In Situ U–Pb Geochronology of Hydrothermal Xenotime and Monazite to Date Gold Mineralization in the Northern Capricorn Orogen, Western Australia

In situ SHRIMP U-Pb geochronology of xenotime and monazite is a powerful method for dating hydrothermal gold mineralization. This method has been applied to the northern Capricorn Orogen of Western Australia, providing a new geological framework that reveals a more complex mineralization history than previously recognised. The study has identified three gold mineralization events (2.4, 1.77 and 1.68 billion years ago) and demonstrates a direct link between fault reactivation and hydrothermal fluid flow during orogeny.