Geological, Geochronological, and Geochemical Insights into the Formation of the Giant Pulang Porphyry Cu (–Mo–Au) Deposit in Northwestern Yunnan Province, SW China

Abstract

The giant Pulang porphyry Cu (–Mo–Au) deposit in Northwestern Yunnan Province, China, is located in the southern part of the Triassic Yidun Arc. The Cu orebodies are mainly hosted in quartz monzonite porphyry (QMP) intruding quartz diorite porphyry (QDP) and cut by granodiorite porphyry (GP). New LA-ICP-MS zircon U–Pb ages indicate that QDP (227 ± 2 Ma), QMP (218 ± 1 Ma, 219 ± 1 Ma), and GP (209 ± 1 Ma) are significantly different in age; however, the molybdenite Re–Os isochron age (218 ± 2 Ma) indicates a close temporal and genetic relationship between Cu mineralization and QMP. Pulang porphyry intrusions are enriched in light rare-earth elements (LREEs) and large ion lithophile elements (LILEs), and depleted in heavy rare-earth elements (HREEs) and high field-strength elements (HFSEs), with moderately negative Eu anomalies. They are high in SiO2, Al2O3, Sr, Na2O/K2O, Mg#, and Sr/Y, but low in Y, and Yb, suggesting a geochemical affinity to high-silica (HSA) adakitic rocks. These features are used to infer that the Pulang HSA porphyry intrusions were derived from the partial melting of a basaltic oceanic-slab. These magmas reacted with peridotite during their ascent through the mantle wedge. This is interpreted to indicate that the Pulang Cu deposit and associated magmatism can be linked to the synchronous westward subduction of the Ganzi–Litang oceanic lithosphere, which has been established as Late Triassic.

Keywords

• Pulang porphyry Cu (–Mo–Au) deposit
• LA-ICP-MS zircon U–Pb dating
• molybdenite Re–Os dating
• high-silica adakitic rocks (HSA)
• Northwestern Yunnan Province