Consumed tectonic plates in Southeast Asia: Markers from the Mesozoic to early Cenozoic stratigraphic units in the northern and central Philippines

Tectonic reconstruction models of Southeast Asia all invoke in the early Cenozoic the collision of Mesozoic oceanic plates, which have been fragmented, consumed along subduction zones or emplaced onto the overriding plate. However, with marked variations in these models, we reinvestigate the tectonic evolutionary landscape of Southeast Asia through the lens of Philippine geology. In particular, we present revisions to the more recent models by adopting the unique approach of integrating data that we have gathered for the past 17 years from the Upper Mesozoic to Lower Cenozoic stratigraphic formations in northern and central Philippines. These formations, which resulted mainly from submarine mass transport processes, evolved in response to early arc-related processes of oblique subduction, frontal wedge deformation, terrane accretion and strike slip faulting. Additional key constraints for the revisions include: (1) the timing of early Cenozoic magmatism in eastern Luzon; (2) the spatial distribution of the Upper Mesozoic to Lower Cenozoic sedimentary formations with respect to other key features (e.g. distribution of Mesozoic ophiolite fragment and continent-derived rocks) in the Philippine arc; (3) the paleolatitudinal position of Luzon and surrounding regions and; (4) the movement of the surrounding plates since the Late Mesozoic. In revising previous models, a subduction zone (proto-East Luzon Trough) separating Benham Plateau and the Philippine arc was placed to explain the spatial distribution of Eocene arc-related formational units and Mesozoic ophiolite materials comprising the accretionary complex east of Luzon at ~40 Ma period. During this time, Luzon was modeled at the southern margin of the East Asia Sea or the proto-Philippine Sea Plate. Mesozoic ophiolitic complexes that line the eastern Philippine arc as well as the ophiolitic and pelagic limestone and chert fragments included in the arc-derived, Eocene formations in Luzon could very well be traces of the now consumed East Asia Sea-proto-Philippine Sea Plate. Within the same period, we modified the Palawan Microcontinental Block (PCB), positioned at the trailing edge of the proto-South China Sea to include the whole Mindoro island and the Romblon Island Group in Central Philippines. Pieces of the consumed Izanagi Plate, the proto-South China Sea and continental-derived sediments from Asia mainland are reflected in the Mesozoic metamorphic rocks and the Eocene sedimentary formation in western Mindoro. Finally, we model Cebu, Bohol and Negros islands in Central Philippines as being at the leading oceanic edge of the Indo-Australian Plate during the early Cenozoic. With the northward movement of the Indo-Australian plate and the trench roll back of the southern margins of the Philippine Sea Plate, the accretion of the Cretaceous arc-related rocks of Cebu, Bohol and Negros onto the Philippine arc by the end of Eocene or early Oligocene becomes a possibility

Mesozoic rock suites along western Philippines: Exposed proto-South China Sea fragments?

An ancient oceanic crustal leading edge east of mainland Asia, the proto-South China Sea crust, must have existed during the Mesozoic based on tectonic reconstructions that accounted for the presence of subducted slabs in the lower mantle and the exposed oceanic lithospheric fragments strewn in the Philippine and Bornean regions. Along the western seaboard of the Philippine archipelago, numerous Mesozoic ophiolites and associated lithologies do not appear to be genetically associated with the younger Paleogene-Neogene ocean basins that currently surround the islands. New sedimentological, paleomagnetic, paleontological, and isotopic age data that we generated are presented here, in combination with our previous results and those of others, to reassess the geological make-up of the western Philippine island arc system. We believe that the oceanic lithospheric fragments, associated melanges, and sedimentary rocks in this region are exhumed slivers of the proto-South China Sea ocean plate

Slab rollback and microcontinent subduction in the evolution of the Zambales Ophiolite Complex (Philippines) : A review

New radiolarian ages show that the island arc-related Acoje block of the Zambales Ophiolite Complex is possibly of Late Jurassic to Early Cretaceous age. Radiometric dating of its plutonic and volcanic-hypabyssal rocks yielded middle Eocene ages. On the other hand, the paleontological dating of the sedimentary carapace of the transitional mid-ocean ridge – island arc affiliated Coto block of the ophiolite complex, together with isotopic age datings of its dikes and mafic cumulate rocks, also yielded Eocene ages. This offers the possibility that the Zambales Ophiolite Complex could have: (1) evolved from a Mesozoic arc (Acoje block) that split to form a Cenozoic back-arc basin (Coto block), (2) through faulting, structurally juxtaposed a Mesozoic oceanic crust with a younger Cenozoic lithospheric fragment or (3) through the interplay of slab rollback, slab break-off and, at a later time, collision with a microcontinent fragment, caused the formation of an island arc-related ophiolite block (Acoje) that migrated trench-ward resulting into the generation of a back-arc basin (Coto block) with a limited subduction signature. This Meso-Cenozoic ophiolite complex is compared with the other oceanic lithosphere fragments along the western seaboard of the Philippines in the context of their evolution in terms of their recognized environments of generation

Breccia characteristics and classification of the GW orebodies, Balatoc Diatreme, Philippines: Insights to breccia facies and distribution across diatremes

A careful descriptive characterization of breccias, including diatremes, is useful for comparative purposes during exploration, rather than the colloquial use of various breccia terminology in ore exploration. Here, we present the first detailed breccia characterization of the Balatoc Diatreme-hosted GW orebodies in the Acupan deposit, Philippines. Three breccia types are identified from descriptive classification of the GW orebodies. GW 3/13, located at the northwestern rim of the diatreme, is a medium- to coarse-grained rotational, quartz-cemented diorite breccia, whereas GW 11, at the eastern portion of the diatreme, is a medium- to coarse-grained mosaic calcite-cemented andesite breccia. Both GW orebodies located at the southwestern portion of the diatreme, GW 4/7 and GW 6, are medium- to coarse-grained rotational quartz-cemented polymict breccias. The breccia facies and distribution emplaced during a single event include: (a) Crackle breccias proximal to the unbrecciated host rocks. (b) Mosaic breccia facies along the contact between the surrounding host rocks and orebody. (c) Rotational breccia facies near the outline of the diatreme. At Balatoc, the mineralized GW orebodies are characterized by mosaic and rotational clast distributions, suggesting that these breccia types are priority targets in ore exploration. Recognizing these various breccia types in other deposits may serve as an exploration vector to determine their position in a diatreme-hosted deposit

Breccia and vein mineralization of the Balatoc Diatreme, Acupan gold deposit, Baguio Mineral District: An example of a diatreme-hosted epithermal deposit in the Philippines

The Acupan epithermal gold deposit is one of the Philippines’ largest gold camps, having produced over 200 t Au in the last century with average grades of ∼ 6 g/t Au mostly from well-studied vein orebodies hosted by the Virac Granodiorite. However, vein and breccia mineralization (90/99 veins and GW orebodies, respectively) currently being mined in the northeastern portion of the Acupan deposit is hosted by the less-studied Balatoc Diatreme. This study demonstrates the role of the diatreme as a precursor to epithermal mineralization at Acupan, providing structural control in focusing the fluid flow along the diatreme margin. Mineralization in the Balatoc Diatreme formed across five mineralization stages. Stage I, the main gold mineralization stage, is characterized by gray quartz with pyrite + marcasite + arsenopyrite + electrum + sphalerite ± chalcopyrite. Stage II is typified by white quartz associated with pyrite + electrum + chalcopyrite. Stage III, a newly recognized stage for the Acupan gold deposit, is composed of clear quartz hosting pyrite + stibnite + chalcopyrite + galena + sphalerite + electrum (±pyrite + marcasite + arsenopyrite). Stage IV and Stage V are associated with calcite and gypsum, respectively, hosting trace amounts of pyrite and sphalerite. Fluid inclusions hosted by Stage I and Stage II vein quartz revealed homogenization temperatures (T h) ranging from 220 to 230 °C and 280 to 290 °C, respectively. The fluid inclusions in Stage III quartz breccia cement recorded bimodal homogenization temperatures, 230 to 240 °C and 280 to 290 °C. Fluid inclusion and textural evidence from Stage I quartz and Stage II quartz suggest boiling conditions during ore formation of veins transecting the Balatoc Diatreme. Fluid mixing, on the other hand, is proposed for the formation of the base-metal rich Stage III mineralization of the GW orebodies quartz cement. Pyrite and sphalerite δ 34S values (0.8 to 1.5 ‰) from Stage I to Stage IV veins and breccias indicate reduced ore-forming conditions in an H 2S-dominated system. Meanwhile, the negative δ 34S values (−1.6 to −1.5‰) measured from the pyrite of Stage V breccia, first reported in this study, imply partitioning of the heavier isotopes to the gypsum sulfate in an oxidizing environment and suggest possible spatial variations of sulfur isotope signatures across the Acupan epithermal vein system. This study emphasizes the significance of fluid mixing in diatreme-hosted epithermal deposits such as Acupan. The diatreme possibly provided pathways between the contrasting magmatic-hydrothermal and meteoric environments, resulting in ore precipitation

Copper-gold skarn mineralization at the Karavansalija Ore Zone, Rogozna Mountain, Southwestern Serbia

Karavansalija ore zone is situated in the Serbian part of the Serbo-Macedonian magmatic and metallogenic belt. The Cu–Au mineralization is hosted mainly by garnet–pyroxene–epidote skarns and shifts to lesser presence towards the nearby quartz–epidotized rocks and the overlying volcanic tuffs. Within the epidosites the sulfide mineralogy is represented by disseminated cobalt-nickel sulfides from the gersdorfite-krutovite mineral series and cobaltite, and pyrite–marcasite–chalcopyrite–base metal aggregates. The skarn sulfide mineralization is characterized by chalcopyrite, pyrite, pyrrhotite, bismuth-phases (bismuthinite and cosalite), arsenopyrite, gersdorffite, and sphalerite. The sulfides can be observed in several types of massive aggregates, depending on the predominant sulfide phases: pyrrhotite-chalcopyrite aggregates with lesser amount of arsenopyrite and traces of sphalerite, arsenopyrite–bismuthinite–cosalite aggregates with subordinate sphalerite and sphalerite veins with bismuthinite, pyrite and arsenopyrite. In the overlying volcanoclastics, the studied sulfide mineralization is represented mainly by arsenopyrite aggregates with subordinate amounts of pyrite and chalcopyrite. Gold is present rarely as visible aggregate of native gold and also as invisible element included in arsenopyrite. The fluid inclusion microthermometry data suggest homogenization temperature in the range of roughly 150–400°C. Salinities vary in the ranges of 0.5–8.5 wt% NaCl eq for two-phase low density fluid inclusions and 15–41 wt% NaCl eq for two-phase high-salinity and three-phase high-salinity fluid inclusions. The broad range of salinity values and the different types of fluid inclusions co-existing in the same crystals suggest that at least two fluids with different salinities contributed to the formation of the Cu–Au mineralization. Geothermometry, based on EPMA data of arsenopyrite co-existing with pyrite and pyrrhotite, suggests a temperature range of 240–360°C for the formation of the arsenopyrite, which overlaps well with the data for the formation temperature obtained through fluid inclusion microthermometry. The sulfur isotope data on arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, pyrite and marcasite from the different sulfide assemblages (ranging from 0.4‰ to +3.9‰ δ34SCDT with average of 2.29 δ34SCDT and standard deviation of 1.34 δ34SCDT) indicates a magmatic source of sulfur for all of the investigated phases. The narrow range of the data points to a common source for all of the investigated sulfides, regardless of the host rock and the paragenesis. The sulfur isotope data shows good overlap with that from nearby base-metal deposits; therefore the Cu–Au mineralization and the emblematic base-metal sulfide mineralization from this metallogenic belt likely share same fluid source

Petrogenetic constraints on magma fertility in the Baguio Mineral District, Philippines: Probing the mineralization potential of the igneous host rocks in the Sangilo epithermal deposit

In the Baguio Mineral District (BMD), porphyry Cu ± Au deposition and associated epithermal mineralization are attributed to the highly evolved magmatism during the Pliocene. It has been well-documented that the interaction between silicic crustal melts and primitive mantle melts formed water-rich, oxidized magmas that resulted to hydrothermal mineralization. However, there are very few studies on the Early to Middle Miocene calc-alkaline magmatism which is considered to be barren of mineralization. This magmatic event is represented by phases of the Central Cordillera Diorite Complex (CCDC), which also serve as host rocks to the Sangilo epithermal deposit. The Sangilo quartz-carbonate veins in the BMD are hosted by an Early Miocene hornblende diorite (22.33 ± 0.63 Ma) intruded by a Middle Miocene quartz diorite (15.91 ± 0.6 Ma) which are, in turn, penetrated by Pliocene basaltic andesite dikes. The Miocene magmatic units with hybrid crust-mantle source affinity were formed from varying degrees of interaction within the MASH (mixing, assimilation, storage, and homogenization) zone during the formation of the CCDC. The basaltic andesite dikes, part of the Pliocene Mafic Dike Complex, represent direct differentiates of basaltic melts that experienced ponding at the base of the lower crust before ascending to shallow crustal levels. Based on the assessment of the physico-chemical conditions, three distinct magmatic events were identified: a barren Early Miocene event, a fertile Middle Miocene event and a fertile Pliocene event. The Middle Miocene fertile magmatism is attributed to further development of the MASH zone under the Luzon arc from the Early to Middle Miocene. On the other hand, the enhanced fertility during the Pliocene is associated with the subduction of the Scarborough Ridge. In the Baguio Mineral District (BMD), porphyry Cu __ Au deposition and associated epithermal mineralization are attributed to the highly evolved magmatism during the Pliocene. It has been well-documented that the interaction between silicic crustal melts and primitive mantle melts formed water-rich, oxidized magmas that resulted to hydrothermal mineralization. However, there are very few studies on the Early to Middle Miocene calc-alkaline magmatism which is considered to be barren of mineralization. This magmatic event is represented by phases of the Central Cordillera Diorite Complex (CCDC), which also serve as host rocks to the Sangilo epithermal deposit. The Sangilo quartz-carbonate veins in the BMD are hosted by an Early Miocene hornblende diorite (22.33 __ 0.63 Ma) intruded by a Middle Miocene quartz diorite (15.91 __ 0.6 Ma) which are, in turn, penetrated by Pliocene basaltic andesite dikes. The Miocene magmatic units with hybrid crust-mantle source affinity were formed from varying degrees of interaction within the MASH (mixing, assimilation, storage, and homogenization) zone during the formation of the CCDC. The basaltic andesite dikes, part of the Pliocene Mafic Dike Complex, represent direct differentiates of basaltic melts that experienced ponding at the base of the lower crust before ascending to shallow crustal levels. Based on the assessment of the physico-chemical conditions, three distinct magmatic events were identified: a barren Early Miocene event, a fertile Middle Miocene event and a fertile Pliocene event. The Middle Miocene fertile magmatism is attributed to further development of the MASH zone under the Luzon arc from the Early to Middle Miocene. On the other hand, the enhanced fertility during the Pliocene is associated with the subduction of the Scarborough Ridge