Testing the apatite-magnetite geochronometer: U-Pb and 40Ar/39Ar geochronology of plutonic rocks, massive magnetite-apatite tabular bodies, and IOCG mineralization in Northern Chile

Other

Scientific paper

Rate now

  [ 0.00 ] – not rated yet Voters 0   Comments 0

Details

3

Scientific paper

Detailed zircon and apatite U-Pb dating and 40Ar/39Ar dating of actinolite have been carried out on the Carmen-Sierra Aspera Kiruna type magnetite-apatite and iron oxide Cu-Au (IOCG) district in the Coastal Cordillera of northern Chile (˜26°S). They define a precise succession of magmatic and hydrothermal events associated with early Cretaceous Andean magmatism. Apatite and magnetite from a magnetite-apatite tabular body with intergrowth texture in the Carmen deposit yield a total Pb-U isochron age of 131.0 ± 1.0 Ma. This result is the first direct dating of magnetite-apatite mineralization in an early Andean deposit, and the age coincides with zircon ages of a quartz diorite stock that partially hosts mineralization (130.6 ± 0.3 Ma). Magnetite from the studied tabular body contains only small amounts of radiogenic Pb and serves to constrain the initial common Pb isotopic composition. The high degree of correlation suggests that both minerals closed for Pb diffusion at essentially the same time and at a relatively high temperature (close to that of zircon), making the apatite-magnetite pair a reliable geochronometer for igneous or hydrothermal crystallization. Zircon from the Sierra Aspera composite pluton yields ages between 131.3 ± 0.3 Ma and 127.4 ± 0.1 Ma, clearly resolving the timing of intrusion of discrete intrusive phases. Actinolite 40Ar/39Ar ages partially overlap the ages of plutonic phases of the Sierra Aspera pluton, but are younger than the magnetite-apatite tabular body. The initial Pb isotopic composition of the melts and/or fluids from which the magnetite-apatite tabular bodies crystallized is very similar to the primitive Pb isotopic composition of granitic magmas associated with early Cretaceous plutons measured in K-feldspar. The Pb isotopic correspondence, combined with the temporal and spatial association between magnetite-apatite mineralization and the dioritic-quartz dioritic magmatism, strongly suggests a genetic relationship between early Cretaceous continental arc magmatism, massive magnetite-apatite deposits, and IOCG mineralization.

No associations

LandOfFree

Say what you really think

Search LandOfFree.com for scientists and scientific papers. Rate them and share your experience with other people.

Rating

Testing the apatite-magnetite geochronometer: U-Pb and 40Ar/39Ar geochronology of plutonic rocks, massive magnetite-apatite tabular bodies, and IOCG mineralization in Northern Chile does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this scientific paper.

If you have personal experience with Testing the apatite-magnetite geochronometer: U-Pb and 40Ar/39Ar geochronology of plutonic rocks, massive magnetite-apatite tabular bodies, and IOCG mineralization in Northern Chile, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Testing the apatite-magnetite geochronometer: U-Pb and 40Ar/39Ar geochronology of plutonic rocks, massive magnetite-apatite tabular bodies, and IOCG mineralization in Northern Chile will most certainly appreciate the feedback.

Rate now

     

Profile ID: LFWR-SCP-O-1248488

  Search
All data on this website is collected from public sources. Our data reflects the most accurate information available at the time of publication.