What question did this study set out to answer?

To better understand the genesis and ore-forming mechanisms of the Hadamengou gold deposit.

January 22, 2026Open Access

Genesis of the Hadamengou Gold Deposit, Northern North China Craton: Constraints from Ore Geology, Fluid Inclusion, and Isotope Geochemistry

Key Points

To better understand the genesis and ore-forming mechanisms of the Hadamengou gold deposit.
Utilized fluid inclusion microthermometry and C-H-O-S-Pb isotopes.
Analyzed various stages of hydrothermal mineralization.
Identified primary fluid inclusion types and their characteristics.
Determined that the ore-forming fluids were mesothermal to hypothermal, CO2-rich, and H2O-dominated.
Found that fluid immiscibility contributed to gold destabilization.
Established a dominant magmatic water source with varying meteoric water input throughout stages.

Abstract

The Hadamengou gold deposit, hosted in the Precambrian metamorphic basement, is a super-large gold deposit occurring along the northern margin of the North China Craton. Despite extensive investigation, the genesis of the gold mineralization is poorly understood and remains highly debated. This study integrates a comprehensive dataset, including fluid inclusion microthermometry and C-H-O-S-Pb isotopes, to better constrain the genesis and ore-forming mechanism of the deposit. Hydrothermal mineralization can be divided into pyrite–potassium feldspar–quartz (Stage I), quartz–gold–pyrite–molybdenite (Stage II), quartz–gold–polymetallic sulfide (Stage III), and quartz–carbonate stages (Stage IV). Four types of primary fluid inclusions are identified, including pure CO2-type, composite CO2-H2O-type, aqueous-type, and solid-daughter mineral-bearing-type inclusions. Microthermometric and compositional data reveal that the fluids were mesothermal to hypothermal, H2O-dominated, and CO2-rich fluids containing significant N2 and low-to-moderate salinity, indicative of a magmatic–hydrothermal origin. Fluid inclusion assemblages further imply that the ore-forming fluids underwent fluid immiscibility, causing CO2 effusion and significant changes in physicochemical conditions that destabilized gold bisulfide complexes. The hydrogen–oxygen isotopic compositions, moreover, support a dominant magmatic water source, with increasing meteoric water input during later stages. The carbon–oxygen isotopes are also consistent with a magmatic carbon source. Sulfur and lead isotopes collectively imply that ore-forming materials were derived from a hybrid crust–mantle magmatic reservoir, with minor contribution from the country rocks. By synthesizing temporal–spatial relationships between magmatic activity and ore formation, and the regional tectonic evolution, we suggest that the Hadamengou is an intrusion-related magmatic–hydrothermal lode gold deposit. It is genetically associated with multi-stage magmatism induced by crust–mantle interaction, which developed within the extensional tectonic regimes.

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