Characteristics of mineral chemistry and geochemistry of the Late Triassic Hongqiling mafic-ultramafic intrusions: Implications for Ni-Cu mineralization

doi:10.13745/j.esf.sf.2023.5.31

Abstract

Abstract:

The Hongqiling mafic-ultramafic rocks include three belts (I, II and III) and are composed of over 30 small intrusions. They are located in the southern margin of the eastern segment of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). Several intrusions in belt I develop Ni and Cu mineralization, with Nos.1 and 7 intrusions forming medium- and large-sized magmatic Ni-Cu sulfide deposits, respectively. The major host rocks for Ni-Cu ore bodies are harzburgite, lherzolite, orthopyroxenite, websterite, norite and gabbro. These mafic-ultramafic rocks are characterized by high Mg (w(MgO)~20.7%-31.1%), moderate Si (w(SiO₂)~40.03%-53.01%) and low Ti (w(TiO₂)~0.33%-0.79%) and alkalis (w(K₂O+Na₂O)~0.60%-2.29%) contents. The patterns of trace elements show weak enrichments of LREE (La, Ce, Pr, Nd) and LILE (Th) and depletions of HREE and HFSE (Nb, Ta, Ti). Whole-rock geochemical data and mineral (olivine, orthopyroxene, clinopyroxene, spinel, plagioclase, amphibole) chemistry indicate the Hongqiling mafic-ultramafic intrusions are different from OIB, Alaskan-type complex and komatiite, but similar to arc-type basalt and mafic-ultramafic rocks from the Huangshanxi and Huangshandong Ni-Cu sulfide deposits in the western CAOB. The parental magma for the Hongqiling mafic-ultramafic intrusions is a high-Mg and low Nb-Ta tholeiitic melt which has undergone crustal contamination and fractional crystallization during evolution. Ore-bearing parental magma for the Hongqiling deposit likely experienced “second” separation of sulfide, forming the PGE-depleted Ni-Cu sulfide deposit.

Key words: magmatic Ni-Cu sulfide deposit, high-Mg tholeiitic melt, separation of sulfide, depletion of PGE, post-collisional extensional setting, Hongqiling, Central Asian Orogenic Belt

CLC Number:

WANG Jian, YANG Yanchen, LI Ai, YUAN Haiqi. Characteristics of mineral chemistry and geochemistry of the Late Triassic Hongqiling mafic-ultramafic intrusions: Implications for Ni-Cu mineralization[J]. Earth Science Frontiers, 2024, 31(2): 249-269.

Figures/Tables 19

Fig.1 Simplified geological map of the Central Asian Orogenic Belt and distribution of the main magmatic sulfide Ni-Cu deposits. Modified after [14].

Fig.2 Tectonic framework of the NE China, eastern segment of CAOB. Modified after [29].

Fig.3 (a)Regional geologic map for the Hongqiling Ni-Cu deposit, and (b) Detailed distribution of the mafic-ultramafic intrusions in the Hongqiling area. Modified after [8].

Fig.4 Plane graphs and cross-sections of the No.1 (a, b) and No.7 (c, d) intrusions. Modified after [8].

Fig.5 Microphotographs of representative rocks from the Hongqiling ore-bearing mafic-ultramafic intrusions Ol—olivine; Opx—orthopyroxene; Cpx— clinopyroxene; Spl— spinel; Pl—plagioclase; Am—amphibole.

Table 1 Analytical results of representative spinel grains in the Hongqiling ore-bearing mafic-ultramafic intrusions

Table 2 Analytical results of representative olivine grains in the Hongqiling ore-bearing mafic-ultramafic intrusions

Table 3 Analytical results of representative orthopyroxene grains in the Hongqiling ore-bearing mafic-ultramafic intrusions

Table 4 Analytical results of representative clinopyroxene grains in the Hongqiling ore-bearing mafic-ultramafic intrusions

Table 5 Analytical results of representative amphibole grains in the Hongqiling ore-bearing mafic-ultramafic intrusions

Fig.6 Compositions of spinel from the Hongqiling mafic-ultramafic intrusions and comparison with those elsewhere in the world

Fig.7 (a) Trace and major elements for spinel, and (b) Incompatible element patterns for clinopyroxene in samples from the Hongqiling mafic-ultramafic intrusions

Fig.8 Plots of Ca versus Fo contents in olivine (a), and Wo-En-Fs diagram of pyroxenes (b) (after [44]) for samples from the Hongqiling mafic-ultramafic intrusions

Fig.9 The classification diagram of amphibole from the Hongqiling mafic-ultramafic intrusions. Modified after [47].

Table 6 Major elements of samples from the Hongqiling ore-bearing mafic-ultramafic intrusions

Table 7 Trace elements of samples from the Hongqiling ore-bearing mafic-ultramafic intrusions

Fig.10 (a) Chondrite normalized REE and (b) Primitive mantle normalized incompatible element patterns for the Hongqiling ore-bearing mafic-ultramafic intrusions

Fig.11 Diagrams of (a) Th/Yb-Nb/Yb and (b) Ce/Nb-Th/Nb for the Hongqiling mafic-ultramafic intrusions

Fig.12 Diagram of Sm-Sm/Yb for the the Hongqiling mafic-ultramafic intrusions. Modified after [59].

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