Geochronological study of granit-oids from the Niukutou and B section of the Kaerqueka deposits, Qimantag area, Qinghai Province:Implications for Devoni-an magmatism and mineralization

The Niukutou and the Kaerqueka deposits are economically important in the Qimantag area of Qinghai Province (QA-QP). In this paper, the authors present new LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb ages for granitoids from these two deposits, which show that the emplacement ages of the Niukutou granodiorite and B section of the Kaerqueka biotite monzogranite are 394.0±1.3Ma and 406.4±4.2Ma, respectively. These ages are consistent with those of granitic intrusions associated with the Yemaquan, Wulanwuzhuer and Xiarihamu deposits, indicating that Early and Middle Devonian is an important period for magmatism and mineralization of the QAQP. Combined with previously published data and geological features, the authors hold that Early and Middle Devonian magma-tism and related polymetallic mineralization occurred in a post-collision tectonic setting, implying that Early and Middle Devonian might have been another significantly metallogenic period for the QAQP.