Metallogeny of the Zoujiashan uranium deposit in the Mesozoic Xiangshan volcanic-intrusive complex, southeast China: Insights from chemical compositions of hydrothermal apatite and metal elements of individual fluid inclusions

摘要

The Zoujiashan U deposit in the Mesozoic Xiangshan volcanic-intrusive complex is one of the largest volcanic-related type U deposits in China. Chemical composition of hydrothermal apatite and metal contents in individual fluid inclusions of quartz and fluorite are investigated in order to understand the precipitation mechanism of U and to further constrain the origin of U and ore-forming fluids of the Zoujiashan deposit. Illitization, hematitization, and U mineralization successively occurred within rhyolite and porphyritic lava. Three types of hydrothermal apatite are identified. Apatite Type 1 (Ap1) and apatite Type 2 (Ap2) are both euhedral-subhedral crystals found in hematitization zone, while only Ap2 shows evident irregular chemical zoning along its rims. Apatite Type 3 (Ap3) occurs as anhedral aggregates closely associated with U-minerals in U ore veins, implying synchronous precipitation of Ap3 and U ores. Comparable chemical compositions of Ap1 and cores of Ap2, including similar high Cl content, indicate both of them were precipitated from a Cl-rich fluid that induced hematitization. The elevated F contents of Ap3 and rims of Ap2 implies that a F-rich fluid was involved and altered Ap2 during the main stage of U deposition. Ap1 and cores of Ap2 have lower Mn contents than Ap3 and rims of Ap2, indicating an oxidized character for the Cl-rich fluid and a reducing character for the F-rich fluid.