| Citation: |
Wei Chen, Yang Song, Qing-ping Liu, Miao Sun, Jia-jia Yu, Yang Li, Qi Zhang, Chang Liu, 2023. The first discovery of Xinlong epithermal gold deposit in southern margin of the Bangonghu-Nujiang metallogenic belt: A new expansion of gold prospecting in Northern Tibet, China Geology, 6, 241-251. doi: 10.31035/cg2023011
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The first discovery of Xinlong epithermal gold deposit in southern margin of the Bangonghu-Nujiang metallogenic belt: A new expansion of gold prospecting in Northern Tibet
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Abstract
The Xinlong gold deposit is located in Niyma County, Naqu area of Tibet and was discovered by the Institute of Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences through the 1∶50000 mineral geological survey. The ore bodies occur in the Zenong Group volcanic rocks in the middle section of the central Lhasa subterrane and are structurally controlled by the NNW-striking faults. Four ore bodies have been found, exhibiting cloddy, dense-sparse, disseminated, and breccia structures. The ore minerals are mainly tetrahedrite group minerals, and other ore minerals include pyrite, chalcopyrite, nevskite, bornite, anglesite, native gold, and silver-gold bearing selenide, etc. The types of alteration are dominated by silicification, as well as middle- and high-graded argillization. The alteration mineral assemblages contain quartz, pyrophyllite, and kaolinite. The Zaliela Formation volcanic rocks of Zenong Group are silicified by later hydrothermal fluid with vuggy quartz in some fractured zones. The middle- and high-graded argillization are characterized by pyrophyllitization and kaolinization. The Xinlong gold deposit shows great metallogenetic potentiality and has been revealed by 1∶10000 geological mapping, IP sounding, and trial trenching in the mining area. Combined with the regional metallogenic geological setting, we suppose that a potential epithermal gold belt probably exists in the middle of the Lhasa terrane. The discovery of the Xinlong gold deposit opens a new chapter for the gold prospecting in Northern Tibet.
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References
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Wei Chen, Yang Song, Qing-ping Liu, Miao Sun, Jia-jia Yu, Yang Li, Qi Zhang, Chang Liu, 2023. The first discovery of Xinlong epithermal gold deposit in southern margin of the Bangonghu-Nujiang metallogenic belt: A new expansion of gold prospecting in Northern Tibet, China Geology, 6, 241-251. doi: 10.31035/cg2023011
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Figure 1.
Distribution of the ore occurrences of rock gold on the southern margin of the Bangonghu-Nujiang metallogenic belt (modified from Zhu DC et al., 2016).
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Figure 2.
Geological map of the Xinlong gold deposit (modified from Chen W et al. 2022b). 1‒Quaternary; 2‒Upper Jurassic-Lower Cretaceous Zalena Formation; 3‒Lower Cretaceous Angjie Formation; 4‒Upper Carboniferous-Lower Permian Laga Formation; 5‒Granite porphyry; 6‒Quartz vein; 7‒Au and Cu mineralized zone and number; 8‒Geological boundary; 9‒Angular unconformity boundary; 10‒Fault; 11‒Lithofacies boundary; 12‒Ferritization; 13‒Silicification; 14‒Rhyolite; 15‒Rhyolitic pebbly tuff lava; 16‒Rhyolitic tuff lava; 17‒Rhyolitic fused tuff; 18‒Rhyolitic breccia fused tuff; 19‒Rhyolitic pebbly lava; 20‒Rhyolitic breccia lava; 21‒Dacite; 22‒Andesite; 23‒Trial trench and number; 24‒IP sounding profile.
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Figure 3.
Macroscopic alteration photos of the mining area. Silicitization, ferritization and hornfelsization are developed in the Xinlong mining area (a), silicitization and ferritization are developed in the Zenong Group volcanic in the north part of study area (b), strong silicitization and ferritization are developed in the Zenong Group volcanic in the Southwest part of the Xinlong mining area (c) and typical silicified rocks (d). Sil‒silicification; Fer‒ferritization; Hor‒hornfelsization.
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Figure 4.
Photos of outcrops in the Xinlong gold deposit and hand specimens. No. Ⅱ ore body outcrop (a), surface malachite oxide ore of No.Ⅱore body (b), Au-Cu 3 outcrop at the southern end of No. Ⅲ ore body (c), surface malachite hand specimen (d), vuggy quartz (e), sparse disseminated pyrite (f), sparse disseminated pyrite (g), pyrophyllite alteration (h), earthy kaolinite in brecciated tetrahedrite ore (i), kaolinite and dense disseminated ore (j), lumpy ore containing tetrahedrite (k) and high-grade lumpy ore (l). Q‒quartz; Mal‒malachite; Kao‒kaolinite; Opl‒opal; Td‒tetrahedrite.
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Figure 5.
Microscopic and backscattering photos of ores in the Xinlong gold deposit. VQ‒vuggy quartz; Q‒quartz; Ccp‒chalcopyrite; Py‒pyrite; Td‒tetrahedrite; Prl‒pyrophyllite; Ser‒sericite; Kao‒kaolinite; Bn‒bornite; Ang‒anglesite; Nev‒nevskite; Zn-Td‒zinc-antimony tetrahedrite; Nau‒native gold.
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Figure 6.
Paragenesis of main minerals in the Xinlong gold deposit.