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Two-stage gold mineralization of the Axi epithermal Au deposit, Western Tianshan, NW China: Evidence from Re–Os dating, S isotope, and trace elements of pyrite

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Abstract

The Axi gold deposit is one of the largest epithermal deposits in northwestern China and is characterized by multistage generations of pyrite associated with gold mineralization. Genetic models for superjacent epithermal Au and porphyry Cu systems involve either contemporaneous or episodic mineralization, implying different metal sources and ore-forming events. Nine pyrite separates from disseminated ores associated with pyrite-sericite-quartz alteration in the Axi deposit yield a Re–Os isochron age of 350 ± 10 Ma (MSWD = 5.1, initial 187Os/188Os (IOs) = 0.20 ± 0.11). This age likely reflects a mixed contribution of two subtypes of disseminated pyrite (Py1) based on zoned pyrite crystals. The isochron age of 353 ± 6 Ma (MSWD = 1.6, IOs = 0.107 ± 0.021, n = 6), excluding samples with pyrite cores, overlaps previous ages for andesite from the Dahalajunshan Formation (ca. 356 Ma), indicating that the early mineralization event occurred shortly after the formation of host rocks (ca. 353 Ma). Pyrite from disseminated ores shows little variation of sulfur isotopic compositions (+ 2.9 to + 4.0‰) and has high Cu, Co, Ni, and V contents, which favors a magmatic-hydrothermal origin. Pyrite grains from gray quartz veins yield a younger Re–Os isochron age of 332 ± 8 Ma (MSWD = 0.22, n = 4). Vein-hosted pyrite shows characteristics of a mantle-derived magma source (IOs: 0.171 ± 0.024; δ34S: − 0.10~+ 3.10‰), which result from the intrusion-driven convective hydrothermal circulation accompanying fluid exsolution and metal remobilization from basement and wallrocks. Our data demonstrate that the Axi gold deposit was formed during two temporally separated hydrothermal events. This model of ore formation may apply to other epithermal-porphyry deposits within the Axi–Tawuerbieke district: disseminated Au and porphyry-style Au ± Cu mineralization occurred shortly after magmatic activity (356–353 Ma) whereas epithermal-style Au mineralization occurred at ca. 332 Ma.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Prof. Georges Beaudoin and Prof. Pete Hollings for their editorial assistance and constructive comments. This paper greatly benefitted from critical reviews by Dr. Christopher Lawley and an anonymous reviewer. ZL is grateful to Prof. Harald G. Dill, Prof. Guoxiang Chi, Dr. Xiaowen Huang, and Dr. Fang An for their insightful suggestions in this study. Thanks are given to Jianmin Han, Hongxi Fan, and Xudong Han for their help during fieldwork. LA acknowledges the Scientific Program RVO67985831 of the Institute of Geology of the CAS.

Funding

This study is supported by projects from National Key R&D Program of China (No. 2017YFC0601503 and No. 2017YFC0602402), National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 41472301, No. 41772349, No. 41702073, and No. 41873043), Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of Central South University (No. 2018zzts201), and the Project of Innovation-driven Plan of Central South University (No. 2019CX035).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Key Laboratory of Metallogenic Prediction of Nonferrous Metals and Geological Environment Monitoring (Ministry of Education), School of Geosciences and Info-Physics, Central South University, Changsha, 410083, China

    Zhankun Liu, Xiancheng Mao, Bin Li, Jeffrey M. Dick, Miao Yu, Jiantang Peng & Syed Muzyan Shahzad

  2. Institute of Geology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Rozvojová 269, 165 00, Prague 6, Czech Republic

    Lukáš Ackerman

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  1. Zhankun Liu
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  2. Xiancheng Mao
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  4. Bin Li
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Correspondence to Xiancheng Mao or Bin Li.

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Editorial handling: P. Hollings

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Liu, Z., Mao, X., Ackerman, L. et al. Two-stage gold mineralization of the Axi epithermal Au deposit, Western Tianshan, NW China: Evidence from Re–Os dating, S isotope, and trace elements of pyrite. Miner Deposita 55, 863–880 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00126-019-00903-6

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