Geochronology of Early Cretaceous copper mineralization at the NE China-North Korea border

• Published in: International geology review Vol. 61; no. 18; pp. 2276 - 2290
• Main Authors: Zhang, Yong, Song, Quan-Heng, Xing, Shu-Wen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Philadelphia Taylor & Francis 12.12.2019; Taylor & Francis Ltd
• Subjects: Copper; Cretaceous; Cu deposit; diagenetic and metallogenic dynamics; Geochronology; Geochronometry; Geological time; Isotopes; Lead; Mineral deposits; Mineralization; Molybdenite; NE China; North Korea; Osmium; Plates; Plates (tectonics); Radiometric dating; Rhenium; Sulfide; Sulphides; Zinc; Zircon; China; North Korea
• ISSN: 0020-6814; 1938-2839
• DOI: 10.1080/00206814.2019.1584868

North Korea is host to world-class metallic mineral deposits, such as the Komdok Cu-Pb-Zn polymetallic mineral belt, but little is known about the resource. To better understand the genesis of the Cu mineralization around the China-North Korea border, we determined the U-Pb, Re-Os, and Rb-Sr ages of three deposits in the area. Sulfide samples from the Hyesan Cu deposit produced Rb-Sr isochron ages of 127.4 ± 4.5 Ma. The Wanbaoyuan Cu deposit yielded a molybdenite Re-Os isochron age of 127.5 ± 3.2 Ma, and a granodiorite sample from the Linjiang Cu deposit gave a zircon U-Pb age of 129.5 ± 0.8 Ma. Combined with geochronological data from previous studies, these new ages suggest that the Cu mineralization occurred mainly during the Cretaceous, and the rollback of the Paleo-Pacific Plate was responsible for the Cu mineralization in NE China-North Korea border.