Petrogenesis of ore-forming granites with implications for W mineralization in the Huangsha-Tieshanlong Deposit, Southern Jiangxi Province, South China

Mesozoic magmatism and associated mineralization are widespread in the South China Block (SCB). Tungsten-polymetallic deposits in the Nanling Range within the central SCB represent one of the most important tungsten regions in the world. The Huangsha-Tieshanlong W deposit is an important large quartz vein-type W-polymetallic deposit in southern Jiangxi Province, in the eastern Nanling Range. Zircon UPb analyses of six representative samples of the ore-related granitoids from a tunnel in the Huangsha-Tieshanlong W deposit yielded ages of 152.2 ± 3.8 Ma, 154.0 ± 2.8 Ma, 150.4 ± 4.6 Ma, 151.3 ± 2.7 Ma, 141.6 ± 4.2 Ma, and 142.1 ± 4.6 Ma. These granitoids have low εHf(t) values (−15.7 to −7.6), and old two-stage model ages (1746–1347 Ma), indicating that they were derived from the partial melting of Proterozoic crustal materials. These ages combined with other geochronological data in the region suggest that the Huangsha-Tieshanlong pluton was formed by at least three stages of granitic magmatism during the Middle Jurassic (~168 Ma), Late Jurassic (~152 Ma), and Early Cretaceous (~142 Ma), which coincides with the formation ages of the WSn deposits at 171–160 Ma, 159–150 Ma, and 149–144 Ma, respectively. Thus, the intrusion of the granite and the associated WSn mineralization in the Huangsha-Tieshanlong deposit occurred almost synchronously. It is worth noting that our study indicates that the Early Cretaceous (~142 Ma) is probably another important stage of granitic magmatism and mineralization in the eastern Nanling region.