Study on the genesis of Yishui banded iron formation (BIF) in the North China Craton: geochemical characteristics and tectonic environment

Abstract:

The Yishui BIFs are located in the Taishan Group, Shandong province of Eastern Block of North China Craton. The iron ore samples were collected from the mine pits. Major elements were analyzed by X-ray Fluoresence Spectromemter (XRF). Trace elements and REY (REE + Y) were analyzed by Inductively Coupled Plasma Mass Spectrometer (ICP-MS). Petrological, mineralogical and geochemical analyses of iron ores and their wall rock (amphibolite) were conducted to trace the genesis of Yishui BIF. Iron ores of Yishui BIF are mainly composed of SiO₂ and Fe₂O₃^T (SiO₂+ Fe₂O₃^T= 85.8 to 98.8 wt%) and consistent with major mineral components which are quartz and iron oxide such as magnetite and hematite. Low contents of TiO₂ (0.01 to 0.09 wt%) , Al₂O₃ (0.42 to 1.18 wt%) and HFSE indicate no or little effect of detrital contamination. Iron ores have positive La, Eu, Gd, Er and Y anomalies with enriched HREE in PAAS normalized REY graph. The REY patterns of iron ores were used as a fingerprint to trace the source of iron and silica. Distinctive positive Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu*= 2.44-4.19), Y anomalies (Y/Y*=0.97 - 4.19), slightly negative Ce anomalies (Ce/Ce*= 0.87-0.97) and enriched HREE ((La/Yb)_SN= 0.17-0.32) indicate that mixture of seawater and high-temperature hydrothermal fluid (>250 ◦C). Depositional environment in North China Craton implies that Yishui BIFs were formed at Neoarchean and associated arc-related tectonic setting. All these data suggest that Yishui BIFs belong to typical Algoma-type BIF.