide a wealth of information to document the source-to-sink (STS) processes and critical metals enrichment regimes. Element imaging is an important "see-through" technique to display the distribution of multi-elements to understand the respective concentration relationship. However, traditional elemental mapping of macro (several millimeters) and micro (tens of micrometers) areas has remained a major challenge due to the long analytical time and low lateral resolution. Here, we apply inductively coupled plasma time-of-flight mass spectrometry (ICP-TOFMS), coupled to laser ablation (LA) with a low-dispersion two-volume sample cell and a dual concentric injector at both the macro- and micro-scales. LA-ICP-TOFMS mapping was applied to an entire polymetallic nodule (size of 10 * 9 mm2 @ 40 µm2 spot size, 1300 µm/s scan speed and 15 Hz frequency) and microdomains with microlayers (size of 700 * 350 µm2 @ 1 µm2, 200 µm/s and 200 Hz), respectively. The intra-nodule distribution patterns of elements are mainly controlled by the occurrence minerals. For example, the distribution patterns of some metals (e.g., Cu, Co, Ni) are similar to that of Mn, indicating these metals host in Mn-phase minerals. There is a trend of decreasing and then increasing of these elements from the inner to the outer layer, suggesting that the redox environment may have undergone a process from oxic to suboxic and then to oxic during the growth process. Our results demonstrate the feasibility of LA-ICP-TOFMS analysis on soft and porous materials, whose advantages include a shorter time and higher lateral resolution compared with traditional LA-ICP-QMS, expanding the geochemical mapping techniques for deep-sea early diagenetic sediments samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The magmatic-hydrothermal system of Yangla skarn Cu deposit is relatively reduced. • The barren quartz porphyry was also originated from reduced magmas and thus less fertile for porphyry Cu formation. • Intense fluid-carbonate rocks interaction and fluid focusing could be the key to formation of the reduced Yangla Cu deposit. In the Paleo-Tethyan orogenic belt, reduced mineralization systems result in extensive saturation and segregation of magmatic sulfide phases, which in turn leads to the loss of chalcophile elements and hinders the precipitation of large amounts of copper. As a result, porphyry Cu deposits are rare within the belt. In this contribution, we investigate the composition of zircons from the granodiorite, fluid inclusions and hydrothermal scheelite from orebodies of the Yangla Skarn Cu deposit, and assess the magmatic-hydrothermal redox state of the system. The igneous zircons from ore-causative granodiorite have negative Eu anomalies (Eu N /Eu N * = 0.27 ± 0.03, n = 11) and the calculated ΔFMQ values are -0.23 ± 0.31 (n = 11). The ore-forming fluids in the pre-ore stage was rich in CH 4 , and precipitating hydrothermal scheelite in the syn -ore stage with low Mo contents (Mo = 17.4 to 149 ppm, mean 57.7 ppm) and positive Ce anomalies (Ce N /Ce N * = 1.14 ± 0.06, n = 29). The geochemistry suggests that the magmatic-hydrothermal system at Yangla is relatively reduced, consistent with the abundant development of pyrrhotite in the ore body. In addition, we have carried out zircon SIMS U-Pb dating and trace analysis of the barren quartz porphyry in the Yangla ore field, which gives an emplacement age of 227 Ma and is also derived from reduced magmas (ΔFMQ = -1.27 ± 0.55; Eu N /Eu N * = 0.32 ± 0.10, n = 7) that were less fertile for porphyry Cu formation. By comparing with the barren quartz porphyry, we suggest that the key control of the skarn ore body may have been that the low-permeability of carbonate units seal the mineralizing fluids, enhancing fluid-carbonate reactions and concentrating the sulfides in a relatively small area. Without these processes, it can only form barren porphyry system. We highlight that, unlike typical porphyry Cu deposits, intense fluid-carbonate rocks interaction and fluid focusing could result in skarn Cu formation, even though in relatively reduced magmatic-hydrothermal conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scheelite from the Tongshankou porphyry-skarn Cu-Mo(-W) deposit occurs mainly as disseminated grains in the altered granodiorite porphyries at depth (Sch A), in the skarn coeval with retrograde al- teration (Sch B) and in distal quartz veins crosscutting marbles (Sch C). Cathodoluminescence (CL) responses within a single Sch A grain reveal two subtypes: CL-clear Sch A-I and CL-turbid, densely veined Sch A-II. The CL contrast, coupled with geochemical data, suggest Sch A-I was metasomatized to form Sch A-II. CL images reveal that Sch A-I, Sch B and Sch C are all homogenous, with blue luminescence and are depleted in heavy rare earth elements (HREE), indicating a primary origin. However, Sch A-II is characterized by higher contents of light REE and heavy REE as well as higher Sr isotopes (0.7080-0.7100) than the primary scheelite (<0.7080). These differences indicate that Sch A-II formed through dissolution-reprecipitation. The Sr isotopes of the primary scheelite (0.7073-0.7078) are generally consistent with those of the mineralized granodiorite porphyries (0.7061-0.7063) and mafic enclaves (0.7058-0.7073). The granodiorite porphyries contain low tungsten contents (3-11 ppm), whereas high tungsten contents were detected in mafic enclaves (48-75 ppm). The coexistence of mafic enclaves and tungsten mineralization at depth, and their consistent Sr isotopes, indicates that the interaction of mafic enclaves and exsolved magmatic fluids from the granodiorite porphyries may have played an important role in the extraction of tungsten from the mafic enclaves and formation of scheelite mineralization. Our work shows that scheelite geochemistry can be used to trace the mineralizing conditions but the compositions may be significantly modified during the ore-forming process. Thus, detailed textural relationships should be investigated before using scheelite geochemistry to constrain the hydrothermal fluids and ore genesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Protracted magma storage in the deep crust is a key stage in the formation of evolved, hydrous arc magmas that can result in explosive volcanism and the formation of economically valuable magmatic-hydrothermal ore deposits. High magmatic water content in the deep crust results in extensive amphibole ± garnet fractionation and the suppression of plagioclase crystallization as recorded by elevated Sr/Y ratios and high Eu (high Eu/Eu*) in the melt. Here, we use a novel approach to track the petrogenesis of arc magmas using apatite trace element chemistry in volcanic formations from the Cenozoic arc of central Chile. These rocks formed in a magmatic cycle that culminated in high-Sr/Y magmatism and porphyry ore deposit formation in the Miocene. We use Sr/Y, Eu/Eu*, and Mg in apatite to track discrete stages of arc magma evolution. We apply fractional crystallization modeling to show that early-crystallizing apatite can inherit a high-Sr/Y and high-Eu/Eu* melt chemistry signature that is predetermined by amphibole-dominated fractional crystallization in the lower crust. Our modeling shows that crystallization of the in situ host-rock mineral assemblage in the shallow crust causes competition for trace elements in the melt that leads to apatite compositions diverging from bulk-magma chemistry. Understanding this decoupling behavior is important for the use of apatite as an indicator of metallogenic fertility in arcs and for interpretation of provenance in detrital studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Six types of pyrite formed in two overprinting gold-mineralizing events. • Monazite U-Pb dating constrains the age of early mineralization to ca. 429 Ma. • Distinct δ34S values suggest early metasedimentary and late magmatic origin of sulfur. The Tanjianshan goldfield is the most important gold producer in the North Qaidam, NW China. Genesis of gold deposits in Tanjianshan is enigmatic, primarily because of uncertainties as to timing, mineralization processes and fluid sources. We investigate these uncertainties through a comprehensive study of the texture and geochemistry (LA-MC-ICPMS trace elements and sulfur isotopes) of pyrite and in-situ U-Pb dating of monazite from the Qinglonggou gold deposit. Six types of pyrite with distinct textures, trace element contents and sulfur isotopes have been identified, and provide constraints on two overprinting gold-related hydrothermal events. Stage I consists of Py1, occurring as veinlets parallel to S1 deformation in a schist, is characterized by extremely low Co/Ni ratios with high contents of Ni, and high δ34S values (+14.9 ‰ to +16.1 ‰), and were likely derived from metamorphism of the sedimentary strata in the Tanjianshan and Wandonggou Group. In stage II, Py2 occurs in the pyrite-quartz veins that cut Py1 veinlets. They have similar δ34S (+13.1 ‰ to +17.8 ‰) to Py1, indicating that sulfur was likely derived from the dissolution of Py1. The stage I and II veins formed during an early gold pre-concentration event, which is constrained at 429.1 ± 5.9 Ma by in-situ U-Pb dating of monazite that coexists with Py1. Stage III includes Py3 and Py4 which occur in the altered carbonaceous schist and accompanying quartz veins. Trace metals are highest in Py3 (Ag, Au, Sb, and Bi) which represent the most economic ore stage in the deposit, whereas the following Py4 shows low concentrations of most trace elements due to abundant Py3 precipitation. In contrast, trace elements contents increase in Py5 to similar levels as those seen in Py3, suggesting a new pulse of fluid in stage IV. Minor Py6 grains precipitated in the youngest quartz-calcite veins associated with stage V, and contain low concentrations of trace elements. The δ34S values of Py3 (+5.2 ‰ to +6.0 ‰) and Py4 (+4.2 ‰ to +6.1 ‰) are within the range of magmatic sulfur, suggesting a dominantly magmatic source. The δ34S values increase from Py3-4 to Py5 (+6.3 ‰ to +7.4 ‰), and to Py6 (+8.7 ‰ to +9.6 ‰), probably due to increasing contribution from the host rocks, as well as decreasing f O 2 , through incremental fluid-rock interaction. Stages III and IV represent a late gold-mineralizing event during Late Paleozoic to Early Mesozoic, while stage V is post-mineralization. The overprinting gold pre-concentration and mineralization events in the Tanjianshan goldfield correspond to orogenic evolution of the Proto-Tethys Ocean and Paleo-Tethys Ocean, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Talate ore field is located in the Abagong polymetallic metallogenic belt of the Altay Orogen, NW China. Lenticular ore bodies occur in the Kangbutiebao Formation, a package of intermediate-felsic marine volcanic rocks and terrigenous clastic sedimentary-carbonate rocks. Skarn alteration (mainly garnet) is present in both ore and wall rocks, especially the carbonate rocks. The mineral assemblages and cross-cutting relationships of veins allow the alteration and mineralization process to be divided into four stages. From early to late, these are the early skarn (E-skarn), the late skarn with quartz-magnetite veins (QM), the quartz-sulphide (QS) and the quartz-carbonate (QC) assemblages. Quartz crystals are important gangue minerals in the latter three stages, in which four distinct compositions of fluid inclusions are identified based on petrography, microthermometry and laser Raman microspectroscopy, namely aqueous inclusions (W-type), pure CO2 inclusions (PC-type), CO2-rich inclusions (C-type) and daughter mineral-bearing inclusions (S-type). Microthermometric data and laser Raman analyses show that the quartz crystals from the QM stage contain all four inclusion types, with the W-type being predominant. Homogenization temperatures range between 271 and 426 °C. The salinities of the W- and C-type fluid inclusions range from 0.5 to 22.4 wt.% NaCl eqv., whereas the S-type fluid inclusions in the QM stage range from 31 to 41 wt.% NaCl eqv. Daughter minerals in the fluid inclusions include halite, sylvite, pyrite and calcite. Quartz from the QS stage (main mineralization stage) contains the W-, C- and PC-type inclusions, which are homogenized at temperatures of 204-269 °C, with salinities of 0.2-15.6 wt.% NaCl eqv. Only W-type fluid inclusions have been identified in the QC stage. These yielded homogenizing temperatures of 175-211 °C and salinities of 1.1-9.9 wt.% NaCl eqv. The C-type fluid inclusions of the main (QS) mineralization stage yield trapping pressures of 107-171 MPa, corresponding to a depth of 4-6 km. The sulphur isotope values (−1.7‰ and −6.6‰) imply that the QS stage may not be directly associated with the early skarn (−7.4‰) and quartz-magnetite stages (−4.8‰ and −5.0‰), though the QS stage is probably dominated by magmatic-hydrothermal fluids. 40Ar/39Ar isotope plateau ages of 227.6 and 214.1 Ma for biotite separated from the QM and QS stages are significantly younger than the host Kangbutiebao Formation ( ca. 410 Ma). The Talate Pb-Zn(-Fe) deposit is interpreted to be an unusual skarn-type system formed in a continental collision orogeny. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study documents chemical denudation rates (CDR) in the Canadian Shield and Interior Platform. It focuses on the dissolved chemistry of rivers flowing into the Hudson, James, and Ungava bays (HJUB). Major ions, strontium, neodymium, and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations were monitored in four rivers (Koksoak, Great Whale, La Grande, and Nelson). Six other rivers flowing into the HJUB were sampled during baseflow and snowmelt conditions. The rivers of the Canadian Shield exhibit major cation concentrations ranging between 62 and 360 µmol/L, [Nd] of 0.57-4.72 nmol/L, and variable [DOC] of 241-1777 µmol/L. In comparison, the Nelson River (Interior Platform) shows higher major cation concentrations (1200-2276 µmol/L), lower [Nd] (0.14-0.45 nmol/L), and intermediate [DOC] (753-928 µmol/L). Altogether, the studied rivers export 8 × 106 t/year of dissolved major cations and 50 t/year of dissolved Nd towards the HJUB. Basin-scale rock denudation rates (RDR) range from 1.0 to 5.3 t·km-2·year-1 and are essentially controlled by lithology, as illustrated by the relationship established between RDR and the proportion of sedimentary and volcanic rocks (%S + %V) within the basins: RDR = 0.08(%S + %V) + 0.9. In contrast, dissolved Nd exports (and likely other insoluble elements) seem to be dependent upon organic matter leaching, as illustrated by the empirical coupling between Nd and DOC exports. These fluxes decrease northwards, likely in response to the hydroclimatic gradient. The CDR evaluated within the Canadian Shield are among the lowest on the planet, and the alkalinity generated by rock weathering remains small with respect to DOC exports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study documents the spatiotemporal variability of riverine uranium contents and fluxes in rivers discharging into the Hudson, James, and Ungava bays (HJUB). Samples retrieved during a monitoring program of the Koksoak, Great Whale, La Grande, and Nelson rivers were analyzed for dissolved uranium concentration [U] and activity ratio (234U/238U). Field surveys conducted during baseflow and snowmelt in six other rivers of the HJUB basin provided complementary data. It is estimated that altogether, the studied rivers export 3.4 × 105 mol/year of U towards the HJUB, with a discharge weighted average (234U/238U) of 1.27. Two main factors appear to control seasonal fluctuations in dissolved U exports from HJUB rivers: snowmelt and anthropogenic flow control. Under natural hydrological regimes, the dilution of U caused by snowmelt does not compensate for the associated increase in discharge, and riverine U fluxes are intensified during springtime. Contrastingly, the timing of riverine U exports is decoupled from hydroclimatic conditions in rivers affected by flow-control structures. Despite the seasonal variations in riverine U contents, the sampling profiles carried along two of the monitored rivers reveal that within the study region, sample locality is at least as important as sampling time for evaluating riverine U fluxes. In addition, a compilation of data from North American rivers reveals that spatial variations in riverine U contents seem to respond to a prominent lithological control, as rivers draining sedimentary rocks (with abundant carbonates) tend to present overall higher U contents and lower (234U/238U) variability than the rivers of the Canadian Shield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Canyon domain and the Banded complex in the Manicouagan area of the Grenville Province preserve a record of magmatic activity from ∼1.4 to 1 Ga. This study focuses on 1.4-1.2 Ga mafic rocks and 1 Ga ultrapotassic dykes. Geochemistry and Sm-Nd isotopic signatures were used to constrain the origin of these rocks and evaluate the changing role of the mantle with time and tectonic setting from the late evolution of the Laurentian margin to the Grenvillian orogeny, in the Manicouagan area. The mafic rocks include layers inferred to represent flows, homogeneous bodies in mafic migmatite, and deformed dykes, all of which were recrystallized under granulite-facies conditions during the Grenvillian orogeny. In spite of the complexities inherent in these deformed and metamorphosed mafic rocks, we were able to recognize suites with distinctive geochemical and isotopic signatures. Integration of this data along with available ages is consistent with a 1.4 Ga continental arc cut by 1.2 Ga non-arc basalts derived from depleted asthenospheric mantle, with varied degrees of crustal contamination and inferred to represent magmatism in an extensional environment. The 1 Ga ultrapotassic dykes postdate the Grenvillian metamorphism. They are extremely enriched in incompatible elements, have negative Nb anomalies, relatively unradiogenic Sr-isotopic compositions (initial 87Sr/86Sr ~ 0.7040) and εNd -3 to -15. Some dykes have compositional characteristics consistent with derivation from the mantle, ruling out crustal contamination as a major process in their petrogenesis. The most likely source region for the ultrapotassic dykes is a metasomatized subcontinental lithospheric mantle, with thermal input from the asthenosphere in association with post-orogenic delamination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intrusive rocks of the Nipigon Embayment comprise a series of four mafic to ultramafic intrusions and a number of laterally extensive diabase sills that are among the oldest expression of the ~1.1 Ga Mesoproterozoic Mid-continent Rift. New geochemical data indicate that the sills can be subdivided into five distinct groups: three mafic sills (Nipigon, Inspiration, and McIntyre diabase sills), with the Nipigon sills forming the bulk of the outcrop, and two spatially restricted ultramafic to mafic sills (Jackfish and Shillabeer sills). The latter mafic sills are typically massive, medium-grained, intergranular textured gabbros ranging in thickness from a few metres to more than 250 m. Two of the ultramafic intrusions included in this study (Disraeli and Hele) consist of a core of pyroxene peridotite with olivine gabbro along the margins. The geochemical characteristics of the ultramafic intrusions and diabase sills are consistent with plume-derived melts that have undergone subsequent fractionation and been contaminated by continental crust, likely at depth, but a few samples from the Hele and Disraeli intrusions have the characteristics of primary, uncontaminated melts that have been rapidly transported through the lithosphere with little interaction with wall rocks. The field and geochemical characteristics of the intrusions and sills are consistent with the ultramafic intrusions having been emplaced before the diabase sills and indicate that the history of the Midcontinent Rift is more complex and protracted than previously recognized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Zhuangzi Au deposit in the world-class Jiaodong gold province hosts visible natural gold, and pyrite as the main ore mineral, making it an excellent subject for deciphering the complex hydrothermal processes and mechanisms of gold precipitation. Three types of zoned pyrite crystals were distinguished based on textural and geochemical results from EPMA, SIMS sulfur isotopic analyses and NanoSIMS mapping. Py0 has irregular shapes and abundant silicate inclusions and was contemporaneous with the earliest pyrite-sericite-quartz alteration. It has low concentrations of As (0-0.3 wt.%), Au and Cu. Py1 precipitated with stage I mineralization shows oscillatory zoning with the bright bands having high As (0.4-3.9 wt.%), Au and Cu contents, whereas the dark bands have low contents of As (0-0.4 wt.%), Au and Cu. The oscillatory zoning represents pressure fluctuations and repeated local fluid phase separation around the pyrite crystal. The concentration of invisible gold in Py1 is directly proportional to the arsenic concentration. Py1 is partially replaced by Py2 which occurs with arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite and native gold in stage II. The replacement was likely the result of pseudomorphic dissolution-reprecipitation triggered by a new pulse of Au-rich hydrothermal fluids. The δ34S values for the three types of pyrite are broadly similar ranging from + 7.1 to + 8.8‰, suggesting a common sulfur source. Fluid inclusion microthermometry suggests that extensive phase separation was responsible for the gold deposition during stage II mineralization. Uranium-Pb dating of monazite constrains the age of mineralization to ca. 119 Ma coincident with a short compressional event around 120 Ma linked to an abrupt change in the drift direction of the subducting Pacific plate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]