文摘
In China, most Precambrian banded iron formations (BIFs) are situated in the North China Craton. The Yuanjiacun iron deposit, located in the Lüliang area, is arguably the most representative Superior-type BIF. This iron deposit is coherent with the sedimentary rock succession of the Yuanjiacun Formation in the lower Lüliang Group, and was interpreted to be deposited at 2.3-2.1 Ga, based on ages of overlying and underlying volcanic strata. This age overlaps with the time range of the Great Oxidation Event (GOE, 2.4-2.2 Ga). The Yuanjiacun BIF consists mainly of subhedral-xenomorphic magnetite and quartz and rarely other minerals with a lower degree of metamorphism, from greenschist to lower amphibolite facies. The geochemical characteristics of this BIF are similar to those of Superior-type BIFs. Prominent positive La, Y, and Eu anomalies normalized by the Post Archean Australian Shale (PAAS) indicate that the primary chemical precipitate is a result of solutions that represent mixtures of seawater and high-T hydrothermal fluids. The contamination from crustal detritus found is negligible based on low abundances of Al2O3 and TiO2 (2O3 and TiO2. In particular, the Yuanjiacun BIF samples do not display significant negative Ce anomalies like those of the Archean iron formations, but rather, the Yuanjiacun BIF samples exhibit prominent positive Ce anomalies, low Y/Ho ratios, and high light to heavy REE ((Pr/Yb)SN) ratios, which are essentially consistent with the late Paleoproterozoic (