ABSTRACT
Sulfide ores from MVT Zn-Pb-Ba deposits of the Huayuan mining field (Hunan, Southern China) and potential source rocks for the metals were studied by means of lead isotopes. Main stage sulfides, hosted by the middle to upper Lower Cambrian Qingxudong carbonate formation, define a steep linear trend in Pb-Pb diagrams, which points to binary mixing of lead components bearing imprints of ancient, 207Pb-dominated crustal rocks and possibly reservoirs with elevated Th/U ratios located in the lower crust. Shales and black shales of the lowermost Cambrian Balang and Niu Titang formations, which underly the ore-bearing carbonate horizon would appear to be favorable source rocks for metals. Based on comparative U-Pb investigations, however, they can be excluded as the primary Pb sources.
