LAUSR

Abstract The Tianping flake graphite deposit is located in the western margin of the Yangtze Block, South China. It is one of the biggest and representative flake graphite deposits with 8 million tons of flake graphite in the Kangdian Axis graphite metallogenic belt. The graphite orebodies are hosted in graphite schist and mica quartz schist. Carbon isotope data for graphite ore show light carbon values between −26.3‰ to −28.8‰ which suggests a biogenic origin. The carbonaceous materials of the Tianping graphite deposit were deposited younger than ca. 833 Ma according to U-Pb dating results of detrital zircons in graphite samples. The calculated metamorphic temperature of graphite from Raman spectra is between 414 and 436 ± 50 °C, indicating a greenschist to amphibolite facies metamorphism is responsible for the transformation of disordered carbonaceous matter into well-crystallized graphite. After carbonaceous material deposition and graphite formation by regional metamorphism , the graphite may recrystallize and form large graphite flakes in a heated environment brought by the intrusion of plutons in the region. Based on previous studies and new data, a three-stage genesis model including processes of material deposition, regional metamorphism, later magmatism, and contact metamorphism for Tianping flake graphite deposit is proposed.