Scheelite Sm-Nd dating and quartz Ar-Ar dating for Woxi Au-Sb-W deposit,western Hunan

Scheelite Sm-Nd and quartz Ar-Ar dating were accomplished for the Woxi Au-Sb-W deposit in western hu-nan. The results show that the Sm and Nd concentrations of scheelite are relatively high, and Sm/Nd ratios are usually high and variable. In the 147Sm/144Nd vs. 143Nd/144Nd diagram, the disseminated scheelites show a good linear array, which corresponds to an isochron age of 402 6 Ma and an initial 143Nd/144Nd ratio of 0.510544 9 (2s ) with a e Nd(t) value of -30.7. The Ar-Ar age spectra for 2 quartz samples display the saddle shape. The minimum apparent age, plateau age and isochron age of each quartz sample generally overlap within errors; and both the minimum apparent ages of 420 20 and 414 19 Ma coincide well with the scheelite Sm-Nd age. Both Sm-Nd and Ar-Ar dating results reveal that the Au-Sb-W mineralization at Woxi district took place in the Late Caledonian. This is in good agreement with the tectonic evolution of the Xuefengshan district and with some geo-chronological data available for Au, Sb and W deposits in this area. The low initial Nd isotope ratio of scheelites sug-gests that the fluid responsible for Au-Sb-W mineralization at the Woxi is of deep crustal origin and probably originated from the underlying Archaean continental basement rather than the host Proterozoic strata in western Hunan. The con-straints on the mineralization time and on the fluid source provide insight into the genesis of the Woxi deposit.