Monazite as an indicator for orogenic gold deposits: Constraints from detrital zircon Th/U ratio and isotope data in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt

Compared to typical orogenic gold deposits, the relationship between the host rocks and orogenic gold deposits in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) appears less pronounced. This study complies a dataset of 97,088 U-Pb and 12,757 Hf isotopic detrital zircon analyses, employing a combination of mapping and statistical analyses techniques, to investigate the connection. Results show that regions with a Th/U ratio below 0.7 and a mantle contribution calculated ranging from 50% to 75% are favorable zones for the localization of orogenic gold deposits. The findings indicate that the presence of monazite, along with a certain input of mantle material into the host rocks, is a favorable factor for the formation of orogenic gold deposits. Moreover, the host rocks of orogenic gold deposits predominantly form in convergent tectonic settings. This study not only reveals the relationship between orogenic gold deposits and host rocks, but also offers valuable exploration implications in CAOB.