Mineral Geochemistry of Apatite in the Jiama Porphyry-Skarn Deposit, Tibet and its Geological Significance

Abstract

The Jiama deposit, a significant porphyry-skarn-type copper polymetallic deposit located within the Gangdese metallogenic belt in Tibet, China, exemplifies a typical porphyry metallogenic system. However, the mineral chemistry of its accessory minerals remains under-examined, posing challenges for resource assessment and ore prospecting. Utilizing electron microprobe analysis and LA-ICP-MS analysis, this study investigated the geochemical characteristics of apatite in ore-bearing granite and monzogranite porphyries, as well as granodiorite, quartz diorite, and dark diorite porphyries in the deposit. It also delved into the diagenetic and metallogenic information from these geochemical signatures. Key findings include: (1) The SiO₂ content, rare earth element (REE) contents, and REE partition coefficients of apatite indicate that the dark diorite porphyry possibly does not share a cogenetic magma source with the other four types of porphyries; (2) the volatile F and Cl contents in apatite, along with their ratio, indicate the Jiama deposit, formed in a collisional setting, demonstrates lower Cl/F ratios in apatite than the same type of deposits formed in a subduction environment; (3) compared to non-ore-bearing rock bodies in other deposits formed in a collisional setting, apatite in the Jiama deposit exhibits lower Ce and Ga contents. This might indicate that rock bodies in the Jiama deposit have higher oxygen fugacity. Nevertheless, the marginal variation in oxygen fugacity between ore-bearing and non-ore-bearing rock bodies within the deposit suggests oxygen fugacity may not serve as the decisive factor in the ore-hosting potential of rock bodies in the Jiama deposit.

Keywords

apatite / metallogenesis / mineral geochemistry / porphyry / Jiama / Tibet

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2023 2023 Geological Society of China