40Ar/39Ar and Rb-Sr Ages of the Tiegelongnan Porphyry Cu-(Au) Deposit in the Bangong Co-Nujiang Metallogenic Belt of Tibet, China: Implication for Generation of Super-Large Deposit

The Tiegelongnan deposit is a newly discovered super-large porphyry-epithermal Cu-(Au) deposit in the western part of the Bangong Co-Nujiang metallogenic belt, Tibet (China). Field geology and geochronology indicate that the porphyry mineralization was closely related to the Early Cretaceous intermediate-felsic intrusions (ca. 123-120 Ma). Various epithermal ore and gangue mineral types were discovered in the middle-shallow part of the orebody, indicating the presence of epithermal mineralization at Tiegelongnan. Potassic, propylitic, phyllic and advanced argillic alteration zones were identified. 40Ar/39Ar dating of hydrothermal biotite (potassic zone), sericite (phyllic zone), and alunite (advanced argillic zone) in/around the ore-bearing granodiorite porphyry yielded 121.1 +/- 0.6 Ma (1 sigma), 120.8 +/- 0.7 Ma (1 sigma) and 117.9 +/- 1.6 Ma (1 sigma), respectively. Five hydrothermal mineralization stages were identified, of which the Stage IV pyrite was Rb-Sr dated to be 117.5 +/- 1.8 Ma (2 sigma), representing the end of epithermal mineralization. Field geology and geochronology suggest that both the epithermal and porphyry mineralization belong to the same magmatic-hydrothermal system. The Tiegelongnan super-large Cu-(Au) deposit may have undergone a prolonged magmatic-hydrothermal evolution, with the major mineralization event occurring at ca.120-117Ma.