Precambrian iron oxide copper-gold (IOCG) systems have commonly experienced multiple mineralising and tectonothermal events and identifying their timing and geodynamic framework is challenging. World-class IOCG deposits in the Olympic Cu-Au Province, South Australia, are dominated by hematite and formed in the upper crust, while the magnetite-dominated Cu deposits hosted in granulite facies rocks are considered to represent the deeper expression of giant IOCG system. However, the application of novel in-situ Lu-Hf apatite geochronology reveals the magnetite-hosted Cu mineralisation is significantly younger and unrelated to the well-known ~ 1590 Ma Gawler Craton IOCG systems. Apatite Lu-Hf ages from the granulite that predates Cu mineralisation give ages of 1490 Ma. Infiltration of Cu-bearing fluids resulted in recrystallisation of apatite, LREE mobilisation and formation of secondary monazite. Lu-Hf ages for syn-mineralisation apatite give 1460 Ma, consistent with c. 1460 Ma U-Pb ages from secondary monazite. In contrast to the apatite in situ Lu-Hf ages, all apatite types produce a single U-Pb age of c. 1460 Ma, demonstrating the ability of Lu-Hf to preserve a more complete history of apatite formation than U-Pb in high- to medium-temperature rock systems. The timing of mineralisation coincides with the onset of Nuna fragmentation, representing a previously unrecognised driver for mineral system formation in southern Australia that installed Cu in crust previously dehydrated during a long history of granulite-grade tectonic events. The recognition of this Cu system in rocks generally considered unprospective shows that continental breakup can rejuvenate metallic systems in otherwise unprospective crust.

前寒武纪氧化铁铜金 （IOCG） 系统通常经历了多次矿化和构造热事件，确定它们的时间和地球动力学框架具有挑战性。位于南澳大利亚奥林匹克铜-金省的世界级 IOCG 矿床以赤铁矿为主，形成于上部地壳，而以磁铁矿为主的花岗岩相岩沉积物被认为代表了巨型 IOCG 系统的更深表现。然而，新型原位 Lu-Hf 磷灰石地质年代学的应用表明，磁铁矿承载的铜矿化明显更年轻，与众所周知的 ~ 1590 马 Gawler 克拉通 IOCG 系统无关。磷灰石 Lu-Hf 的年龄来自铜矿化之前的花岗岩，年龄为 1490 马。含铜流体的渗透导致磷灰石的再结晶、LREE 动员和次级独居石的形成。用于同步矿化磷灰石的 Lu-Hf 年龄为 1460 马，与次生独居石的约 1460 马 U-Pb 年龄一致。与磷灰石原位 Lu-Hf 年龄相反，所有磷灰石类型都产生约 1460 马 的单一 U-Pb 年龄，这表明 Lu-Hf 能够在中高温岩石系统中保留比 U-Pb 更完整的磷灰石形成历史。矿化的时间与 Nuna 碎裂的开始相吻合，这代表了澳大利亚南部矿物系统形成的先前未被认识的驱动因素，该矿物系统将铜安装在先前在花岗岩级构造事件的长期历史中脱水的地壳中。在通常被认为没有前景的岩石中识别出这种铜系统表明，大陆破裂可以使原本没有前景的地壳中的金属系统恢复活力。