Geochemistry of the Zhibo submarine intermediate‐mafic volcanic rocks and associated iron ores, Western Tianshan, Northwest China: Implications for ore genesis

The Zhibo iron deposit is hosted in Carboniferous submarine volcanic rocks in Western Tianshan, NW China. A series of magnetite‐bearing intermediate‐mafic volcanic rocks are recognized in the periphery of the Zhibo ore district. Most of these volcanic rocks formed at 314 ± 2 Ma, possess tholeiitic–calc‐alkaline affinities, and display remarkable negative Nb, Ta, and Ti anomalies on primitive mantle‐normalized incompatible element diagrams. These...