Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Zircon Ce4+/Ce3+ ratios and ages for Yulong ore-bearing porphyries in eastern Tibet

  • Article
  • Published:
Mineralium Deposita Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Yulong ore-bearing porphyries, along the northwestern extension of the Red River–Ailao Shan fault system in eastern Tibet, consist of five porphyry deposits, containing a total of more than 8 million tons of copper resources. U–Th–Pb laser inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry dating of zircon shows that the porphyries were emplaced in Early Tertiary (41.2–36.9 Ma), covering a period of ∼4.3 Ma, with formation ages decreasing systematically from northwest to southeast. The start of porphyry magmatism coincided with the onset of transpressional movement along the Red River–Ailao Shan fault system, implying a close link between these two events. Age sequence in intrusions can be plausibly explained by assuming that a region of melting in the lower northwestern plate moved southeasternward along the Tuoba–Mangkang fault relative to the upper plate. Zircon grains from the Yulong ore-bearing porphyries have higher Ce4+/Ce3+ than those from barren porphyries in the region. This suggests that the ore-bearing porphyries crystallized from a relatively oxidized magma, which has important implications for future ore exploration in the region and other Cu deposits in convergent margin environments in general.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Ballard JR (2001) A comparatives study between the geochemistry of ore-bearing and barren calc-alkaline intrusions. Unpublished PhD thesis, Australian National University, pp 1–250

  • Ballard JR, Palin JM, Campbell IH (2002) Relative oxidation states of magmas inferred from Ce(IV)/Ce(III) in zircon: application to porphyry copper deposits of northern Chile. Contrib Mineral Petrol 144:347–364

    Google Scholar 

  • Black LP, Kamo SL, Allen CM, Aleiniloff JN, Davis DW, Korsch RJ, Foudoulis C (2003) TEMORA 1: a new zircon standard for Phanerozoic U–Pb geochronology. Chem Geol 200:155–170

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Blevin PL, Chappell BW (1992) The role of magma sources, oxidation states and fractionation in determining the granite metallogeny of eastern Australia. Trans R Soc Edinb Earth Sci 83:305–316

    Google Scholar 

  • Bowen R, Gunatilaka A (1977) Copper: its geology and economics. Applied Science Publishers, Ltd., London, pp 1–150

    Google Scholar 

  • Camus F, Dilles JH (2001) A special issue devoted to porphyry copper deposits of northern Chile. Econ Geol 96:233–237

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Candela PA (1992) Controls on ore metal ratios in granite-related ore systems: an experimental and computational approach. Trans R Soc Edinb Earth Sci 83:317–326

    Google Scholar 

  • Chen FZ, Liao, GX (1983) The geology and major mineral resources in the Changdu area: contribution to the geology of the Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, vol 13. Geological Publishing House, Beijing, pp 1–168 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Cline JS, Bodnar RJ (1991) Can economic porphyry copper mineralization be generated by a typical calc-alkaline melt? J Geophys Res 96:8113–8126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Griffiths JR, Godwin CI (1983) Metallogeny and tectonics of porphyry copper–molybdenum deposits in British Columbia. Can Earth Sci 20:1000–1018

    Google Scholar 

  • Harris AC, Allen CM, Bryan SE, Campbell IH, Holcombe RJ, Palin MJ (2004) ELA-ICP-MS U–Pb zircon geochronology of regional volcanism hosting the Bajo de la Alumbrera Cu–Au deposit: implications for porphyry-related mineralization. Miner Depos 39:46–67

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hedenquist JW, Lowenstern JB (1994) The role of magmas in the formation of hydrothermal ore deposits. Nature 370:519–527

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hinton RW (1999) NIST SRM 610, 611 and SRM 612, 613 multi-element glasses: constraints from element abundance ratios measured by microprobe techniques. Geostand Newsl 23:197–207

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hou ZQ, Ma HW, Zaw K, Zhang YQ, Wang MJ, Wang Z, Pan GT, Tang RL (2003) The Himalayan Yulong porphyry copper belt: product of large-scale strike–slip faulting in eastern Tibet. Econ Geol 98:125–145

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Liu RM, Zhao DH, Huang XR (1981) Discussion on isotopic ages of acid intrusions in the eastern Tibet. Geol Rev 27:323–332 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Ma HW (1990) Granitoid and mineralization of the Yulong porphyry copper belt in eastern Tibet. China University of Geosciences Press, Wuhan, pp 1–158 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitchell AHG (1973) Metallogenic belts and angle of dip of Benioff zones. Nature 245:49–52

    Google Scholar 

  • Mungall JE (2002) Roasting the mantle: slab melting and the genesis of major Au and Au-rich Cu deposits. Geology 30:915–918

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pan GT, Wang PS, Xu YR, Jiao SP, Xiang TX (1990) Cenozoic tectonic evolution of Qinghai–Xizang Plateau. Geological Publishing House, Beijing, pp 1–190 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Pasteris JD (1996) Mount Pinatubo volcano and “negative” porphyry copper deposits. Geology 24:1075–1078

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pearce NJG, Perkins WT, Westgate JA, Corton MP, Jakson SE, Neal CR, Chenery SP (1997) A compilation of new and published major and trace element data for NIST SRM 610 and NIST 612 glass reference materials. Geostand Newsl 21:115–144

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ratschbacher L, Frisch W, Chen C, Pan G (1996) Cenozoic deformation, rotation, and stress patterns in eastern Tibet and western Sichuan, China. In: Yin A, Harrision TM (eds) The Tectonic evolution of Asia. Cambridge University Press, New York, pp 227–249

    Google Scholar 

  • Rui ZY, Huang CK, Qi GM, Xu J, Zhang MT (1984) Porphyry copper (molybdenum) deposits in China. Geological Publishing House, Beijing, pp 1–350 (in Chinese)

    Google Scholar 

  • Sengor AMC, Natalin BC (1996) Paleotectonics of Asia: fragments of a synthesis. In: Yin A, Harrison TM (eds) The tectonics of Asia. Cambridge University Press, New York, pp 486–640

    Google Scholar 

  • Sillitoe RH (1972) A plate tectonic model for the origin of porphyry copper deposits. Econ Geol 67:184–197

    Google Scholar 

  • Sillitoe RH, Camus F (eds) (1991) A special issue devoted to gold deposits in the Chilean Andes. Econ Geol 86:1153–1345

    Google Scholar 

  • Sun WD, Li SG, Chen YD, Li YJ (2002) Timing of synorogenic granitoids in the South Qinling, central China: constraints on the evolution of the Qinling–Dabie orogenic belt. J Geol 110:457–468

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sun WD, Arculus RJ, Kamenetsky VS, Binns RA (2004) Release of gold-bearing fluids in convergent margin magmas prompted by magnetite crystallization. Nature 431:975–978

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Tang RL, Luo HS (1995) The geology of Yulong porphyry copper (molybdenum) ore belt, Xizang (Tibet). Geological Publishing House, Beijing, pp 1–320 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Urich T, Guenther D, Heinrich CA (1999) Gold concentrations of magmatic brines and the metal budget of porphyry copper deposits. Nature 399:676–679

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang E, Burchfiel BC (1997) Interpretation of Cenozoic tectonics in the right-lateral accommodation zone between the Ailao Shan shear zone and the eastern Himalayan xyntaxis. Int Geol Rev 39:191–219

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Wang Z, Shentu BY, Ding JC, Yao P, Geng QR (1995) Granitoid and its mineralization in the eastern Tibet China. Publishing House of the Southwestern University of Communication, Chengdu, pp 1–150 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Wang JH, Yin A, Harrison TM, Grove M, Zhang YQ, Xie GH (2001) A tectonic model for Cenozoic igneous activities in the eastern Indo-Asian collision Zone. Earth Planet Sci Lett 188:123–133

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Watson EB, Harrison TM (1983) Zircon saturation revisited; temperature and compositional effects in a variety of crustal magma types. Earth Planet Sci Lett 64:295–304

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Yin A, Harrison T M (2000) Geological evolution of the Himalayan–Tibetan orogen. Annu Rev Earth Planet Sci 28:211–280

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang YQ, Xie YW, Qiu HN, Li XH, Chung SL (1998) Geochemical characteristics of the ore-bearing porphyries in the Yulong ore-belt. Earth Sci China Univ Geosci 23:560–597 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

  • Zhang YQ, Xie YW, Li XH, Qiu HN, Zhao ZH, Liang HY, Chung SL (2000) Isotopic characteristics of shoshonitic rocks in eastern Qinghai–Tibet Plateau: petrogenesis and its tectonic implication. Sci China Ser D 30:494–498 (in Chinese with English abstract)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

We thank the Tibet Geological Survey for its help in our field work. Liang Huaying thanks the Chinese Academy of Sciences for supporting his visit to the Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University. The first author would like to thank the Research School of Earth Sciences for access to the excimer laser ablation ICP-MS and mineral separation facilities. This work was cosupported by the Chinese NSF (40472049 and 48972035), the Chinese National Key Project for Basic Research (G1999043203), and the Chinese Academy of Sciences Key Project (kzcx2-sw-117 and GIGCX-04-03). Victor Maksaev, Osvaldo Rabbia, Larry Meinert, and Rob King are thanked for greatly improving the manuscript through their thoughtful and thorough reviews.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory for Metallogenic Dynamics, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China

    Hua-Ying Liang, Ying-Wen Xie & Yu-Qiang Zhang

  2. Research School of Earth Sciences, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia

    Ian H. Campbell & Charlotte Allen

  3. Key Laboratory of Isotope Geochronology and Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China

    Wei-Dong Sun

  4. Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550002, China

    Cong-Qiang Liu

  5. Guilin Institute of Technology, Guilin, 541004, China

    Heng-Xiang Yu

Authors
  1. Hua-Ying Liang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Ian H. Campbell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Charlotte Allen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Wei-Dong Sun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Cong-Qiang Liu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Heng-Xiang Yu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Ying-Wen Xie
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Yu-Qiang Zhang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Hua-Ying Liang.

Additional information

Communicated by Editorial handling: R. King

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Liang, HY., Campbell, I.H., Allen, C. et al. Zircon Ce4+/Ce3+ ratios and ages for Yulong ore-bearing porphyries in eastern Tibet. Miner Deposita 41, 152–159 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00126-005-0047-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00126-005-0047-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation