U–Pb dating and geochemistry of granite porphyry dykes in the Xicha gold–(silver) deposit, southern Jilin Province, China, and their metallogenic significance

Abstract

We report U–Pb dating of zircon, as well as geochemical and Hf isotope data, in order to constrain the formation time, magma source, and tectonic setting of granite porphyry dykes in the Xicha gold–(silver) district in southern Jilin Province, Northeast China. The zircon grains are euhedral–subhedral, display oscillatory growth zoning and have Th/U ratios varying between 0.11 and 0.78, which together imply a magmatic origin. The dating results indicate the porphyry formed in the Early Cretaceous (122\u2009±\u20091\xa0Ma), and it contains SiO 2 \u2009=\u200970.64–72.31\xa0wt%, Al 2 O 3 \u2009=\u200913.99–14.64\xa0wt%, K 2 O\u2009+\u2009Na 2 O\u2009=\u20096.96–7.81\xa0wt%, K 2 O/Na 2 O\u2009=\u20091.24–2.10, and A/CNK\u2009=\u20091.11–1.41. Chemically, the porphyry belongs to a high-K calc-alkaline S-type granite. Chondrite-normalized rare earth elements (REE) patterns show LREE enrichment, light rare earth elements (LREE)/heavy rare earth elements (HREE)\u2009=\u20099.93–11.97, (La/Yb) N \u2009=\u200911.08–15.16, and δEu\u2009=\u20090.69–0.95. On the trace element spider diagram, large ion lithophile elements such as Rb, Ba, K, Th, and U are enriched, whereas the high field strength elements Ti and P are depleted. The εHf(t) values of zircon from the granite porphyry vary between −\u200917.1 and −\u200913.2, and their Hf two-stage model ages vary from 2.01 to 2.26\xa0Ga, implying that the magma was derived from partial melting of old lower crust. The granite porphyry dykes and many A-type granites in the region formed at the same time, suggesting an extensional environment. The combination of the occurrence of strong magmatism, large-scale mineralization, and extensional tectonics throughout much of Eastern China indicate that the Early Cretaceous was a period of significant lithospheric thinning. The southern Jilin Province, therefore, experienced lithospheric thinning during the Early Cretaceous.