The relationship between granitoids and mineralization of the Chengchao large-size skarn iron deposit in southeastern Hubei ore concentration area

Abstract：Located on the southern margin of Echeng batholith in the southeastern Hubei ore concentration area, .the Chengchao iron deposit is the largest skarn iron deposit in the Middle–Lower Yangtze River Valley metallogenic belt. The ore deposit occurs along the contact between granitoids and carbonates or between granitoids and diorites. Ore bodies, granitoids and skarns have close contact relationships. REE analyses show that the chondrite-normalized REE patterns of garnets, epidote and magnetite ores in the Chengchao iron deposit are similar to each other and enriched in LREE (light REE) with Eu positive anomaly and without Ce anomaly, implying that they were formed in an oxidation environment by magmatic fluids characterized by high temperature and richness of Eu. The REE characteristics of granitoids, skarns and ores indicate their close genetic relationships. Geological and REE geochemical features show that granitoids, skarns and ore bodies are closely related to each other in time, space and genesis.