Dong Shao , Yigui Han , Gang Wang , Li Ma , Jiajun He , Guochun Zhao
{"title":"Quantifying element mass transfer in the Jiling Na-metasomatic hydrothermal uranium deposit, Northwest China","authors":"Dong Shao , Yigui Han , Gang Wang , Li Ma , Jiajun He , Guochun Zhao","doi":"10.1016/j.oregeorev.2024.106247","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The Na-metasomatic hydrothermal uranium deposits are relatively widespread, low in grade (less than 1 % U<sub>3</sub>O<sub>8</sub>) but high in tonnage. Although it has been considered that this type of deposit was formed due to hydrothermal alteration unrelated to magmatic activity, the detailed evolution of fluids and ore-forming process are still not well understood. Through element-mass-balance calculation and geochemical mapping of regional rocks, we investigated the Jiling uranium deposit in northwestern China and evaluated the composition and source of fluids and element-transfer behavior through Na-metasomatism and uranium mineralization. The findings show that, in the early Na-metasomatism stage, the Na-, HFSE- and REE-rich late-magmatic hydrothermal fluids caused Na-metasomatism of wall rocks, enriching Na<sub>2</sub>O (>53 %) while removing K<sub>2</sub>O (<-78 %), depleting SiO<sub>2</sub> (30 % in granite and 3 % in diorite), and massively mass-transferring Fe, Ti, P and some incompatible elements. With increased rock permeability and the formation of partial Fe<sup>2+</sup>-bearing minerals, the Na-metasomatic alteration produced reducing agents and migration channels for ore-forming fluids, as well as the creation of ∼ 15 vol% porosity in the altered granite for metallogenic space. In the late uranium mineralization stage, CO<sub>2</sub>-rich fluids extracted uranium and HREEs, converted Fe<sup>2+</sup> to Fe<sup>3+</sup>, and subsequently precipitated uranium to form pitchblende with apatite, calcite and chlorite. Thus, the Na-metasomatic alteration caused by late-magmatic hydrothermal fluids is critical for the production of large Na-metasomatic hydrothermal uranium deposits. Our new geochemical mapping reveals that the mass-concentration changes of Na, K and Si are more credible to defining Na-metasomatic alteration, while Fe, Ti, P, ∑(Zr-Hf-Nb-Ta) and ∑LREE/∑HREE vary strikingly during the uranium mineralization process.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19644,"journal":{"name":"Ore Geology Reviews","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":3.2000,"publicationDate":"2024-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169136824003809/pdfft?md5=c5188e057abc083adad445b96dbec430&pid=1-s2.0-S0169136824003809-main.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Ore Geology Reviews","FirstCategoryId":"89","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169136824003809","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"地球科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"GEOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
The Na-metasomatic hydrothermal uranium deposits are relatively widespread, low in grade (less than 1 % U3O8) but high in tonnage. Although it has been considered that this type of deposit was formed due to hydrothermal alteration unrelated to magmatic activity, the detailed evolution of fluids and ore-forming process are still not well understood. Through element-mass-balance calculation and geochemical mapping of regional rocks, we investigated the Jiling uranium deposit in northwestern China and evaluated the composition and source of fluids and element-transfer behavior through Na-metasomatism and uranium mineralization. The findings show that, in the early Na-metasomatism stage, the Na-, HFSE- and REE-rich late-magmatic hydrothermal fluids caused Na-metasomatism of wall rocks, enriching Na2O (>53 %) while removing K2O (<-78 %), depleting SiO2 (30 % in granite and 3 % in diorite), and massively mass-transferring Fe, Ti, P and some incompatible elements. With increased rock permeability and the formation of partial Fe2+-bearing minerals, the Na-metasomatic alteration produced reducing agents and migration channels for ore-forming fluids, as well as the creation of ∼ 15 vol% porosity in the altered granite for metallogenic space. In the late uranium mineralization stage, CO2-rich fluids extracted uranium and HREEs, converted Fe2+ to Fe3+, and subsequently precipitated uranium to form pitchblende with apatite, calcite and chlorite. Thus, the Na-metasomatic alteration caused by late-magmatic hydrothermal fluids is critical for the production of large Na-metasomatic hydrothermal uranium deposits. Our new geochemical mapping reveals that the mass-concentration changes of Na, K and Si are more credible to defining Na-metasomatic alteration, while Fe, Ti, P, ∑(Zr-Hf-Nb-Ta) and ∑LREE/∑HREE vary strikingly during the uranium mineralization process.
期刊介绍:
Ore Geology Reviews aims to familiarize all earth scientists with recent advances in a number of interconnected disciplines related to the study of, and search for, ore deposits. The reviews range from brief to longer contributions, but the journal preferentially publishes manuscripts that fill the niche between the commonly shorter journal articles and the comprehensive book coverages, and thus has a special appeal to many authors and readers.