Mineralogy, fluid inclusions, and isotopes of the Cihai iron deposit, eastern Tianshan, NW China: Implication for hydrothermal evolution and genesis of subvolcanic rocks-hosted skarn-type deposits

• Published in: Ore Geology Reviews
• Main Authors: Zheng, Jiahao, Mao, Jingwen, Yang, Fuquan, Chai, Fengmei, Zhu, Yongfeng
• Other Authors: Zheng, JH; Zhu, YF (reprint author), Peking Univ, Sch Earth & Space Sci, Minist Educ, Key Lab Orogen Belts & Crustal Evolut, Beijing 100871, Peoples R China., Peking Univ, Sch Earth & Space Sci, Minist Educ, Key Lab Orogen Belts & Crustal Evolut, Beijing 100871, Peoples R China., Chinese Acad Geol Sci, Inst Mineral Resources, MLR Key Lab Metallogeny & Mineral Assessment, 26 Baiwanzhuang Rd, Beijing 100037, Peoples R China., Chinese Acad Sci, Inst Geol & Geophys, Key Lab Mineral Resources, Beijing 100029, Peoples R China., Xinjiang Univ, Coll Geol & Min Engn, Xinjiang Key Lab Geodynam Proc & Metallogen Progn, Urumqi 830049, Peoples R China.
• Format: Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: ORE GEOLOGY REVIEWS 2017
• Subjects: Mineralogy; Isotopes; Fluid inclusions; Cihai iron deposit; Subvolcanic rocks-hosted skarn deposit; MAFIC-ULTRAMAFIC INTRUSIONS; OXIDE-APATITE DEPOSITS; ASIAN OROGENIC BELT; U-PB GEOCHRONOLOGY; LA-ICP-MS; HYDROGEN ISOTOPE; ORE DISTRICT; KIRUNA-TYPE; CONTINENTAL GROWTH; NORTHWEST CHINA; Kiruna
• Online Access: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11897/473035; https://doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2017.01.032

Most skarn deposits are closely related to granitoids that intruded into carbonate rocks. The Cihai (>100 Mt at 45% Fe) is a deposit with mineral assemblages and hydrothermal features similar to many other typical skarn deposits of the world. However, the iron orebodies of Cihai are mainly hosted within the diabase and not in contact with carbonate rocks. In addition, some magnetite grains exhibit unusual relatively high TiO2 content. These features are not consistent with the typical skarn iron deposit. Different hydrothermal and/or magmatic processes are being actively investigated for its origin. Because of a lack of systematic studies of geology, mineral compositions, fluid inclusions, and isotopes, the genetic type, ore genesis, and hydrothermal evolution of this deposit are still poorly understood and remain controversial. The skarn mineral assemblages are the alteration products of diabase. Three main paragenetic stages of skarn formation and ore deposition have been recognized based on petrographic observations, which show a prograde skarn stage (garnet-clinopyroxene-disseminated magnetite), a retrograde skarn stage (main iron ore stage, massive magnetite-amphibole-epidote +/- ilvaite), and a quartz-sulfide stage (quart z-calcite-pyrite-pyrrhotite-cobaltite). Overall, the compositions of garnet, clinpyroxene, and amphibole are consistent with those of typical skarn Fe deposits worldwide. In the disseminated ores, some magnetite grains exhibit relatively high TiO2 content (>1 wt.%), which may be inherited from the diabase protoliths. Some distinct chemical zoning in magnetite grains were observed in this study, wherein cores are enriched in Ti, and magnetite rims show a pronounced depletion in Ti. The textural and compositional data of magnetite confirm that the Cihai Fe deposit is of hydrothermal origin, rather than associated with iron rich melts as previously suggested. Fluid inclusions study reveal that, the prograde skarn (garnet and pyroxene) formed from high temperature (520-600 degrees C), moderate- to high-salinity (8.1-23.1 wt.% NaCl equiv, and >46 wt.% NaCI equiv) fluids. Massive iron ore and retrograde skarn assemblages (amphibole-epidote ilvaite) formed under hydrostatic condition after the fracturing of early skarn. Fluids in this stage had lower temperature (220-456 degrees C) and salinity (8.4-16.3 wt.% NaCI equiv). Fluid inclusions in quartz-sulfide stage quartz and calcite also record similar conditions, with temperature range from 128 to 367 degrees C and salinity range from 0.2 to 22.9 wt.% NaCl equiv. Oxygen and hydrogen isotopic data of garnet and quartz suggest that mixing and dilution of early magmatic fluids with external fluids (e.g., meteoric waters) caused a decrease in fluid temperature and salinity in the later stages of the skarn formation and massive iron precipitation. The delta(18)Ovalues of magnetite from iron ores vary between 4.1 and 8.5 parts per thousand, which are similar to values reported in other skarn Fe deposits. Such values are distinct from those of other iron ore deposits such as Kiruna-type and magmatic Fe-Ti-V deposits worldwide. Taken together, these geologic, geochemical, and isotopic data confirm that Cihai is a diabase-hosted skarn deposit related to the granitoids at depth. (C) 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved. Ministry of Land and Resources Public Welfare Industry Special Funds [201211073]; National Basic Research Program of China [2012CB416803]; China Postdoctoral Science Foundation [2016LH0003]; NSFC [41372062, 41672047] SCI(E) ARTICLE 404-425 86