Geological and Geochemical Characteristics and Genesis of the Shaxi Porphyry Copper (Gold) Deposits, Anhui Province

Abstract The Shaxi porphyry copper (gold) deposits are a typical example of porphyry copper deposits associated with diorite in eastern China. Quartz diorite, which hosts the deposits, has a Rb‐Sr isochron age of 127.9 ± 1.6 Ma. Geochemically, the rock is rich in alkalis (especially sodium), light rare earth elements (LREE) and large‐ion lithophile elements (LILE), and has a relatively low initial strontium isotopic ratio (Isr=0.7058); thus it is the product of differentiation of crust‐mantle mixing source magma. The model of alteration and mineralization zoning is similar to the Hollister (1974) diorite model. The ore fluids have a relatively high salinity and contain significant amounts of CO2, Ca2+, Na+ and ***CI−. The homogenization temperatures of fluid inclusions for the main mineralization stage range from 280 to 420°C, the δ18O values of the ore fluids vary from 3.51 to 5.52 %, the δD values are in the range between −82.4 and −59.8 %, the δ34S values of sulphides vary from −0.3 to 2.49 %, and the δ13C values of CO2 in inclusions range between −2.66 and −6.53 %. Isotope data indicate that the hydrothermal ore fluids and ore substances of the Shaxi porphyry copper (gold) deposits were mainly derived from magmatic systems.