A mixture of mantle and crustal derived He–Ar–C–S ore-forming fluids at the Baogutu reduced porphyry Cu deposit, western Junggar. (February 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cao, MingJian; Qin, KeZhang; Li, GuangMing; Evans, Noreen J.; He, HuaiYu; Jin, LuYing
• Is Part Of: Journal of Asian earth sciences. Volume 98(2015)
• Page Start: 188
• Page End: 197
• Publication Date: 2015-02
• Subjects: Baogutu reduced porphyry Cu deposit -- He and Ar isotopes -- Carbon isotope -- Sulfide sulfur isotope -- Western Junggar; Earth sciences -- Asia -- Periodicals; Sciences de la terre -- Asie -- Périodiques; Earth sciences; Asia; Periodicals; 555.05
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jseaes.2014.10.031
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1367-9120

Abstract

Highlights: He–Ar isotopes suggest predominant crustal fluids with minor mantle fluids. C isotope suggests CO2 derived mainly from mantle or juvenile lower crust. S isotope indicates that the sulfur was derived from mantle or juvenile lower crust. All isotopic compositions indicate a mixture of mantle and crustal fluids. Abstract: Most large to huge porphyry Cu deposits (PCDs) are oxidized, making the Baogutu reduced porphyry Cu deposit (RPCD) a relative rarity. CH4 -bearing ore-forming fluids formed at several hydrothermal stages, however, their source is still unclear. To address this issue, isotopic investigations of sulfide He–Ar–S and calcite C were conducted. Fluid inclusions hosted in sulfides (arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite and pyrite) showed 3 He/ 4 He ratios of 0.06–0.30 Ra (Ra is the 3 He/ 4 He ratio of air = 1.39 × 10 −6 ), 40 Ar/ 36 Ar of 311–405, 40 Ar ∗ / 4 He of 0.06–1.01, and F 4 He ratios of 902–11, 074 (sample BGT-Py 2 yielded a ratio of 100), indicating a predominantly crustal source for the fluids with minor mantle input (less than 5%). The δ 13 C values of carbonate yielded a value of −7.8‰ ( n = 3), implying that CO2 was probably sourced from mantle or juvenile lower crust. According to the restricted sulfide δ 34 S values, the total S isotopic composition of the hydrothermal system was estimated to be 0.0–0.5‰, suggesting that the sulfur was derived from mantle or lower crust magmatic source. According to the published granitoids Nd isotopic compositions at the Baogutu RPCD, fairly young T DM model ages (450–650 Ma) suggest that the granitoids were derived from partial melting of a juvenile basaltic lower crust. Thus, we propose that small proportion of mantle-derived fluids (less than 5%), probably rise up and then mix with the fluids of juvenile lower crust under an extensional tectonic setting, forming the mantle-derived Sr–Nd–Pb–S–C but crustal He–Ar isotopic compositions.