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Multistage amphiboles from the Galinge iron skarn deposit in Qiman Tagh, western China: evidence of igneous rocks replacement

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Abstract

Amphiboles from the Galinge skarn deposit, the largest iron (Fe) polymetallic skarn deposit in the Qiman Tagh metallogenic belt (western China), were formed by multistage fluid-rock interactions. Mineral analysis of the various amphiboles suggest that they were formed by the replacement of mafic to intermediate igneous rocks. The two alteration phases have formed three generations of compositionally distinct amphiboles: Amp-I: Ferro-edenitic hornblende (FE); Amp-II: Deep bluish-green magnesian-hastingsite (MH); Amp-III: Light greenish-beige ferro-actinolite (FA). The Amp-I preserves the primary igneous amphibole composition, and was subsequently replaced by Amp-II. The amphibole Cl content markedly increases from the FE (0.176 − 0.582 wt.%) to the MH (0.894 − 3.161 wt.%), and abruptly drops in the FA (0.017 − 0.039 wt.%). The Cl-rich MH contains the lowest concentration of Si [5.64 − 6.28 atoms per formula unit (apfu)], and the highest (K + Na) values (0.72 − 1.06 apfu) in the amphibole A-site with a high K/(K + Na) of 0.491 to 0.429. Both Mg and Fe contents of the MH and FA vary widely, possibly due to the interactions of magma-derived hydrothermal fluids with the basaltic / andesitic host rocks.

Formation of the Cl-rich MH may have been associated with the early high-temperature and high-saline hydrothermal fluids, meanwhile the Cl-poor FA may have formed from later low-temperature and low-saline hydrothermal fluids. The MH plays an important role for consuming Cl carried by hydrothermal fluids. The Cl-rich fluids may have mobilized some elements, such as Fe, Al, Mg, Ca and Ti from the host rocks. Considerable amounts of Ti, Al, Mg and Fe were incorporated into the sphene and Fe-Ti oxides that coexist with the MH.

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Acknowledgments

This study was jointly financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant 41172076), the Program of High-level Geological Talents (201309) and Youth Geological Talents (201112) of the China Geological Survey, Geological Survey Program (Grant 1212011085528) from the China Geological Survey, and the Scientific Research Fund (Grant 201411025) of the Non-Commercial Unit from Ministry of Land and Resources, China.

Thanks are due to the Editor-in-Chief Johann G. Raith and Associate Editor Georg Hoinkes for editorial handling, and to the two reviewers for their constructive and thoughtful comments. Cenozoic Geoscience Editing is acknowledged for their language polishing and scientific editing services.

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  1. School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing, 100871, China

    M. Yu & Y. -F. Zhu

  2. MLR Key Laboratory of Metallogeny and Mineral Assessment, Institute of Mineral Resources, CAGS, No. 26 Baiwanzhuang Street, Xicheng District, Beijing, 100037, China

    M. Yu, C. -Y. Feng, J. -W. Mao, Y. -M. Zhao & D. -X. Li

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Correspondence to C. -Y. Feng.

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Yu, M., Feng, C.Y., Zhu, Y.F. et al. Multistage amphiboles from the Galinge iron skarn deposit in Qiman Tagh, western China: evidence of igneous rocks replacement. Miner Petrol 111, 81–97 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00710-016-0459-x

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