Uplift-exhumation and preservation of the Yumugou Mo-W deposit, East Qinling, China: Insights from multiple apatite low-temperature thermochronology

As a result of the continued depletion of shallow ore resources, there has been renewed focus on the tectonic preservation of mineralized systems. Specifically, it is vital to constrain the post-mineralization exhumation and preservation history of existing economic deposits, in order to identify new regions suitable for mineral exploration. In this study, we present results from apatite U-Pb, fission-track and (U-Th-Sm)/He thermochronological and associated thermal history modeling studies on the Yumugou Mo-W deposit within the world-class East Qinling Mo polymetallic metallogenic belt, central China. Our major aim is to constrain the exhumation history and to evaluate preservation potential of the Yumugou Mo-W deposit, and provide related guidance for mineral exploration in the East Qinling Orogen. Apatite U-Pb dating yield Early Cretaceous lower intercept TerraWasserburg ages in the range of 153-141 Ma, interpreted as crystallization age of apatite, coeval with the formation of Yumugou deposit (ca. 145 Ma). Integrated apatite fission-track and apatite (U-Th-Sm)/He dating give ages varying from Late Cretaceous to Early Paleogene, representing the post-mineralization cooling ages. We also integrate these age data with confined fission-track length measurements and geological constraints from previous studies into the thermal history models, the resulting models suggest three cooling pulses: 1) a phase of Early Cretaceous (125-100 Ma) rapid cooling, followed by 2) a phase of Late Cretaceous (100-73 Ma) slow cooling, before finally, 3) a phase of Late Cretaceous to Paleogene (73-50 Ma) rapid cooling. The Early Cretaceous rapid cooling pulse correlates temporally with extension tectonic setting in the East Qinling Orogen, the magma emplacement and post-magmatic rapid cooling at ca. 160-130 Ma in the Luanchuan region might cause related exhumation at ca. 125-100 Ma to upper crustal temperatures. The Late Cretaceous slow cooling possibly corresponds to regionally slow extensive erosion in response to crustal shortening triggered by the westward subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate at this time. The Late Cretaceous-Paleogene rapid cooling likely result from the major far-field effects of the Pacific Plate subduction and the sinistral strike-slip motion of the Tan-Lu Fault Zone, as well as possible minor expansion effects derived by the Paleogene India-Eurasia collision. Moreover, we adopt thermal history modeling method to determine cooling rate, exhumation rate and depth of different cooling stages. In comparison with the calculated exhumation depth (similar to 5.6 km) and previously reported metallogenic depth (3-7 km) in the Luanchuan ore cluster, we infer that more than one kilometer metallogenic depth is theoretically preserved in the Yumugou Mo-W deposit. Combined the similar metallogenic setting and features with other giant Mo deposits in the East Qinling Orogen, we further suggest that the Mo deposits in this orogen possibly have underwent a similar degree of exhumation and show good prospecting potential.

Automated summary

Through apatite mineral dating studies, researchers discovered that the Yumugou Mo-W deposit was formed in the Early Cretaceous and subsequently underwent different post-mineralization cooling phases. The identification of different cooling stages reveals the tectonic background of the East Qinling Orogen and the preservation potential of the deposit.