Geochemistry, Geochronology and Genesis of Gold Mineralization in Nurt of Northern Altay, Xinjiang: A Case Study on the Aketishikan Gold Deposit

Abstract  Gold deposits such as the Aketishikan, Togetobie, Tasbig‐Kokeydlas, Kums and Hongshanzui gold deposits in the Nurt area in Altay of Xinjiang were found in Member 3 rhyolite tufflava, fragmental lava and ignimbrite of the Carboniferous Hongshanzui Group. Trace and rare earth elements, sulfur, lead, oxygen and hydrogen isotopes, and geochronological studies indicate that the ore‐forming material was mostly supplied by the Carboniferous volcanic rocks through water‐rock interaction under a low‐to‐moderate temperature, and the hydrothermal ore‐forming fluid came from meteoric water with some magmatic water input evolved from the granitic magmas. Gold deposits in the Nurt area as well as in the northern Altay might form in multiple stages, and the Yanshanian mineralization period should be paid more attention besides the Variscan mineralization period.