Dating and Fluid Geochemistry of the Sarkobu Gold Deposit in Altay, Xinjiang, China

The dating of fluid inclusions of quartz yields an Ar-Ar isochrone age of 320.4±6 Ma. Three types of fluid inclusions have been identified with the homogenization temperature ranging from 157°C to 362°C. The homogenization temperature consists of two groups. The first group varies from 157°C to 166°C, and the second from 232°C to 362°C. Their chemical composition is dominated by Na+-Ca2+-Mg2+ and Cl−. The relative concentration of ions is characteristic by Na+>Ca2+>K+>Mg2+ and Cl−SO42->F−. The δD and δ18O values indicate that the ore-forming fluid originates from mixing of multi-source water. The Sarkobu gold deposit has experienced two mineralization stages: gold was enriched during the volcanic-exhalative-sedimentary process in the early stage, while the gold deposit was finally formed under compression-shearing during the orogenic period.