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Granite-related Yangjiashan tungsten deposit, southern China

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Abstract

The Yangjiashan scheelite-bearing deposit (38,663 metric tons of WO3 with an average ore grade of 0.70% WO3) is hosted in quartz veins in a biotite monzogranite intrusion and surrounding slate in the Xiangzhong Metallogenic Province of southern China. The monzogranite has a zircon SHRIMP U–Pb age of 406.6 ± 2.8 Ma (2σ, n = 20, MSWD = 1.4). Cassiterite coexisting with scheelite yields a weighted mean 206Pb/238U age of 409.8 ± 5.9 Ma (2σ, n = 30, MSWD = 0.20), and molybdenite intergrown with scheelite yields a weighted mean Re–Os age of 404.2 ± 3.2 Ma (2σ, n = 3, MSWD = 0.10). These results suggest that the Yangjiashan tungsten deposit is temporally related to the Devonian intrusion. The δD and calculated δ18OH2O values of quartz intergrown with scheelite range from − 87 to − 68‰, and − 1.2 to 3.4‰, respectively. Sulfides have a narrow range of δ34S values of − 2.9 to − 0.7‰ with an average value of − 1.6‰ (n = 16). The integration of geological, stable isotope, and geochronological data, combined with the quartz–muscovite greisen style of ore, supports a magmatic–hydrothermal origin for the tungsten mineralization. Compared to the more common tungsten skarn, quartz–wolframite vein, and porphyry tungsten deposits, as well as orogenic gold deposits worldwide, the Yangjiashan tungsten deposit is an unusual example of a granite-related, gold-poor, scheelite-bearing quartz vein type of deposit. The calcium needed for the formation of scheelite is derived from the sericitization of calcic plagioclase in the monzogranite and Ca-bearing psammitic country rocks, and the relatively high pH, reduced and Ca-rich mineralizing fluid may be the main reasons for the formation of scheelite rather than wolframite at Yangjiashan.

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Acknowledgments

We thank local geologist Luo Luzong and the No. 418 Geological Team of the Bureau of Geology and Mineral Exploration and Development of Hunan Province for providing assistance during fieldwork. Two anonymous reviewers, Editor Bernd Lehmann, and Associate Editor Ruizhong Hu are thanked for constructive reviews that greatly improved the quality of this paper. We truly appreciate the constructive comments and editing in great detail by Professor Richard Goldfarb. We are indebted to the American Journal Experts for editing the English in the manuscript. We express our appreciation to Professor Weidong Sun, Associate Professor C. Mark Fanning, Dr. Changfu Fan, Dr. Chao Li, and Dr. Zengjie Zhang for their great assistance during analyses. Professor Yanhe Li, Houming Li, Dr. Wei Hong, Rongqing Zhang, Dexian Zhang, and Yanbo Cheng are thanked for their suggestions on the early manuscript draft.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (2014CB440902) and the National Science Foundation of China (41573042, 41372090, and 41430314).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Metallogeny and Mineral Assessment, Ministry of Land and Resources of the People’s Republic of China (MLR), Institute of Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Sciences, No.26 Baiwanzhuang Road, Beijing, 100037, China

    Guiqing Xie, Jingwen Mao, Wei Li & Zhiyuan Zhang

  2. Research School of Earth Sciences, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia

    Bin Fu

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  1. Guiqing Xie
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Correspondence to Guiqing Xie.

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Editorial handling: R. Hu/B. Lehmann

Electronic supplementary material

ESM Table 1

SHRIMP zircon U–Pb data for biotite monzogranite from the Yangjiashan deposit (DOC 73 kb)

ESM Table 2

LA–ICP–MS U–Pb data for cassiterite from the Yangjiashan deposit (DOC 72 kb)

ESM Table 3

Re–Os isotope data for molybdenite from the Yangjiashan deposit (DOC 31 kb)

ESM Table 4

Fluid inclusion data for quartz from the Yangjiashan deposit (DOC 347 kb)

ESM Table 5

Oxygen and hydrogen isotope compositions for quartz from the Yangjiashan deposit (DOC 42 kb)

ESM Table 6

Sulfur isotope compositions for sulfides from the Yangjiashan deposit (DOC 49 kb)

ESM Table 7

Major element concentrations (wt%) for psammitic slate for the Mobin Formation, which hosts the Yangjiashan deposit (DOC 32 kb)

ESM Table 8

Representative microprobe analyses (wt%) for magmatic plagioclase in the biotite monzogranite from the Yangjiashan deposit (DOC 50 kb)

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Xie, G., Mao, J., Li, W. et al. Granite-related Yangjiashan tungsten deposit, southern China. Miner Deposita 54, 67–80 (2019). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00126-018-0805-5

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