Origin of the Tudigou intrusion and associated porphyry Cu mineralization in the southern Qinling, Central China: Implication for regional tectonic setting

The Tudigou porphyry Cu deposit is located in the central part of the southern Qinling belt. Copper mineralization is closely associated with monzogranite porphyry. Zircon LA–ICP–MS U–Pb dating of monzogranite porphyry suggests that the ages of magmatism at Tudigou vary between 150 ± 1 and 148 ± 1 Ma and overlap with the molybdenite Re–Os age of 150–148 Ma, indicating that the Tudigou intrusion and associated mineralization formed during the Late Jurassic. The enrichment in large‐ion lithophile elements, depletion in high‐field‐strength elements, high Ba/Th and La/Yb ratios, and negative correlation between Dy/Yb and La/Sm ratios, together with narrow ranges of εHf(t) values (εHf(t) = −4.0 to +1.4) suggest monzogranite porphyry was derived from a metasomatized lithospheric mantle with minor crustal components contribution, which is also evidenced by the lead isotopic result. The La/Yb ratios of 30 Mesozoic plutons in the southern Qinling belt were used to calculate the Moho depth, which suggests that the magmatism and mineralization in the region occurred during lithosphere thinning in response to the tectonic transition from compression to extension transitional regime. The calculated oxygen fugacity of the Late Mesozoic porphyry deposits in the Qinling–Dabie orogen have identical ΔFMQ values (averaging +1.4 to +2.4). However, the V/Sc ratios (the proxy for water content) are distinct among different deposit sizes, indicating that the dissolved water in the magma plays a critical role in porphyry‐type mineralization. The Tudigou porphyry Cu deposit, which is located in the central part of the southern Qinling belt, formed during lithosphere thinning in response to compression to extension transitional regime. The dissolved water in the magma is the sine qua non of the porphyry‐type mineralization.