Discrete late Jurassic Sn mineralizing events in the Xianghualing Ore District, South China: Constraints from cassiterite and garnet U-Pb geochronology

Numerous skarn-type Sn deposits have been identified in the Nanling Range (South China), of which the Shizhuyuan W-Sn-Bi-Mo, Xianghualing Sn, Jinchuantang Sn-Bi, and Hehuaping Sn deposits are the largest. The Xianghualing deposit, which is the focus of this study, hosts a resource of 0.17 Mt Sn grading 0.93-1.39 wt% SnO2. Whether the distal skarn-type mineralization and the cassiterite-sulfide vein-type orebody in the Xianghualing district are genetically related to the Laiziling granitic pluton, which produced the proximal skarn-type Sn mineralization, however, is still unknown. The Xianghualing Sn mineralization occurs exclusively as cassiterite and has been subdivided into four ore-types: (1) lenticular proximal skarn ore (Cst I) containing the mineral assemblage cassiteritepyrrhotite-chalcopyrite-actinolite-wollastonite; (2) layered distal skarn ore (Cst II) containing the mineral assemblage cassiterite-pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite-actinolite; (3) vein cassiterite-sulfide ore (Cst III) distal from the skarn and associated granite containing the mineral assemblage cassiterite-arsenopyrite-pyrrhotite-muscovite-fluorite; and (4) veinlet Sn-Pb-Zn ore (Cst IV) distal from the skarn and associated granite containing the mineral assemblage cassiterite-galena-sphalerite-topaz-quartz. Here, we report the results of in situ laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometric (LA-ICPMS) U-Pb age determinations for garnet from the Xianghualing skarn and the above four types of cassiterite. Our age determinations indicate that there were two independent magmatic-hydrothermal events at similar to 160 and 156 similar to 150 Ma, both of which led to Sn mineralization. The first Sn mineralization event at similar to 160 Ma (Cst IV U-Pb ages of 159.6 +/- 1.4 to 158.5 +/- 0.8 Ma) is interpreted to have been associated with a speculative unexposed granitic pluton, which is coeval with the nearby Jianfengling granite intrusion. The second Sn mineralization event at 156 similar to 150 Ma (Cst I to Cst III U-Pb ages of 155.9 +/- 0.7 to 152.3 +/- 1.1 Ma and garnet U-Pb ages of 153.6 +/- 7.6 to 151.5 +/- 3.5 Ma) is genetically related to the adjacent Laiziling granitic intrusion (152.8 +/- 1.2 Ma, zircon U-Pb age). This event was responsible for the bulk of the Sn resource (>95%). Our age determinations provide convincing evidence for superimposed Jurassic Sn mineralizing systems at Xianghualing. They also show the value of combining garnet and cassiterite U-Pb age determinations to constrain the timing of skarn and Sn mineralization and distinguish discrete Sn mineralizing events in a protracted metallogenic history.