REE abundances in sulfides from the Huize Zn-Pb ore field were determined with the ICPMS after preconcentration. The REE abundances in 26 sulfide samples （including pyrite, galena and sphalerite） are very low, with the ~REE ranging from 1.6×10^-9 to 166.8×10^-9. Their LREE/HREE ratios range from 7.6 to 98, showing LREE enrichment relatively. The JEu values are below 1, indicating that they were deposited from an Eu-depleted and reducing fluid-system. Similar to the ore-hosting carbonate strata, calcite separates from carbonate veinlets filling in the fractures or faults crosscutting the carbonate strata also show clear Eu-depletion. This indicates that the carbonate veinlets and their parent fluid was possibly sourced from the strata and inherited the REE geochemical features of the strata. Therefore, REE-geochemical characteristics of both the sulfides and calcites, which were deposited from an ore-forming hydrothermal system, are similar to those of carbonate strata, and strongly suggest that the ore metals were mainly sourced from carbonate strata.
The giant Huize Zn-Pb ore field in Yunnan Province, southwestern China, comprises the Qilinchang and Kuangshanchang deposits. The deposits are large in scale (more than 5 Mt of Zn and Pb) and high in grade (average grade of total Zn and Pb is 30%). Reported in this paper are the results of Rb-Sr isotopic dating of sphalerite from this ore field. Two precise ages (223.5±3.9 Ma and 226±6.4 Ma) have been obtained from two isochrons. These two ages are close to the reported ages of native copper mineralizations related to the Emeishan flood basalts in this region, which are 226 Ma to 228 Ma. Previous studies showed that the magnitude of uplift resultant from the Emeishan flood basalts is greater than 1000 m, indicating that the Kuangshanchang and Qilinchang deposits were formed during the same geological event and originated by fluid migration during uplifting resultant from the Emeishan flood basalts.
