Earth Science Frontiers ›› 2023, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (5): 1-25.DOI: 10.13745/j.esf.sf.2023.5.24

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Geological features and formation mechanism of pegmatite-type rare-metal deposits in the Renli orefield, northern Hunan, China—an overview

LI Jiankang1(), LI Peng1, HUANG Zhibiao2, ZHOU Fangchun2, ZHANG Liping2, HUANG Xiaoqiang2   

  1. 1. MNR Key Laboratory of Metallogeny and Mineral Resource Assessment, Institute of Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
    2. Hunan Geological Disaster Investigation and Monitoring Institute, Changsha 410011, China
  • Received:2023-01-03 Revised:2023-01-28 Online:2023-09-25 Published:2023-10-20

Abstract:

The Renli orefield in northern Hunan is a newly discovered pegmatite Li-Ta-Nb orefield in eastern China. It is located in the middle Jiangnan orogenic belt and consists mainly the Renli Nb-Ta-Be deposit, Yongxiang-Chuanziyuan Li-Be-Nb-Ta deposit and Huangbaishan Li-Be-Nb-Ta deposit. Pegmatite dikes in the northern orefield distribute along the southwestern margin of the Mufushan complex, forming distinct pegmatite zonation. Outwards from the complex, the pegmatite types are divided into microcline, microcline albite, albite and albite spodumene. Among the pegmatite dikes, Renli No.5 is the largest Nb-Ta ore body, which exhibits two-stage magmatic-hydrothermal mineralization characteristics; Yongxiang-Chuanziyuan No.206 is the largest spodumene dike in the area, where spodumene occurs mostly as pseudomorph due to strong late-stage metasomatism; and Huangbaishan No.603 is a newly discovered spodumene dike characterized by high-grade Li2O and weak metasomatism. Hydrothermal fluid played an important role in the rare-metal mineralization of Renli No.5, which is evidenced by the occurrence of quartz-hosted fluid inclusions. Fluid inclusion microthermometry reveals the Renli No.5 core formed at ~550 ℃ and ~350 MPa. According to existing data, the Renli orefield formed during the Yanshanian intracontinental orogeny (~130 Ma). The data show that during intracontinental orogeny granitic melts formed from basement rocks, i.e. the anatexis of the Neoproterozoic Lengjiaxi Group; then during multi-stage granitoid intrusion the late-stage two-mica granitic melts fractionated into pegmatite-forming melt; finally the hydrothermal metasomatism resulted in Nb and Ta enrichment and Li depletion in pegmatites. Thus, rare-metal mineralization in pegmatites in the Renli orefield can be characterized by metapelite anatexis during intracontinental orogeny, granitic magma differentiation, and two-stage magmatic-hydrothermal mineralization.

Key words: rare-metal pegmatite, Renli orefield, Mufushan granitic complex, intracontinental orogeny, hydrothermal mineralization

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