Geological characteristics and metallogenic significance of the Devonian intermediate-basic volcanic rocks in the Dachang deposit, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region

Abstract

Recently discovered intermediate-basic volcanic rocks in the Devonian strata at Dachang, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region are dominated by basalts and andesites. Most of them belong to the calc-alkali and alkali series. Petrology and geochemistry data indicate that the volcanic rocks may be formed in a continental rift environment. The volcanic rocks are in conformable contact with the overlying and underlying wall rocks, with such typical sedimentary structures as laminated and striped ones, and the host rocks of the volcanic rocks contain lots of marine fossils such as tentaculite. Many pieces of evidence indicate that the eruption environment of the volcanic rocks is a sea-facies one. The volcanic rocks are of the LREE-enrichment type, with high ratios of light rare-earth elements to heavy rare-earth elements. In addition, they display moderately negative δEu anomalies and moderately negative δCe anomalies with a higher degree of LREE and HREE fractionation. Through the Q-cluster analysis of the REE samples, it is indicated that the ores have a closer relation with the layered volcanic rocks, and also possess a certain inheritance-consistency relationship with the layered volcanic rocks. The source of ore-forming materials may be related with volcanism. It is proposed that the ore deposit in the study area should be genetically explained as the result of marine volcano-sedimentary exhalation of hot water and late superposition-reworking.