Fluid evolution in the Rushan lode gold deposit of Jiaodong Peninsula, eastern China

The Rushan gold deposit in the Jiaodong Peninsula is currently the largest lode gold in China. Gold occurs mainly in pyrite- and polymetallic sulfide–quartz vein/veinlet stockworks. Fluid inclusions in the deposit are divided into three main types, namely CO2–H2O, H2O–CO2 ± CH4 and aqueous ones. Microthermometric data show that the pre-gold fluids were CO2-dominant (XCO2 up to 0.53), and the total homogenization temperatures fall in the range of 298∼377 °C. These fluids, modified by fluid/wallrock reactions, gradually evolved into fluids with less CO2 (XCO2 = 0.01∼0.19) in the main ore-forming stage, and the total homogenization temperatures range from 170 to 324 °C. Hydrogen and oxygen stable isotope data suggest that ore-forming fluids were mixture of magmatic and meteoritic origin. Co-occurrence of gold and sulfides implies that gold was most likely transported in the form of gold–sulfide complexes. The wide distribution of CO2 inclusions means that the pH variation during gold transportation was controlled by CO2 buffering.