A GOLD-BEARING ALKALINE PLUTON IN EASTERN LINXI DISTRICT, INNER MONGOLIA: ITS GEOCHEMISTRY AND METALLOGENIC SIGNIFICANCE

Abstract

The Biliutai pluton, as the host of a small gold deposit, containing dark-gray enclaves, intruded into the Lower Permian volcanic-sedimentary formations in east Inner Mongolia, China. The host rocks and enclaves formed simultaneously at about 200 Ma (Rb–Sr isochron age with initial 87Sr/86Sr of 0.704). The Nd (T) values for the enclaves (from +4.4 to +4.6) are similar to their host rocks (+3.2 to +4.8), although the values for the host rocks are relatively variable. Both enclaves and host rocks are enriched in large ion lithosphere elements and light rare earth elements but depleted in high field strength elements and heavy rare earth elements. These observations suggest that the magma was produced from subduction-modified mantle sources. The age of the mantle enrichment event, evaluated using depleted mantle Nd model ages, is 0.61 - 0.83 Ga. These geochemical characteristics constrain the metallogeny of the Biliutai pluton, and imply that the ore-forming materials probably were derived from lithospheric mantle.