Early Yanshanian metallogenesis of the Banjing tungsten deposit in Ganxian, Jiangxi province, China: Constraints from geochemistry, Sr-Nd isotopes, zircon U-Pb, molybdenite Re-Os, and mica 40Ar-39Ar dating

The Banjing tungsten deposit, which has been discovered recently, is located in the northernmost part of the Dabu pluton, southern Jiangxi Province, China. In this study, zircon LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating of the fine-grained porphyritic biotite granite indicate that it was formed in the early Yanshanian (159.4 +/- 2.5 Ma-161.6 +/- 0.8 Ma). Whole-rock geochemical studies have shown the fine-grained porphyritic biotite granite has SiO2 of 75.82%-76.84%, Al2O3 12.50%-12.87%, MgO 0.07%-0.20%, and CaO 0.64%-1.09%, with A/CNK of 1.017-1.038. It has a total rare earth elements content of 93.9-118.9 ppm with strong negative Eu anomalies (delta Eu = 0.021-0.081). The biotite granite is enriched in Rb, Th, U, Nd and depleted in Ba, Sr, Nb, Ti. These data suggest the Dabu pluton belongs to S-type granite. This pluton has I-Sr of 0.71212-0.72929 and epsilon(Nd)(t) from -9.60 to -10.62 with Nd model ages concentrated in 1732-1838 Ma. These isotopic data in combination with zircon Hf isotopes suggest the biotite granite originated from partial melting of the Middle Proterozoic metamorphic supracrustal rocks in South China, with a minor contribution from juvenile crust. Meanwhile, this study has obtained Re-Os isochron ages of the intrusion-related and quartz vein-type molybdenum mineralization are 156.3 +/- 2.7 Ma and 157.0 +/- 1.1 Ma in the Banjing tungsten deposit, respectively. Sericite from the greisen-type tungsten-molybdenum ore has an 40Ar-39Ar plateau age of 156.4 +/- 1.0 Ma, interpreted as the formation age of this deposit. Collectively, the Banjing tungsten deposit is considered as a product of the early Yanshanian large-scale peak mineralization in South China, which was formed in an extensional intracontinental environment caused by the subduction of the Palaeo-Pacific Plate.

Automated summary

The recently discovered Banjing tungsten deposit is located in the northernmost part of the Dabu pluton in southern Jiangxi Province, China. This study reveals that the tungsten deposit was formed during the early Yanshanian period in an extensional intracontinental environment caused by the subduction of the Palaeo-Pacific Plate. The deposit originated from partial melting of the Middle Proterozoic metamorphic supracrustal rocks in South China, with a minor contribution from juvenile crust.