A. N. Berzina

Zircons of igneous rocks at the Erdenetuin-Obo porphyry Cu-Mo deposit (Mongolia): U-Pb dating and petrological implications

The Erdenetuin-Obo porphyry Cu-Mo deposit was formed at the final stage of development of magmatic activity occasionally manifested in the Late Permian-Early Triassic in the period of at least 40 Ma. Early plutonic (host) and late ore-bearing porphyry intrusive complexes were formed in that period. The plutonic complex is multiphase, while the porphyry complex is polyrhythmical and multiphase within rhythms. The obtained data on the U-Pb isotopic composition (SHRIMP II) of zircons from unaltered rocks of the ore field are discussed: gabbro, diorite, and granodiorite of the plutonic complex and granodiorite-porphyry I and II of the first and second rhythms of the ore-bearing complex, respectively. Zircons of different age levels and genotypes were identified in the course of performed investigations. Gabbro are dominated by postmagmatic (superimposed) zircons with the datings of 239–225 Ma. The age of xenogenic zircon brought out from the basement rocks is estimated at 1146 ± 11 Ma. Zircons occur as magmatic and postmagmatic (superimposed) minerals dated 252–247, 244–233 Ma in diorite and 244–242, 239–224 Ma in granodiorite. The ages of postmagmatic zircons from diorite are partially overlapped by datings of magmatic zircons from granodiorite and granodiorite-porphyry. In the porphyry complex, the datings of magmatic zircons are 240–234 and 222–220 Ma in granodiorite-porphyries I and II, respectively. There are also inherited zircons with datings coinciding with those of magmatic zircons from precursor intrusive rocks. Datings of such zircons are 249–241 and 257–231 Ma for granodiorite-porphyries I and II, respectively. As a whole, zircon datings in all studied igneous rocks forming a virtually uninterrupted range in the period of 257–220 Ma allow us to suggest the relation of the ore magmatic system to the long-living constantly active deep source occasionally delivering melt to the upper levels.