Some pertinent features of Mo-mineralized granitoids in the circum-pacific region

Abstract

Petrological characteristics of granitic rocks related to the world large molybdenum deposits are studied. The granitoids are evaluated by Fe2O3+TiO2-FeO+MnO-MgO diagrams, and found to all plot to the magnetite-series field. They are all high silica and high-K series, but not A-type, except for the Climax-type porphyries and some others in the Colorado mineral belt. By-product molybdenum contained in porphyry copper deposits, lower grade but huge tonnage, occurs with calc-alkaline I-type magnetite-series granodiorite and monzogranite. Felsic intrusive rocks of the Climax mine are A-type and are exceptionally high in trace elements such as F and Rb, which are generally enriched with Wand Sn-related granitoids that originated in crustal source rocks. The by-product molybdenites in porphyry copper deposits appear to originate in adakitic granodiorite or monzogranite, having deep origins with the subducted slab or thickened juvenile mafic lower crust. Therefore, there is no single magma type but the magnetite series, which concentrates a large volume of molybdenum in the ore deposits.