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Volume 16
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Article

Trace Element Characteristics of Magnetite and Hematite from the Heshangqiao Iron Oxide–Apatite Deposit in Eastern China: Implications for the Ore-Forming Processes

by
Yutian He
1,2,
Chao Duan
2,*,
Kejun Hou
2,*,
Zhigang Kong
1,
Shunda Yuan
3,
Conglin Wang
4,
Bingyang Yang
4,
Xifei Yang
5,
Xinliang Che
5,
Jiaxin Zhang
2 and
Xiaowei Gao
2,3
1
Faculty of Land Resources Engineering, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming 650093, China
2
MNR Key Laboratory of Metallogeny and Mineral Assessment, Institute of Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China
3
School of Earth Sciences and Resources, China University of Geosciences, Beijing 100083, China
4
Nanshan Mine Company, Maanshan Iron and Steel Group Mining Company, Maanshan 243033, China
5
Anhui Chemical Industry Geological Exploration Institute, Maanshan 243031, China
*
Authors to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Minerals 2026, 16(1), 7; https://doi.org/10.3390/min16010007
Submission received: 7 November 2025 / Revised: 11 December 2025 / Accepted: 18 December 2025 / Published: 21 December 2025
(This article belongs to the Section Mineral Deposits)
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Abstract

Iron oxide–apatite (IOA) deposits are important for the global supply of iron resources. Currently, there is considerable debate regarding the evolution of their mineralization mechanisms. The Heshangqiao iron deposit is a significant IOA deposit situated within the Ningwu ore district of the Middle–Lower Yangtze River Metallogenic Belt in China. This deposit exhibits distinct characteristics of multi-stage mineralization, forming disseminated ores, brecciated ores, and vein-type ores, from early to late stages. This study undertook a systematic elemental analysis of the magnetite and hematite from three mineralization stages of the Heshangqiao deposit. In the three mineralization stages of the Heshangqiao deposit, the elemental genesis indicators of ore genesis suggest that the hematite and magnetite both have magmatic hydrothermal genesis, characterized by high Ti and low Mg/Al and relatively high Ti and low Ni/Cr, respectively. The Cr and Sn contents of magnetite and hematite exhibit similar variation from the first to third mineralization stage, with an increase followed by a subsequent decrease. Meanwhile, the contents of V, Co, Ni, and Mn in magnetite and hematite exhibited an opposite trend, declining from the first to the second stage but eventually increasing from the second to the third stage. These changes in the genesis indicator also suggest that the multiple mineralization stages of the Heshangqiao deposit are independent of one another. The replacement of magnetite by hematite in each mineralization stage is not caused by the superposition of subsequent fluids, but rather by the residual fluid. It is noted that in the replacement the elements Cr, Co, and Ga were minimally migrated. These elements remained relatively stable and can be considered new potential discriminant indicators for the genesis of iron oxides.
Keywords: magnetite; hematite; trace element; iron oxide–apatite deposit; Heshangqiao deposit magnetite; hematite; trace element; iron oxide–apatite deposit; Heshangqiao deposit

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MDPI and ACS Style

He, Y.; Duan, C.; Hou, K.; Kong, Z.; Yuan, S.; Wang, C.; Yang, B.; Yang, X.; Che, X.; Zhang, J.; et al. Trace Element Characteristics of Magnetite and Hematite from the Heshangqiao Iron Oxide–Apatite Deposit in Eastern China: Implications for the Ore-Forming Processes. Minerals 2026, 16, 7. https://doi.org/10.3390/min16010007

AMA Style

He Y, Duan C, Hou K, Kong Z, Yuan S, Wang C, Yang B, Yang X, Che X, Zhang J, et al. Trace Element Characteristics of Magnetite and Hematite from the Heshangqiao Iron Oxide–Apatite Deposit in Eastern China: Implications for the Ore-Forming Processes. Minerals. 2026; 16(1):7. https://doi.org/10.3390/min16010007

Chicago/Turabian Style

He, Yutian, Chao Duan, Kejun Hou, Zhigang Kong, Shunda Yuan, Conglin Wang, Bingyang Yang, Xifei Yang, Xinliang Che, Jiaxin Zhang, and et al. 2026. "Trace Element Characteristics of Magnetite and Hematite from the Heshangqiao Iron Oxide–Apatite Deposit in Eastern China: Implications for the Ore-Forming Processes" Minerals 16, no. 1: 7. https://doi.org/10.3390/min16010007

APA Style

He, Y., Duan, C., Hou, K., Kong, Z., Yuan, S., Wang, C., Yang, B., Yang, X., Che, X., Zhang, J., & Gao, X. (2026). Trace Element Characteristics of Magnetite and Hematite from the Heshangqiao Iron Oxide–Apatite Deposit in Eastern China: Implications for the Ore-Forming Processes. Minerals, 16(1), 7. https://doi.org/10.3390/min16010007

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