In situ apatite U-Pb dating for the ophiolite-hosted Nianzha orogenic gold deposit, Southern Tibet

Mineralization age dating is essential for understanding orogenic-type gold metallogeny, but suitable minerals for dating are not always available. Apatite can incorporate considerable amount of U and Th, making it a potential U-Pb geochronometer to study hydrothermal alteration and mineralization processes. The newly-discovered Nianzha is a large orogenic Au deposit (∼25 t @ 3.08 g/t Au) and located in the contact fault zone between ultramafic rocks and diorite in the Renbu tectonic mélange of southern Tibet. Two different types of apatite were identified in the Nianzha gold deposit: type I magmatic apatite hosted in diorite and syenite, and intergrown with other magmatic minerals; type II hydrothermal apatite hosted in mineralized diorite. These apatite grains are coarse euhedral granular and closely associated with auriferous sulfides (e.g., pyrite, chalcopyrite, galena). Type I apatite is F- and SO3-rich, whereas type II apatite is distinct from type I apatite by its significantly higher Cl, Mn, rare earth elements (REE), U, Th, and As contents, indicative of a hydrothermal origin. Thus, formation age of type II apatite reflects the timing of gold mineralization. Two type I magmatic apatite samples yielded similar discordia U-Pb ages of 80.35 ± 1.56 Ma (MSWD = 1.3; n = 86) and 79.53 ± 1.27 Ma (MSWD = 0.91; n = 72), respectively, whilst type II hydrothermal apatite yielded a discordia age of 44.60 ± 1.45 Ma (MSWD = 1.2; n = 64). The gold mineralization age is consistent with that of nearby orogenic gold deposits (e.g., Mayum, Bangbu, Zhemulang, and Juqu) in the region. Therefore, we suggest that hydrothermal apatite U-Pb dating can effectively constrain the timing of orogenic Au mineralization events.