内蒙古白云鄂博矿床的稀土矿化时代与期次

Ore-forming Epoch and Episodes of REE Mineralization in the Bayan Obo Ore Deposit,Inner Mongolia

内蒙古白云鄂博REE-Fe-Nb矿床是世界罕见的超大型多金属矿床,但矿床成因一直没有解决,而年代学研究是解决矿床成因的基础。本文结合矿床地质特征,系统地分析了前人的年代学研究成果,并对白云鄂博矿床的Sm-Nd同位素体系进行了深入的分析和讨论。结果表明,白云鄂博稀土的成矿时代约为1.3Ga,与碳酸岩墙的形成时间一致,成矿物质来源于地幔。加里东期的热事件(约0.44Ga)导致了白云鄂博矿床晚期稀土矿脉的形成和原有矿体中部分稀土矿物的重结晶,但成矿物质主要来源于矿体内部的稀土再循环,外源物质的贡献不明显。约1.3Ga到约0.44Ga间的一系列中间年龄为后期热扰动的结果,并不代表成矿事件。简言之,白云鄂博矿床只在中元古代发生过一次实质性的稀土矿化作用,地幔是稀土物质的单一源区。

The Bayan Obo REE-Fe-Nb ore deposit in Inner Mongolia is world-famous for its extreme enrichment of light rare earth elements; nevertheless, its origin remains controversial. This is partly due to the lack of consensus on the ore-forming epoch and episodes of REE mineralization. This paper made a detailed review on geochronological data and a re-assessment of Sm-Nd isotopic results in literatures. It is shown that the REE mineralization of Bayan Obo ore deposit occurred at ca. 1.3 Ga, consistent with the epoch of carbonatite dyke intrusion in this region, and REE in both the ore deposit and the carbonatite dykes were derived from the mantle. A significant thermal event occurred at ca. 0.44 Ga, resulting in the formation of some veins with coarse crystals of REE minerals such as huanghoite. However, the enrichment of REE during this event resulted from REE remobilization within the ore body itself, and the contribution from external source was minimal. A series of ages between ca. 1.3 Ga and ca. 0.44 Ga resulting from partial disturbance of the isotopic system had no specific meaning for REE mineralization. In short, REE in the Bayan Obo ore deposit were enriched by a single episode of mineralization that occurred in Mesoproterozoic and derived from the mantle only.