Ore-forming processes and mechanisms of the Hongshan skarn Cu–Mo deposit, Southwest China: Insights from mineral chemistry, fluid inclusions, and stable isotopes

Abstract The Hongshan skarn Cu–Mo deposit is located in the southern Yidun terrane, SE Tibet Plateau, with more than 78.7 Mt resources (Cu: 0.64 Mt @ 1.23 %, Mo: 5769 t @ 0.03 %). The ore deposit was spatially and temporally associated with post-subduction Late Cretaceous monzogranite porphyries. Detailed geological mapping and deep drill-hole loggings reveal the vertical skarn zonation patterns of pyroxene skarn – garnet skarn – magnetite skarn – pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite skarn – garnet skarn – pyroxene skarn away from the marble, which is similar with typical skarn Cu deposit worldwide. Three hydrothermal stages have been recognized at Hongshan. They are characterized by assemblages of prograde skarn (stage 1), retrograde skarn and Cu–Fe–Mo sulfides (stage 2), and Pb–Zn sulfides associated with calcite and quartz (stage 3). Prograde skarns contain mainly andraditic garnet (two series: And37–82Gro17–61Spe+Alm+Pyr0–4 and andradite) and pyroxene (Di64–88Hd12–35) resulted from the interaction between magmatic-hydrothermal fluids and carbonate wall-rocks. Retrograde skarn mineralogy is controlled by hydrous Mg–Fe-rich silicate minerals, such as tremolites, actinolites, and epidotes. Petrographical and microthermomertic studies on fluid inclusions (FIs) in garnet, epidote, quartz and calcite from the three stages reveal four types of fluid inclusions: vapor CO2–Liquid CO2–H2O (C-type), vapor-rich two-phase inclusions (V-type), liquid-rich inclusions (L-type) and halite (sylvite)-bearing hypersaline inclusions (H-type). The C-type, L-type and V-type FIs within the garnet of stage 1 have homogenization temperatures between 400 and 550°C, and salinities of 3.9–11.5 wt% NaCl eqv. A boiling fluid inclusion assemblage with coexisting L-type and V-type FIs was defined within the epidote and quartz of stage 2. The fluids of stage 3 are characterized by lower homogenization temperatures of 100–300°C, developing a fluid inclusion assemblage defined solely by L-type FIs. The wide range of calculated δ18OH2O values in garnet (2.0 to 13.1 ‰), magnetite (10.9 to 26.3 ‰), tremolite (15.9 to 16.4 ‰) and sericite (10.5 ‰) further indicate the mixing of δ18O-enriched components with magmatic fluids. Sulfur isotope compositions of sulfides have a narrow range of δ34S values, ranging from 3.5 to 5.4 ‰, consistent with a magmatic origin and reducing conditions throughout the process of sulfide precipitation. The increased pH caused by water-rock interaction and CO2 degassing, decreasing temperatures and decompression boiling could be crucial for the extensive ore deposition.