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Re–Os dating of molybdenite and in-situ Pb isotopes of sulfides from the Lamo Zn–Cu deposit in the Dachang tin-polymetallic ore field, Guangxi, China

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Abstract

The Dachang tin-polymetallic district, Guangxi, China, is one of the largest tin ore fields in the world. Both cassiterite-sulfide and Zn–Cu skarn mineralization are hosted in the Mid-Upper Devonian carbonate-rich sediments adjacent to the underlying Cretaceous Longxianggai granite (91–97 Ma). The Lamo Zn–Cu deposit is a typical skarn deposit in the district and occurs at the contact zone between the Upper Devonian limestone and the granite. The ore minerals mainly consist of sphalerite, arsenopyrite, pyrrhotite, galena, chalcopyrite, and minor molybdenite. However, the age of mineralization and source of the metals are not well constrained. In this study, we use the molybdenite Re–Os dating method and in-situ Pb isotopes of sulfides from the Lamo deposit for the first time in order to directly determine the age of mineralization and the tracing source of metals. Six molybdenite samples yielded a more accurate Re–Os isochron age of 90.0 ± 1.1 Ma (MSWD = 0.72), which is much younger than the reported garnet Sm–Nd isochron age of 95 ± 11 Ma and quartz fluid inclusions Rb–Sr isochron age of 99 ± 6 Ma. This age is also interpreted as the age of Zn–Cu skarn mineralization in the Dachang district. Further, in this study we found that in-situ Pb isotopes of sulfides from the Lamo deposit and feldspars in the district’s biotite granite and granitic porphyry dikes have a narrow range and an overlap of Pb isotopic compositions (206Pb/204Pb = 18.417–18.594, 207Pb/204Pb = 15.641–15.746, and 208Pb/204Pb = 38.791–39.073), suggesting that the metals were mainly sourced from Cretaceous granitic magma.

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Acknowledgements

We gratefully acknowledge the Mining Company of Jilang Indium Industry for access to samples. This work is supported by the National Science Foundation of China (Grants Nos. 41672080, 41772079, 41272113) and Outstanding Talent Foundation of the Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

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  1. Wenchao Su

    Present address: , 99 Linchengxi Road, Guanshanhu District, Guiyang, 550081, China

Authors and Affiliations

  1. State Key Laboratory of Ore Deposit Geochemistry, Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guiyang, 550081, China

    Hai Zhao, Wenchao Su, Peng ** Shen & Jiali Cai

  2. University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Bei**g, 100049, China

    Hai Zhao & Peng **e

  3. Limited Company of Jilang Indium Industries, Nandan, 547200, China

    Ming Luo

  4. State Key Laboratory of Isotope Geochemistry, Guangzhou Institute of Geochemistry, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Guangzhou, 510640, China

    Jie Li

  5. State Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Department of Geology, Northwest University, **’an, 710069, China

    Zhian Bao

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Zhao, H., Su, W., **e, P. et al. Re–Os dating of molybdenite and in-situ Pb isotopes of sulfides from the Lamo Zn–Cu deposit in the Dachang tin-polymetallic ore field, Guangxi, China. Acta Geochim 37, 384–394 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11631-018-0266-7

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