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The Dexing porphyry copper deposit, part of the circum-Pacific porphyry copper ore belt, is the largest porphyry copper deposit in China. We present new LA–ICP–MS zircon U–Pb and molybdenite Re–Os dating, bulk-rock elemental and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic as well as in situ zircon Hf isotopic geochemistry for these ore-bearing porphyries, in an attempt to better constrain their petrogenesis. LA–ICP–MS zircon U–Pb dating shows that the Dexing porphyries were emplaced in the early Middle Jurassic (∼171 Ma); molybdenite Re–Os dating indicates that the associated Cu–Mo mineralization was contemporaneous (∼171 Ma) with the igneous intrusion. The rocks are mainly high-K calc-alkaline and show adakitic affinities, including high Sr and low Y and Yb contents, high Sr/Y and La/Yb ratios, and high Mg# (higher than pure crustal melts). These porphyries have initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios of 0.7044−0.7047, ϵNd(T) values of –1.5 to +0.6, and ϵHf(T) (in situ zircon) values of +2.6 to +4.6. They show unusually radiogenic Pb isotopic compositions with initial 206Pb/204Pb ratios up to 18.41 and 207Pb/204Pb up to 15.61. These isotopic compositions are distinctly different from either Pacific MORB or Yangtze lower crust but are similar to the subducting sediments in the western Pacific trenches. Detailed elemental and isotopic data suggest that the Dexing porphyries were emplaced in a continental arc setting coupled with westward subduction of the palaeo-Pacific plate. Partial melting involved the subducted slab (mainly the overlying sediments), with generated melts interacting with the lithospheric mantle wedge, thereby forming the investigated high-K calc-alkaline porphyry magmas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Gan-Hang rift, trending at least 450km in a NE–SW direction, is a part of a Mesozoic Basin and Range Province in southeastern China. Detailed SHRIMP zircon U–Pb chronology, major and trace element, and Sr–Nd–Hf isotope data of three granitic plutons and a diabasic dike in the northwest of the Gan-Hang rift, are used to explore the origin of these granites and their relationship to the evolution of the Gan-Hang rift. SHRIMP zircon U–Pb dating shows that the granitic plutons and diabasic dike were emplaced in the Early Cretaceous (122–129 Ma). The Tongshan and Damaoshan plutons, close to the Gan-Hang rift, consist mainly of weakly peraluminous granitic rocks, which show A2 subtype affinity. These granites have initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios of 0.7080–0.7103, εNd (T) values of−1.4 to−5.6 and εHf (T) (in-situ zircon) values of −3.8 to +1.2. Detailed elemental and isotopic data suggest that they were formed by partial melting of granulitized Mesoproterozoic metamorphic basement (including metasedimentary and metaigneous rocks) in the shallow (<30km) crust at a high temperature (~823°C). These pure crustal melts underwent crystal fractionation of biotite, plagioclase and K-feldspar, forming the more felsic end-member of granitic rocks. The Ehu pluton, more distant from the Gan-Hang rift, is composed of two-mica granites, which are strongly peraluminous and are S-type granites. These granites have higher initial 87Sr/86Sr ratios (0.7162−0.7191) and lower εNd (T) (−7.1 to −7.4) and εHf (T) (−6.8; in-situ zircon) values than the Tongshan and Damaoshan granites. Detailed elemental and isotopic data suggest that the Ehu granites were formed by partial melting of Paleoproterozoic metasedimentary basement in the deep (~40–50km) crust at a relatively low temperature (~757°C), with no fractional crystallization and mantle-derived magma mixing in their evolution. The coeval diabasic dike is calc-alkaline and has initial 87Sr/86Sr ratio of 0.7085, εNd (T) value of +0.9 and εHf (T) (in-situ zircon) value of −7.1, suggesting that it was derived from the asthenospheric mantle wedge that had been metasomatised via addition of subducted sediment-derived melt with monazite in the residual phase. The association of Early Cretaceous (122–129Ma) S- and A-type granites in the northwest of the Gan-Hang rift marks the onset of back-arc extension or intra-arc rift. With ongoing extension the crust and lithospheric mantle became progressively thinned. The upwelling of asthenosphere triggered partial melting of both metasedimentary and metaigneous rocks in the more thinned crust close to the Gan-Hang rift, forming the A-type granitic magmas such as Tongshan and Damaoshan, whereas partial melting of metasedimentary rocks in the less thinned crust farther from the Gan-Hang rift formed the S-type granitic magmas such as Ehu. The red sediments with the total thickness more than 10,000m have been successively deposited in the Gan-Hang rift valley since the late Early Cretaceous (~105Ma), suggesting that this region experienced the most back-arc extension. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Late Mesozoic geology of Southeast China is characterized by extensive Jurassic to Cretaceous magmatism consisting predominantly of granites and rhyolites and subordinate mafic rocks, forming a belt of volcanic-intrusive complexes. The Xiangshan volcanic-intrusive complex is located in the NW region of the belt and mainly contains the following lithologies: rhyodacite and rhyodacitic porphyry, porphyritic lava, granite porphyry with mafic microgranular enclaves, quartz monzonitic porphyry, and lamprophyre dyke. Major and trace-element compositions, zircon U-Pb dating, and Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic compositions have been investigated for these rocks. The precise SHRIMP and LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating shows that the emplacement of various magmatic units at Xiangshan took place within a short time period of less than 2 Myrs. The stratigraphically oldest rhyodacite yielded a zircon U-Pb age of 135 ± 1 Ma and the overlying rhyodacitic porphyry has an age of 135 ± 1 Ma. Three porphyritic lava samples yielded zircon U-Pb ages of 136 ± 1 Ma, 132 ± 1 Ma, and 135 ± 1 Ma, respectively. Two subvolcanic rocks (granite porphyry) yielded zircon U-Pb ages of 137 ± 1 Ma and 137 ± 1 Ma. A quartz monzonitic porphyry dyke, which represented the final stage of magmatism at Xiangshan, also yielded a zircon U-Pb age of 136 ± 1 Ma. All these newly obtained precise U-Pb ages demonstrate that the entire magmatic activity at Xiangshan was rapid and possibly took place at the peak of extensional tectonics in SE China. The geochemical data indicate that all these samples from the volcanic-intrusive complex have an A-type affinity. Sr-Nd-Hf isotopic data suggest that the Xiangshan volcanic-intrusive complex derived mainly from remelting of Paleo-Mesoproterozoic crust without significant additions of mantle-derived magma. However, the quartz monzonitic porphyry, which has zircon Hf model ages older than the whole-rock Nd model ages, and which has ε(T) value higher than the other rocks, may indicate involvement of a subordinate younger mantle-derived magma in its origin. Geochemical data indicate that the various rocks show variable REE patterns and negative anomalies of Ba, Nb, Sr, P, Eu and Ti in the trace element spidergrams, suggesting that these rocks may have undergone advanced fractional crystallization with separation of plagioclase, K-feldspar and accessory minerals such as allanite. We suggest that this Cretaceous volcanic-intrusive complex formed in an extensional environment, and the formation of the Xiangshan mafic microgranular enclaves can be explained by the injection of mafic magma from a deeper seated mantle magma chamber into a hypabyssal felsic magma chamber at the crustal emplacement levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]