Abstract
The geodynamic setting of Mesozoic magmatic rocks and associated mineralization in eastern Tianshan, Northwest China, are attracting increasing attention. The newly discovered giant Donggebi molybdenum deposit (0.508 Mt at 0.115% Mo) is located in the central part of eastern Tianshan, Xinjiang. The molybdenum mineralization was genetically associated with the Donggebi stock, comprised of porphyritic granite and granite porphyry. Secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) zircon U–Pb dating constrains that the porphyritic granite and granite porphyry emplacement occurred at 233.8 ± 2.5 Ma and 231.7 ± 2.6 Ma, respectively. The Re–Os model ages of six molybdenite samples range from 235.2 to 237.0 Ma, with a weighted mean age of 236.1 ± 1.4 Ma, which is roughly consistent within errors with the zircon U–Pb ages, suggesting a Middle Triassic magmatic–mineralization event at Donggebi. Geochemically, the Donggebi granitoids are characterized by high SiO2 and K2O contents, with low MgO contents, belonging to high-K calc-alkaline granites. These rocks show pronounced enrichment in K, Rb, U, and Pb, and depletion in Sr, Ba, P, and Ti, with negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.20–0.38). In situ Hf isotopic analyses of zircon from the porphyritic granite and granite porphyry yielded εHf(t) values ranging from +6.6 to +10.5, and from +5.5 to +10.1, respectively. The geochemical and isotopic data imply that the primary magmas of the Donggebi granitoids could have originated by partial melting of a juvenile lower crust that involved some mantle components. Combined with the regional geological history, geochemistry of the Donggebi granitoids, and new isotopic age data, we thus propose that the Donggebi molybdenum deposit was formed in the Middle Triassic, and occurred in an intracontinental extension setting in eastern Tianshan.
Acknowledgements
We are very grateful to Editor-in-chief, Robert J. Stern, and two anonymous reviewers for constructive comments and improvement of the manuscript. We thank Yaqing He, Senior Engineer of Xinjiang Luomu Mining Corporation, for great support and assistance for our fieldwork. We are very grateful to the Chinese Academician, Yusheng Zhai, of the China University of Geosciences (Beijing) for a helpful scientific review of an earlier version of the manuscript. Professor Xianhua Li of the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Professor Li Su of the China University of Geosciences (Beijing) are also appreciated for their support for SIMS zircon U–Pb dating.