Oxygen isotope and REE geochemistry of metamorphic veins within the Zhoutan Group, central Jiangxi Province

Abstract

Geochemical studies on REE, trace elements and oxygen isotopes from metamorphic veins and their host metasedimentary rocks in the Zhoutan Group at two localities, Xiangshan and Yihuang, in central Jiangxi Province have been conducted in this paper. The results show that the metamorphic quartz veins inherited the REE and oxygen isotope geochemical characteristics from their host rocks, suggesting that the vein-forming fluids were derived from the host rocks. Additionally, fractionation degrees of the trace element pairs Zr-Hf, Nb-Ta, Y-Ho and U-Th in the veins are different from those of their host rocks. It is also indicated that the veins are the products of the fluids. The metamorphic veins within the Zhoutan Group metasedimentary rocks were formed principally as a result of lateral diffusion of the metamorphic fluids.