Earth Science Frontiers ›› 2020, Vol. 27 ›› Issue (2): 151-164.DOI: 10.13745/j.esf.sf.2020.3.16

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The Cenozoic tectono-magmatism-mineralization effect of the intracontinental tectonic transformation system in the western margin of Yangtze Block

LI Wenchang1(), JIANG Xiaojun2   

  1. 1. Chengdu Geological Survey Center, China Geological Survey, Chengdu 610081, China
    2. Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Land Resource Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093, China
  • Received:2020-01-02 Revised:2020-02-03 Online:2020-03-25 Published:2020-03-25

Abstract:

The Tethys tectonic domain, which extends from east to west across Eurasia, contains one of the most important precious/base metallogenic belts. The belt turns toward the southeast after reaching the Yangtze Block and series of large to giant Cu-Au deposits have recently been discovered at this hinge zone. It has previously been determined that the large-scale Jinshajiang-Honghe strike-slip fault along the western Yangtze margin cut through the lithosphere, inducing magmatic intrusions and forming an alkali-rich porphyry belt. In this study, several alkali-rich intrusions (including Laojunshan in Jianchuan, Beiya in Heqing, Laojiezi-Gangou in Yao’an, Yuzhila in Dayao, and Zhiju in Yongren) were analysed for tectonic stress. The results show that in addition to the distribution of alkali-rich porphyries along both sides of the Jinshajiang-Honghe Fault, there are also many dykes along the E-W-trending structures within the interior of the Yangtze Block. These intrusions have magmatic and mineralization ages ranging from 36.87-30.70 Ma, coeval with the formation of the porphyry belt. It was found that the magmatic ages become younger and alkalinity increases from west to east, defining an eastward magmatic migration. Field observations and statistical analyses of these nearly E-W-trending dykes and joints revealed that the structures controlling magmatism have undergone E-W compression and N-S extension, which is compatible with the large NW-trending strike-slip structures observed. Based on these lines of evidence, the formation of a series of alkali-rich intrusions within the Yangtze Block is likely related to the large-scale NW-trending strike-slip structures. The alkali-rich intrusions and related Cu-Au porphyry mineralization are distributed in the N-S- and E-W-trending secondary structures from west to east, and magmatism and mineralization were coupled with intracontinental structural transformations.

Key words: western margin of Yangtze Block, Cenozoic, intracontinental tectonic transformation system, alkali-rich porphyry, metallogenic effect

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