Carbonatite dyke and related REE mineralization in the Bayan Obo REE ore field, North China: Evidence from geochemistry, C O isotopes and Rb Sr dating

Ni, Pei; Zhou, Jingfeng; Chi, Zhe; Pan, Jun–Yi; Li, Suning; Ding, Jun‐Ying; Han, Liang

doi:10.1016/j.gexplo.2020.106560

Cited by 10 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 79 publications

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“…It is also the largest fluorite deposit of one of its "byproducts" due to high quantities of Fe, P, and Nb while missing significant U and base metal contents. Its genetic attribution to the frequently used Fe-oxide Cu-Au type is fraught with difficulties [49][50][51][52][53][54]. In addition to the metals mentioned above, there are complex hydrothermal and metasomatic processes accumulating gold and iron that are associated with slates, carbonatitic, skarnoid, and dolomitic marble host rocks.…”

Section: Rare Earth Elements (Ree)-mineral Deposits and Their Originmentioning

confidence: 99%

Marker Minerals in Volcanics and Xenoliths—An Approach to Categorize the Inferred Magmatic Rocks Underneath the Present-Day Volcanic Landscape of Tenerife, Spain (NW African Rare Mineral Province)

Dill,

Rüsenberg

2023

Minerals

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A mineralogical mapping (terrain analysis) based on micro-mounts has been performed in the Archipelago of the Canary Islands, Spain. The rare elements Be, F, Li, Nb, Ta, Zr, Hf, and rare earth elements (REE) were investigated on the largest island of the Canary Islands Archipelago, Tenerife, Spain. This study forms a contribution to the metallogenetic evolution of the offshore area of the NW African Rare Mineral Province. The finds made at Tenerife were correlated by means of minero-stratigraphy with the adjacent islands La Gomera, Gran Canaria and Fuerteventura, where typical critical element host rocks, e.g., carbonatites, are exposed. At Tenerife, these hidden rock types are only indicated by a wealth of 128 compositional first-order marker minerals hosting Be, F, Zr, Nb, Ta, Zr, Hf, Li, Cs, Sn, W, Ti and REE plus Y and another 106 structural second-order marker minerals describing the geodynamic and morpho-structural evolution of Tenerife (Mn, Fe, Pb, U, Th, As, Sb, V, S, B, Cu, Zn, Mo, Au). Based upon the quantitative micro-mineralogical mapping of lithoclasts and mineralogical xenoliths (foid-bearing monzodiorite/gabbro, (nepheline) syenite, phonolite trachyte) in volcanic and volcaniclastic rocks, hidden intrusive/subvolcanic bodies can be delineated that are associated with contact-metasomatic, zeolitic and argillic alteration zones, as well as potential ore zones. Two potential types of deposits are determined. These are pegmatite-syenites with minor carbonatites bound to a series of agpaitic intrusive rocks that are genetically interlocked with rift zones and associated with a hotspot along a passive continental margin. Towards the east, the carbonatite/alkali magmatite ratio reverses at Fuerteventura in favor of carbonatites, while at Gran Canaria and La Gomera, shallow hypogene/supergene mineral associations interpreted as a marginal facies to Tenerife occur and a new REE discovery in APS minerals has been made. There are seven mineralizing processes different from each other and representative of a peculiar metallogenic process (given in brackets): Protostage 1 (rifting), stages 2a to 2d (differentiation of syenite–pegmatite), stages 3 to 4b (contact-metasomatic/hydrothermal mineralization), stages 5a to 5b (hydrothermal remobilization and zeolitization), stage 6 (shallow hypogene-supergene transition and kaolinization), and stage 7 (auto-hydrothermal-topomineralic mineralization). The prerequisites to successfully take this holistic approach in economic geology are a low maturity of the landscapes in the target area, a Cenozoic age of endogenous and exogenous processes amenable to sedimentological, geomorphological, volcano-tectonic and quantitative mineralogical investigations. The volcanic island’s mineralogical mapping is not primarily designed as a proper pre-well-site study on the Isle of Tenerife, but considered a reference study area for minero-stratigraphic inter-island correlation (land–land) and land–sea when investigating the seabed and seamounts around volcanic archipelagos along the passive margin, as exemplified by the NW African Craton and its metallogenic province. This unconventional exploration technique should also be tested for hotspot- and rift-related volcanic islands elsewhere on the globe for mineral commodities different from the ones under study.

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Section: Rare Earth Elements (Ree)-mineral Deposits and Their Originmentioning

confidence: 99%

Marker Minerals in Volcanics and Xenoliths—An Approach to Categorize the Inferred Magmatic Rocks Underneath the Present-Day Volcanic Landscape of Tenerife, Spain (NW African Rare Mineral Province)

Dill,

Rüsenberg

2023

Minerals

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“…From ferrocarbonatite to magnesiocarbonatite, the REE content increases. Calciocarbonatite is the most enriched in REEs [30][31][32].…”

Section: Geological Contextmentioning

confidence: 99%

Automated Quantitative Characterization REE Ore Mineralogy from the Giant Bayan Obo Deposit, Inner Mongolia, China

et al. 2022

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Rare earth elements (REEs) are considered critical elements in modern society due to their irreplaceable role in new innovative and energy technologies. The giant carbonatite-related Bayan Obo deposit contributes most REE resources in the world’s market, while its origin is still unclear because of the complicated and diverse REE ore mineralogy and texture. Thescanning electron mircroscopy SEM)-based automated mineralogy allows for the numeric assessment of rocks and ores’ compositional and textural properties. Here, we use TIMA (TESCAN Integrated Mineral Analyzer) to quantitatively characterize REE ore mineralogy from the deep drill core within the H8 unit (“dolomite marble”) to better understand the deposit. The mineral composition, occurrence, and Ce elemental deportment of the borehole ores at different depths (i.e., 1107 m, 1246 m, 1406 m, 1546 m, and 1682 m) were obtained. The results show that the main types of ores in the investigated samples can be divided into banded REE-Fe ores, banded REE ores, disseminated REE-Fe ores, and veined REE ores. REE and gangue minerals vary significantly in abundance and occurrence. Monazite-(Ce) and bastnäsite-(Ce) are the primary REE host minerals, and both contribute the most to the REE budget. Other REE minerals, such as parisite-(Ce)/synchysite-(Ce), cerite-(Ce), huanghoite-(Ce)/cebaite-(Ce), and aeschynite-(Ce), are significant contributors. The gangue minerals generally include fluorite, barite, magnetite, pyrite, quartz, magnesio-arfvedsonite, and minerals of the biotite and apatite groups, among others. Combined with the newly published mineral-scale chronological and isotopic geochemical analyses, it is reasonable to conclude that the later hydrothermal fluids remobilized and redistributed the original Mesoproterozoic carbonatitic REE minerals and formed a high variable ore mineral assemblage. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the mineralogical study using TIMA can provide accurate and reliable mineralogy data for the comprehensive interpretation of the complex REE ores, and extend our understanding of the deposit.

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“…During the subduction of the Paleo-Asian plate, Si-rich fluid from the subducting slab was released and reacted with the calcic carbonatite pluton, from which REEs, Nb, Th, and Sr were collected. Then the fluid caused metasomatism with the overlying H8 dolomite to form a super large-scale deposit [108,109]. The Miaoya REE deposit in Hubei Province, located in the southern margin of Qinling orogenic belt, experienced complex orogenies such as continental collision, oceanic subduction, terrane accretion, and ocean basin opening and closing [110].…”

Section: Source Of Ore-forming Materialsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Carbonatite-Related REE Deposits: An Overview

et al. 2020

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The rare earth elements (REEs) have unique and diverse properties that make them function as an “industrial vitamin” and thus, many countries consider them as strategically important resources. China, responsible for more than 60% of the world’s REE production, is one of the REE-rich countries in the world. Most REE (especially light rare earth elements (LREE)) deposits are closely related to carbonatite in China. Such a type of deposit may also contain appreciable amounts of industrially critical metals, such as Nb, Th and Sc. According to the genesis, the carbonatite-related REE deposits can be divided into three types: primary magmatic type, hydrothermal type and carbonatite weathering-crust type. This paper provides an overview of the carbonatite-related endogenetic REE deposits, i.e., primary magmatic type and hydrothermal type. The carbonatite-related endogenetic REE deposits are mainly distributed in continental margin depression or rift belts, e.g., Bayan Obo REE-Nb-Fe deposit, and orogenic belts on the margin of craton such as the Miaoya Nb-REE deposit. The genesis of carbonatite-related endogenetic REE deposits is still debated. It is generally believed that the carbonatite magma is originated from the low-degree partial melting of the mantle. During the evolution process, the carbonatite rocks or dykes rich in REE were formed through the immiscibility of carbonate-silicate magma and fractional crystallization of carbonate minerals from carbonatite magma. The ore-forming elements are mainly sourced from primitive mantle, with possible contribution of crustal materials that carry a large amount of REE. In the magmatic-hydrothermal system, REEs migrate in the form of complexes, and precipitate corresponding to changes of temperature, pressure, pH and composition of the fluids. A simple magmatic evolution process cannot ensure massive enrichment of REE to economic values. Fractional crystallization of carbonate minerals and immiscibility of melts and hydrothermal fluids in the hydrothermal evolution stage play an important role in upgrading the REE mineralization. Future work of experimental petrology will be fundamental to understand the partitioning behaviors of REE in magmatic-hydrothermal system through simulation of the metallogenic geological environment. Applying “comparative metallogeny” methods to investigate both REE fertile and barren carbonatites will enhance the understanding of factors controlling the fertility.

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Carbonatite dyke and related REE mineralization in the Bayan Obo REE ore field, North China: Evidence from geochemistry, C O isotopes and Rb Sr dating

Cited by 10 publications

References 79 publications

Marker Minerals in Volcanics and Xenoliths—An Approach to Categorize the Inferred Magmatic Rocks Underneath the Present-Day Volcanic Landscape of Tenerife, Spain (NW African Rare Mineral Province)

Marker Minerals in Volcanics and Xenoliths—An Approach to Categorize the Inferred Magmatic Rocks Underneath the Present-Day Volcanic Landscape of Tenerife, Spain (NW African Rare Mineral Province)

Automated Quantitative Characterization REE Ore Mineralogy from the Giant Bayan Obo Deposit, Inner Mongolia, China

Carbonatite-Related REE Deposits: An Overview

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