Channelized CO2-Rich Fluid Activity along a Subduction Interface in the Paleoproterozoic Wutai Complex, North China Craton

Abstract

Greenschist facies metabasite (chlorite schist) and metasediments (banded iron formation (BIF)) in the Wutai Complex, North China Craton recorded extensive fluid activities during subduction-related metamorphism. The pervasive dolomitization in the chlorite schist and significant dolomite enrichment at the BIF–chlorite schist interface support the existence of highly channelized updip transportation of CO2-rich hydrothermal fluids. Xenotime from the chlorite schist has U concentrations of 39–254 ppm and Th concentrations of 121–2367 ppm, with U/Th ratios of 0.11–0.62, which is typical of xenotime precipitated from circulating hydrothermal fluids. SHRIMP U–Th–Pb dating of xenotime determines a fluid activity age of 1.85 ± 0.07 Ga. The metasomatic dolomite has δ13CV-PDB from −4.17‰ to −3.10‰, which is significantly lower than that of carbonates from greenschists, but similar to the fluid originated from Rayleigh fractionating decarbonation at amphibolite facies metamorphism along the regional geotherm (~15 °C/km) of the Wutai Complex. The δ18OV-SMOW values of the dolomite (12.08–13.85‰) can also correspond to this process, considering the contribution of dehydration. Based on phase equilibrium modelling, we ascertained that the hydrothermal fluid was rich in CO2, alkalis, and silica, with X(CO2) in the range of 0.24–0.28. All of these constraints suggest a channelized CO2-rich fluid activity along the sediment–basite interface in a warm Paleoproterozoic subduction zone, which allowed extensive migration and sequestration of volatiles (especially carbon species) beneath the forearc.

Rare Erath Elements: Their Geological Sources and the Potential of Organosulfonic Acids For Rare Earth Elements Leaching from Coal Ash and Process Optimization

“…These deposits occur as stock-works of dykes associated with syenites, being extremely rich in Barium, Strontium and REEs (Shunda et al, 2008) and showing the ratio of the isotope of Strontium 87 to that of Strontium 86 above 0.7055n (Hou et al, 2015). Genetically, these carbonatites were likely formed by melting of the sub-continental lithospheric mantle which had previously undergone metasomatism (Chikanda et al, 2019) characterized by high-flux of REEs and carbon dioxide rich hydrothermal fluids derived from subducting marine sedimentary environments (Wang et al, 2021). Generally, monazite is the most important source of REEs in carbonatites, and this has been demonstrated in relationship to the Kangankunde carbonatite Complex (Zhou et al, 2017).…”