Abstract:
BACKGROUNDThe Shijiaowei uranium deposit (No.339 deposit) in the Eastern Guidong granite complex of Nanling region, is one of the large type deposits in the Xiazhuang uranium ore field. Uraninite, the main ore mineral of the Shijiaowei deposit, is the ideal mineral for geochronology. Previous studies show that the uranium mineralize ages of Shijiaowei deposit is 38-138Ma acquired by ID-TIMS and EMPA.
OBJECTIVESTo provide new insight for uranium metallogenic mechanism and background of the Shijiaowei deposit by a new reliable uranium mineralization age determination method.
METHODSIn situ LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating method was used to constrain the formation age of uraninite from the Shijiaowei deposit.
RESULTSThe 206Pb/238U age of uraninite was 52.46-56.89Ma with the weighted average age of 54.68±0.53Ma (MSWD=1.19, n=18). The in situ U-Pb dating of the uraninite avoids the influence of mineral inclusions, secondary changes and micro-cracks on dating.
CONCLUSIONSTherefore, the in situ U-Pb isotopic age of the uraninite determined by LA-ICP-MS represents the ore-forming age of the deposit. The ore-forming age (about 55Ma) is consistent with the main metallogenic period (about 50Ma) of the South China granite-type uranium deposit, indicating that the uranium mineralization of the Shijiao ore deposit is closely related to fault tectonic activity induced by the local extension of the lithosphere in South China.