Progressive crushing Ar/Ar dating of a gold-bearing quartz vein from the Liaotun Carlin-type gold deposit, Guangxi, southern China.

Carlin-type gold deposits are among the largest hydrothermal gold deposits in the world. However, direct dating the metallogenic age of these deposits is difficult, because not all deposits provide material suitable for conventional radiometric methods. Syn-mineralization stage quartz veins from these deposits usually contain abundant fluid inclusions, which allow fluid inclusion Ar/Ar dating.