Metallogenesis Of The Tarim Lip

The Wajilitag Fe Ti V oxide deposit is the only ore body that is being mined in the Tarim LIP. It was probably formed by a slowly cooling magmatic crystallization from a deep magma chamber. Fe Ti oxides therein were formed by two stages of fractionations: minor Fe Ti oxides as oxide inclusions in the silicate minerals were crystallized in the early stage of the magmatic process, whereas most of the Fe Ti oxides were accumulated interstitial to the silicate minerals in the late stage of the magmatic process when silicate crystals had already cumulated. The parental magma of the Wajilitag intrusion was enriched in Fe and Ti, which may be produced by a low degree of partial melting from the mantle source. Extensively fractional crystallization may have caused the evolved magma with a further Fe Ti enrichment. The PGE (Platinum-group elements) geochemistry study reveals that the Tarim CFBs are extremely depleted in PGE concentrations, which is mainly due to the very low degrees (<5%) of partial melting in the mantle source. The degree of partial melting plays an important role in the Cu Ni PGE mineralization in the Tarim LIP, thus mafic ultramafic rocks formed by high -degree partial melting from the mantle source in the Tarim LIP should receive more attention in terms of their Cu Ni PGE mineralization potential. Besides, the PGE study on the Keping basalts indicates that magma replenishment in the magma chamber may once again trigger S -saturation and saturated sulfide segregation in the evolved magma, which may make it possible to develop a Cu Ni PGE sulfide deposit in the Keping area.