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Gold

New Insights into the Erdaodianzi Gold Deposit in Jilin Province, Northeast China

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Scientists from Jilin University have made significant findings on the Erdaodianzi gold deposit in Jilin Province, Northeast China, through a comprehensive study published in Ore Geology Reviews. The research team applied Re-Os isotope dating and geochemistry of pyrite to constrain the ore genesis of the deposit. The results suggest that the Erdaodianzi gold deposit is a Middle Jurassic mesothermal magmatic-hydrothermal vein-type gold deposit, formed due to the subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate during the Middle Jurassic.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Erdaodianzi gold deposit is a newly discovered large-scale gold deposit within the Paleozoic metamorphic rock sequences in the eastern segment of the northern margin of the North China Craton.
  • The mineralization process of the Erdaodianzi gold deposit can be divided into four stages: quartz-pyrite-arsenopyrite (Stage I), quartz-pyrite-arsenopyrite-pyrrhotite-native gold-chalcopyrite (Stage II), quartz-chalcopyrite-pyrite-sphalerite-galena-electrum-marcasite (Stage III) and quartz-carbonate +/- pyrite (Stage IV).
  • Stage II is the most important for gold mineralization, with pyrite as the dominant gold-bearing mineral, which can be classified into three generations (Py1 to Py3), corresponding to mineralization stages I to III, respectively.
  • The Re-Os isotope dating of five pyrites from the Erdaodianzi gold deposit yields an isochron age of 172 +/- 3 Ma (MSWD = 0.29) and the weighted average of the model ages is 172 +/- 2 Ma (MSWD = 0.84), constraining the mineralization age to the Middle Jurassic.
  • The Erdaodianzi gold deposit is a Middle Jurassic mesothermal magmatic-hydrothermal vein-type gold deposit, formed due to the subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate during the Middle Jurassic.
  • Comparative studies of the Erdaodianzi gold deposit and other gold deposits on the Jiapigou-Haigou gold belt confirm that they are similar in terms of ore genesis and associated with the subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate during the Middle Jurassic.
  • The research concludes that the Jiapigou-Haigou gold belt extends northwestward, providing a theoretical basis for new regional exploration directions.

Statistics:

  • The Erdaodianzi gold deposit is a large-scale gold deposit with an estimated mineralization age of 172 +/- 2 Ma (MSWD = 0.84).
  • The S/Fe value in pyrites from the Erdaodianzi gold deposit is relatively low (average Py1 = 2.00, Py2 = 1.97, Py3 = 1.96), suggesting a sulfur-deficient character associated with magmatic activity.
  • The gold content in pyrite is significantly below the gold solubility limit, indicating that invisible gold exists in the pyrite lattice in the form of Au+.
  • The sulfur isotopic values of pyrites (Py1 = 0.73 parts per thousand-2.05 parts per thousand, Py2 = 1.78 parts per thousand-3.24 parts per thousand, Py3 = 4.16 parts per thousand-5.89 parts per thousand) indicate that the mineralization materials of the Erdaodianzi gold deposit mainly originate from magma.

Sources:

  • Ore Geology Reviews, 2025;186: "Ore Genesis of the Erdaodianzi Gold Deposit In Jilin Province, Northeast China: Constraints From Re-os Isotopes and Geochemistry of Pyrite".
  • Jilin University, College of Earth Sciences, 2199 Jianshe St, Changchun 130061, People's Republic of China.
  • Qun Yang et al., Researchers from Jilin University, College of Earth Sciences, 2199 Jianshe St, Changchun 130061, People's Republic of China.

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