The genesis of the Dahebian Zn-Pb deposit and associated barite mineralization: Implications for hydrothermal fluid venting events along the Nanhua Basin, South China

Autor: Jeffrey de Fourestier, Hanjie Wen, Chaojian Qin, Zhengbing Zhou, Ling Liu, Qingpeng Shi
Rok vydání: 2018
Předmět:
Zdroj: Ore Geology Reviews. 101:785-802
ISSN: 0169-1368
DOI: 10.1016/j.oregeorev.2018.08.013
Popis: The Dahebian stratiform barite deposit, which is situated in the Nanhua Basin, is one of the world’s largest and most important barite deposits. This deposit was formed through sedimentary exhalative processes in the early Cambrian stage. Recently, beneath stratiform barite ore, stratabound Zn-Pb-(Fe-bearing) sulfide mineralization, which is hosted by the Doushantuo Formation, was discovered. Ores that represent Zn-Pb sulfide mineralization are mainly discordant but stratabound. The Doushantuo Formation consists of laminated interbedded layers of micritic dolomite and carbonaceous mudstone, associated with phosphorite and chert. The sulfide ores consist primarily of sphalerite, pyrite and galena. The associated gangue minerals are barite, quartz, minor calcite, as well as trace amounts of apatite and hyalophane. Hyalophane found in the stratiform barite ore is richer in barium but poorer in potassium than that associated with the sulfide ores. This outcome corresponds to ascending hydrothermal fluids that are richer in barium along with sulfide mineralization. Investigation of the ore fluid reveals relatively high temperature (142–368 °C) with scattered salinity (0.53–25.62 wt% NaCl eq.). This finding suggests that fluid cooling and/or mixing with seawater could be the primary mechanisms that prompted the ore formation. Sulfides selected from the zinc-lead sulfide ores and stratiform barite ore have similar sulfur isotopic compositions, with δ34S values ranging from 13.5‰ to 30.0‰; δ34S values of barite from these ores are analogous, with δ34S values ranging from 29.5‰ to 55.1‰. The sulfur isotopic fractionation between minerals (barite and sulfide) and the early Cambrian seawater is ΔBarite-Seawater = 7.8‰ and ΔSulfide-Seawater = −12.1‰, respectively, demonstrating that the sulfur in the Dahebian zinc-lead deposit and the stratiform barite deposit were derived from the early Cambrian stratified seawater column. Lead isotopic compositions of sulfide ores indicate that these ore metals are mainly sourced from rocks of the Doushantuo Formation and the underlying fold basement. Therefore, the Dahebian zinc-lead deposit and stratiform barite deposit probably arose from Selwyn-Type sedimentary exhalative hydrothermal fluids. Zn-Pb sulfides were mineralized in the feeder zone of these hydrothermal fluids, and the stratiform barite ore deposits represent the upper sedimentary-exhalative mineralization. This finding points to intensive Zn-Pb-Fe-Ba hydrothermal fluid venting into the Nanhua Basin and to relatively oxic deep ocean waters during the early Cambrian.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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