Pb isotope geochemistry of lead, zinc, gold and silver deposit clustered region, Liaodong rift zone, northeastern China

33 Pb isotopic analyses were reported for sulfide and hydrothermal carbonate minerals and marble of the Xiquegou lead-zinc, the Zhenzigou zinc-lead and the Gaojiapuzi silver deposits from the Qingchengzi ore field and the Beiwagou zinc-lead deposit in the west, Proterozoic Liaodong rift zone. Pb isotopic ratios of the marble from the Qingchengzi ore field range from 18.24 to 30.63 for 206Pb/204Pb, 15.59 to 17.05 for 207Pb/204Pb and 37.43 to 38.63 for 208Pb/204Pb. The marble gives a Pb-Pb isochron age of 1822±92 Ma, which is interpreted as the age of the metamorphism of the marble. Ore Pb, including Pb of sulfide and hydrothermal carbonate minerals, from the Qingchengzi ore field shows limited variation with 206Pb/204Pb=17.66-17.96, 207Pb/204Pb=15.60-15.74 and 208Pb/204Pb=37.94-38.60. In contrast, ore Pb from the Beiwagou deposit gives different Pb isotopic ratios with 206Pb/204Pb=15.68-15.81, 207Pb/204Pb= 15.34-15.45 and 208Pb/204Pb=35.30–35.68. Pb of all deposits from the Liaodong rift zone is derived from the upper crust. Ore Pb of the Qingchengzi deposits is derived from a young upper crust. The model Th/U ratios of 4.40 to 4.74 for ore Pb are significantly different from that of 1.7 to 4.4 given by the marble of the Qingchengzi ore field, suggesting that marble is not the source of the ore Pb. Ore Pb of the Beiwagou deposit is extracted from its source and the deposit is formed at the Paleoproterozoic era. Different Pb isotopic ratios of the Qingchengzi ore field and the Beiwagou deposit are due to different ages of the deposits and suggest that the two types of deposits are derived from different sources and are possibly formed by different ore-forming processes.