Geology of the Sandaowanzi telluride gold deposit of the northern Great Xing’an Range, NE China: Geochronology and tectonic controls

The Sandaowanzi gold telluride deposit is a new discovery with dominance in gold tellurides in Northeastern China. The deposit is hosted in quartz veins intruding sub-alkaline volcanic rocks. There are two types of gold telluride ores in the Sandaowanzi ore deposit, i.e. the vein ores and the disseminated ores. Calaverite, krennerite, sylvanite, petzite, empressite, hessite and stuetzite are the dominant Au–Ag bearing minerals either in vein ores or in disseminated ores. Minor amount of other tellurides, e.g. coloradoite altaite and sulfides, e.g. pyrite, sphalerite, galena, chalcopyrite and chalcocite mostly occur in the disseminated ores.The gold-bearing quartz veins crosscut volcanic host rocks, which are dated at 135.3–124.7 Ma by LA-ICP-MS U–Pb zircon method. The latter unconformably overly a monzogranite dated as 181.6 Ma. Diabase dikes, dated at 116.6 Ma, intrude the gold-bearing quartz veins. The age data thereby bracket the timing of gold mineralization between 125.3 and 116.6 Ma. These geochronologic data are consistent with field relations. Regional comparison reveals that the widespread volcanism in the Great Xing’an range is a product of the subduction of the Izanagi plate beneath the Eurasian plate. Gold telluride mineralization was contemporaneous with regional extension and magmatism as the subducting Izanagi plate rolled back.

Research highlights► We have a new discovery of gold tellurides deposit in the Sandaowanzi, NE China. ► Our U-Pb dating brackets the timing of gold mineralization at 125.3–116.7 Ma. ► We conclude that mineralization is resulted from subduction of the Izanagi plate.