Zircon trace elements and magma fertility: insights from porphyry (-skarn) Mo deposits in NE China

• DOI: 10.1007/s00126-019-00867-7
• Publication Date: 2019-03-27T06:02:52Z
• Authors: Qihai Shu; Zhaoshan Chang; Yong Lai; Xinlu Hu; Huaying Wu; Yong Zhang; Pin Wang; Degao Zhai; Cheng Zhang
• Keywords: Mineral resource classification

It has been widely accepted that magmas genetically linked to porphyry (-skarn) Cu (Mo) deposits are commonly oxidized. Recently, using laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) techniques, zircon Ce4+/Ce3+, CeN/CeN*, EuN/EuN*, and Ce/Nd ratios, and magma ΔFMQ values (departure from the fayalite–magnetite–quartz oxygen buffer) based on zircon trace element compositions, have been used as proxies to quantify magma oxidation state. Here we present the zircon trace element compositions of 13 Mesozoic porphyry (-skarn) Mo deposits in NE China of various sizes to examine the relationship between magma Mo fertility and magma oxidation state. Generally, the studied deposits with > 0.3 Mt Mo have Ce4+/Ce3+ > 100, CeN/CeN* > 100, Ce/Nd > 10, and EuN/EuN* > 0.3, whereas those containing 10 Mt Cu. The findings in this study can be used to evaluate an intrusion’s potential to produce Mo mineralization.