Zircon U–Pb geochronology of the basement rocks and dioritic intrusion associated with the Fushan skarn iron deposit, southern Taihang Mountains, China

•Ore formation at ca. 129 Ma as indicated by zircon U–Pb data.•Late Archean/Paleoproterozoic inherited zircons suggest basement contribution.•Magmatism and metallogeny coincide with Mesozoic lithospheric destruction of the NCC.

The Fushan iron ores, located in the southern part of the Taihang Mountains (TM) within the Trans-North China Orogen, is among the medium-sized skarn iron deposits in China. In this paper we report U–Pb age data on zircon grains from the magmatic intrusion related with the skarn formation and from the Neoarchean metamorphic basement in the area. The results show that the dioritic intrusion which generated the skarn mineralization was emplaced at 128.8 ± 1.9 Ma. Zircon grains from the basement rocks and xenoliths, as well as inherited zircon in the dioritic intrusion show Neoarchean to Paleoproterozoic ages, corresponding to similar ages reported from elsewhere in the North China Craton. Our results and those from previous studies suggest that the continental lower crust was the major source of Mesozoic magmatism and associated ore mineralization. The Mesozoic magmatism and metallogeny in the Fushan region correlate with the peak of lithospheric destruction of the North China Craton.

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