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Primary uranium sources for sedimentary-hosted uranium deposits in NE China: insight from basement igneous rocks of the Erlian Basin

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Abstract

Carboniferous–Permian, Triassic and Jurassic igneous basement rocks around the Erlian Basin in northeast China have been investigated through detailed mineralogical, whole-rock geochemistry, geochronological data and Sm–Nd isotope studies. Carboniferous–Permian biotite granites and volcanic rocks belong to a calc-alkaline association and were emplaced during the Late Carboniferous–Early Permian (313 ± 1–286 ± 2 Ma). These rocks are characterised by positive εNd(t) (3.3–5.3) and fairly young T DM model ages (485–726 Ma), suggesting a dominant derivation from partial melting of earlier emplaced juvenile source rocks. Triassic biotite granites belong to a high-K calc-alkaline association and were emplaced during the Middle Triassic (243 ± 3–233 ± 2 Ma). Their negative εNd(t) (−2 to −0.1) and higher T DM model ages (703–893 Ma) suggest a contribution from Precambrian crust during the magma generation processes, leading to a strong enrichment in K and incompatible elements such as Th and U. Highly fractionated magmas crystallised in U-rich biotite (up to 21 ppm U) and two-mica granites. In biotite granite, the major U-bearing minerals are uranothorite and allanite. They are strongly metamict and the major part of their uranium (90 %) has been released from the mineral structure and was available for leaching. Mass balance calculations show that the Triassic biotite granites may have, at least, liberated ∼14,000 t U/km3 and thus correspond to a major primary uranium source for the U deposits hosted in the Erlian Basin.

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Acknowledgments

Financial support for this study was provided by AREVA Mines, the East China Institute of Technology in Nanchang, Jiangxi, and the Geological Team No. 208, Bureau of Geology, Chinese National Nuclear Corporation in Baotou, Inner Mongolia. The authors acknowledge colleagues from the East China Institute of Technology for the presentations and scientific discussions that have been organised about the geology of the Erlian Basin, as well as colleagues from the Geological Team No. 208 for their field support and the access to drill cores. The authors are thankful to Menhong from the Geological team No. 208 for the translation during the field mission and geologists from AREVA Mines for the discussions on the geodynamic evolution of eastern Asia. The authors are also indebted to Marc Brouand from AREVA Mines for access to ion probe analysis sessions. Finally, the authors would like to thank both reviewers R.L. Romer and S. Li for improving this paper.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. GéoRessources-CNRS-CREGU, Université de Lorraine, BP239, 54506, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France

    Christophe Bonnetti, Michel Cuney & Sylvain Bourlange

  2. East China Institute of Technology, 418 Guanglan Road, Nanchang, 344000, Jiangxi, People’s Republic of China

    Christophe Bonnetti & Xiaodong Liu

  3. CNRS-CRPG, UMR 7358, 54506, Vandoeuvre-lès Nancy, France

    Etienne Deloule

  4. Géosciences Rennes - UMR CNRS 6118, OSUR, Université de Rennes 1, 35042, Rennes Cedex, France

    Marc Poujol

  5. Geological Team No. 208, Bureau of Geology, Chinese National Nuclear Corporation, Baotou, Inner Mongolia, People’s Republic of China

    Yunbiao Peng & Jianxing Yang

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  1. Christophe Bonnetti
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Correspondence to Christophe Bonnetti.

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Editorial handling: R.L. Romer

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Fig. S1

Classification diagrams for basement igneous rocks surrounding the Wulanchabu and Manite sub-basins. a Classification diagram for granite samples (modified after Cox et al. 1979; the dividing line between alkalic and sub-alkalic magma series is from Miyashiro 1978). b Classification diagram for volcanic rock samples (modified after Le Bas et al. 1986) (JPG 156 kb)

High Resolution Image (EPS 1499 kb)

Fig. S2

Spider diagrams and rare earth element (REE) patterns from basement igneous rocks surrounding the Wulanchabu and Manite sub-basins. a–b Spider diagrams and REE spectra of Triassic granite. c–d Spider diagrams and REE spectra of Carboniferous–Permian granite. e–f Spider diagrams and REE spectra of the Carboniferous–Permian volcanic rocks (JPG 170 kb)

High Resolution Image (EPS 1197 kb)

Fig. S3

Cathodoluminescence photographs of zircon grains that were analysed at the ion probe for U–Pb dating of igneous rocks from the northern margins of the Wulanchabu and Manite sub-basins. The white circles indicate the spots of analysis. U–Pb ages presented in ESM Table S7 are indicated (in Ma) for each point of analysis. a Sample E07. b Sample E08. c Sample E09. d Sample E11. e Sample E14. f Sample ZK1-152.0 m. g Sample E01. h Sample E05 (JPG 126 kb)

High Resolution Image (EPS 4306 kb)

Fig. S4

Photographs of detrital monazite grains and plots of U–Th–Pb average weighted ages using individual ages and errors (2σ) for representative detrital grains of monazite from sediments of the Saihan and Erlian formations. a–b Carboniferous monazite (sample DH2-146.2m). c–d Triassic monazite (sample DH3-118.0m). e–f Jurassic monazite (sample DH1-111.6m). g–h Cretaceous monazite (sample DH3-54.6m). Sample DH3-54.6m belongs to the sediments of the Erlian Formation at the Nuheting deposit and samples DH1-111.6m, DH2-146.2m and DH3-118.0m belong to the sediments of the Saihan Formation at the Bayinwula deposit. Black lines on photographs correspond to EPMA profiles indicated as P1, P2… Mnz = monazite; Qtz = quartz; Py = pyrite (JPG 169 kb)

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Fig. S5

Discrimination diagrams for Carboniferous–Permian and Triassic basement igneous rocks surrounding the Wulanchabu and Manite sub-basins. a Rb–(Yb + Nb) discrimination diagram for Carboniferous–Permian and Triassic granites (modified after Pearce et al. 1984) showing the fields of syn-collisional granite (syn-COLG), within-plate granite (WPG), volcanic-arc granite (VAG) and ocean-ridge granite (ORG). b Rb–(Yb+Ta) discrimination diagram for Carboniferous–Permian and Triassic granites (modified after Pearce et al. 1984) showing the fields of syn-collisional granite (syn-COLG), within-plate granite (WPG), volcanic-arc granite (VAG) and ocean-ridge granite (ORG). c Th/Yb-Ta/Yb discrimination diagram for Carboniferous–Permian and Triassic igneous rocks (modified after Pearce 1982). Vectors indicate the influence of subduction (S), crustal contamination (C), within-plate enrichment (W) and fractional crystallisation (F). Dashed lines separate the boundaries of the tholeiitic (TH), calc-alkaline (CA), and high-K calc-alkaline (K-CA) fields. Active continental margin and oceanic island arc fields modified after Schulz et al. (2004) (JPG 169 kb)

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Bonnetti, C., Cuney, M., Bourlange, S. et al. Primary uranium sources for sedimentary-hosted uranium deposits in NE China: insight from basement igneous rocks of the Erlian Basin. Miner Deposita 52, 297–315 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00126-016-0661-0

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