Thermal history of Zaozigou

Epizonal orogenic Au-Sb deposits form at ˂6 km depth in orogenic setting and supply large amounts of Au and most of the Sb to the world economy. They are generally Phanerozoic in age, possibly as a consequence of erosion that can entirely remove older mineral deposits in rapidly uplifting. Regional deformation related to tectonic evolution of orogen is therefore critical for exhumation and preservation of epizonal deposits. This study documents exhumation rates on the giant Zaozigou deposit in Qinling Orogen in central China. Multi-cooling phases are related to a sequence of compressional, strike-slip, compressional, and extensional processes occurring after mineralization. Our results demonstrate that a long-lived subsidence signifies a favorable tectonic environment for the preservation of epizonal orogenic Au-Sb deposits in rapidly uplifting orogenic setting.