The rare earth elements and high-field-strength elements(REE-HFSE)exploration sector conducts most evaluations at deposit and smaller scales.It is not evident how the sector performs a preceding exploration stage—rat...The rare earth elements and high-field-strength elements(REE-HFSE)exploration sector conducts most evaluations at deposit and smaller scales.It is not evident how the sector performs a preceding exploration stage—rating and prioritising REE-HFSE mineralised provinces—to determine which provinces are prospective enough to warrant investment.Here we present an objective,repeatable,low-cost method to screen any REE-HFSE province,as a foundation for district-scale investigations or asset evaluations.It is original for REE-HFSE screening,and adapted from regional scale copper,cobalt and petroleum exploration,and CO2 storage,screening methods.It is centred upon a mineralised province’s favourability for potential value creation,and to identify:(a)its main information gaps;(b)its weakest links;(c)its exploration maturity and remaining potential category;(d)how it compares against other REE-HFSE provinces;and(e)if further investigation is justified.This method incorporates geoscience,strategy,economic and socio-environmental factors in a way that is understandable and directly usable across stakeholder groups.The workflow is systematic,yet flexible enough to accommodate organisationspecific criteria,and usable for other commodities.It provides the platform to build a global REE-HFSE province map and database consistently across national boundaries and organisations.Categories for the extent of province exploration maturity and remaining mineral potential are proposed.We illustrate the applicability of these methods using the Gardar REE-HFSE Province(GRHP)of south Greenland.We conclude that it is a moderate size,frontier province that is currently of questionable favourability for value creation.To move GRHP into a positive favourability class,its current weak links need strengthening by research,government policy and industry stakeholders:evaluate the mineral system;integrate all information geospatially and place it in the public domain;help the region improve some community health and safety issues;convert some mineral resources into an Ore Reserves category;commence mining and sales production.展开更多
Exploitable or potentially exploitable deposits of critical metals,such as rare-earth(REE)and high-field-strength elements(HFSE),are commonly associated with alkaline or peralkaline igneous rocks.However,the origin,tr...Exploitable or potentially exploitable deposits of critical metals,such as rare-earth(REE)and high-field-strength elements(HFSE),are commonly associated with alkaline or peralkaline igneous rocks.However,the origin,transport and concentration of these metals in peralkaline systems remains poorly understood.This study presents the results of a mineralogical and geochemical investigation of the Na-metasomatism of alkali amphiboles and clinopyroxenes from a barren peralkaline granite pluton in NE China,to assess the remobilization and redistribution of REE and HFSE during magmatic-hydrothermal evolution.Alkali amphiboles and aegirine-augites from the peralkaline granites show evolutionary trends from sodic-calcic to sodic compositions,with increasing REE and HFSE concentrations as a function of increasing Na-index[Na^(#),defined as molar Na/(Na+Ca)ratios].The Na-amphiboles(i.e.,arfvedsonite)and aegirine-augites can be subsequently altered,or breakdown,to form hydrothermal aegirine during late-or post-magmatic alteration.Representative compositions analyzed by insitu LA-ICPMS show that the primary aegirine-augites have high and variable REE(2194-3627 ppm)and HFSE(4194-16,862 ppm)contents,suggesting that these critical metals can be scavenged by alkali amphiboles and aegirine-augites.Compared to the primary aegirine-augites,the presentative early replacement aegirine(Aeg-I,Na^(#)=0.91-0.94)has notably lower REE(1484-1972)and HFSE(4351-5621)contents.In contrast,the late hydrothermal aegirine(Aeg-II,Na^(#)=0.92-0.96)has significantly lower REE(317-456 ppm)and HFSE(6.44-72.2 ppm)contents.Given that the increasing Na^(#)from aegirine-augites to hydrothermal aegirines likely resulted from Na-metasomatism,a scavenging-release model can explain the remobilization of REE and HFSE in peralkaline granitic systems.The scavenging and release of REE and HFSE by Na-metasomatism provides key insights into the genesis of globally significant REE and HFSE deposits.The high Na-index of the hydrothermal aegirine might be useful as a geochemical indicator in the exploration for these critical-metals.展开更多
Paleoproterozoic subduction strongly occurred in the western margin of Yangtze plate. The basalticandesite volcanics of Ailaoshan Group and Dibadu Formation had been formed during paleo QinghaiTibet oceanic plate s...Paleoproterozoic subduction strongly occurred in the western margin of Yangtze plate. The basalticandesite volcanics of Ailaoshan Group and Dibadu Formation had been formed during paleo QinghaiTibet oceanic plate subduction under the paleoYangtze plate. Their trace element geochemistry suggests that their forming environments are continentalmarginarc and back arcbasin respectively. Consequently, the Paleoproterozoic subduction system in the western margin of Yangtze plate was established. Ailaoshan Group and Dibadu Formation came from an enriched mantle source that was contaminated by crustal sediments carried by subducted slab, and formed the Paleoroterozoic metamorphic basement of western margin of Yangtze plate. Ailaoshan Group is actually western boundary of Yangtze plate.展开更多
Basalt discriminant diagrams have been used to identify the tectonic setting of basaltic magmatism since the 1970s and have played an important role in reconstructing paleotectonic environments.However,the significant...Basalt discriminant diagrams have been used to identify the tectonic setting of basaltic magmatism since the 1970s and have played an important role in reconstructing paleotectonic environments.However,the significant increase in the availability of geochemical data has led to a reassessment of these diagrams,suggesting that some of the tectonic settings indicated by these diagrams are not accurate.Here,we use a database of global ocean island basalt(OIB),mid-ocean ridge basalt(MORB),and island arc basalt(IAB)geochemistry to propose a series of new tectonic discriminant diagrams based on the ratios of large-ion lithophile elements(LILEs)to high field strength elements(HFSEs).These new diagrams indicate that the LILE can be used to differentiate OIB,MORB,and IAB samples,meaning that LILE/HFSE ratios can discriminate between these basalts that form in different tectonic settings.Our new diagrams can correctly assign samples to OIB,MORB,and IAB categories more than 85%of the time,with the discrimination between OIB and MORB having an accuracy of slightly less than 85%.展开更多
Conodont elements are calcium phosphate(apatite structure)mineralized remains of the cephalic feeding apparatus of an extinct marine organism.Due to the high affinity of apatite for rare earth elements(REE)and other h...Conodont elements are calcium phosphate(apatite structure)mineralized remains of the cephalic feeding apparatus of an extinct marine organism.Due to the high affinity of apatite for rare earth elements(REE)and other high field strength elements(HFSE),conodont elements were frequently assumed to be a reliable archive of sea-water composition and changes that had occurred during diagenesis.Likewise,the crystallinity index of bioapatite,i.e.,the rate of crystallinity of biologically mediated apatite,should be generally linearly dependent on diagenetic alteration as the greater(and longer)the pressure and temperature to which a crystal is exposed,the greater the resulting crystallinity.In this study,we detected the uptake of HFSE in conodont elements recovered from a single stratigraphic horizon in the Upper Ordovician of Normandy(France).Assuming therefore that all the specimens have undergone an identical diagenetic history,we have assessed whether conodont taxonomy(and morphology)impacts HFSE uptake and crystallinity index.We found that all conodont elements are characterized by a clear diagenetic signature,with minor but significant differences among taxa.These distinctions are evidenced also by the crystallinity index values which show positive correlations with some elements and,accordingly,with diagenesis;however,correlations with the crystallinity index strongly depend on the method adopted for its calculation.展开更多
基金This research,and the costs to prepare this document for open access publication,was part of the HiTech Alk Carb project,under the European Union Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme,grant agreement number[689909]。
文摘The rare earth elements and high-field-strength elements(REE-HFSE)exploration sector conducts most evaluations at deposit and smaller scales.It is not evident how the sector performs a preceding exploration stage—rating and prioritising REE-HFSE mineralised provinces—to determine which provinces are prospective enough to warrant investment.Here we present an objective,repeatable,low-cost method to screen any REE-HFSE province,as a foundation for district-scale investigations or asset evaluations.It is original for REE-HFSE screening,and adapted from regional scale copper,cobalt and petroleum exploration,and CO2 storage,screening methods.It is centred upon a mineralised province’s favourability for potential value creation,and to identify:(a)its main information gaps;(b)its weakest links;(c)its exploration maturity and remaining potential category;(d)how it compares against other REE-HFSE provinces;and(e)if further investigation is justified.This method incorporates geoscience,strategy,economic and socio-environmental factors in a way that is understandable and directly usable across stakeholder groups.The workflow is systematic,yet flexible enough to accommodate organisationspecific criteria,and usable for other commodities.It provides the platform to build a global REE-HFSE province map and database consistently across national boundaries and organisations.Categories for the extent of province exploration maturity and remaining mineral potential are proposed.We illustrate the applicability of these methods using the Gardar REE-HFSE Province(GRHP)of south Greenland.We conclude that it is a moderate size,frontier province that is currently of questionable favourability for value creation.To move GRHP into a positive favourability class,its current weak links need strengthening by research,government policy and industry stakeholders:evaluate the mineral system;integrate all information geospatially and place it in the public domain;help the region improve some community health and safety issues;convert some mineral resources into an Ore Reserves category;commence mining and sales production.
基金financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(42122023 and 41930424)Key Research Program of the Innovation Academy for Earth Science,CAS(IGGCAS201901)+1 种基金Youth Innovation Promotion Association CAS(Y2021095)the Science and Technology Planning Project of Guangdong Province,China(2020B1212060055).
文摘Exploitable or potentially exploitable deposits of critical metals,such as rare-earth(REE)and high-field-strength elements(HFSE),are commonly associated with alkaline or peralkaline igneous rocks.However,the origin,transport and concentration of these metals in peralkaline systems remains poorly understood.This study presents the results of a mineralogical and geochemical investigation of the Na-metasomatism of alkali amphiboles and clinopyroxenes from a barren peralkaline granite pluton in NE China,to assess the remobilization and redistribution of REE and HFSE during magmatic-hydrothermal evolution.Alkali amphiboles and aegirine-augites from the peralkaline granites show evolutionary trends from sodic-calcic to sodic compositions,with increasing REE and HFSE concentrations as a function of increasing Na-index[Na^(#),defined as molar Na/(Na+Ca)ratios].The Na-amphiboles(i.e.,arfvedsonite)and aegirine-augites can be subsequently altered,or breakdown,to form hydrothermal aegirine during late-or post-magmatic alteration.Representative compositions analyzed by insitu LA-ICPMS show that the primary aegirine-augites have high and variable REE(2194-3627 ppm)and HFSE(4194-16,862 ppm)contents,suggesting that these critical metals can be scavenged by alkali amphiboles and aegirine-augites.Compared to the primary aegirine-augites,the presentative early replacement aegirine(Aeg-I,Na^(#)=0.91-0.94)has notably lower REE(1484-1972)and HFSE(4351-5621)contents.In contrast,the late hydrothermal aegirine(Aeg-II,Na^(#)=0.92-0.96)has significantly lower REE(317-456 ppm)and HFSE(6.44-72.2 ppm)contents.Given that the increasing Na^(#)from aegirine-augites to hydrothermal aegirines likely resulted from Na-metasomatism,a scavenging-release model can explain the remobilization of REE and HFSE in peralkaline granitic systems.The scavenging and release of REE and HFSE by Na-metasomatism provides key insights into the genesis of globally significant REE and HFSE deposits.The high Na-index of the hydrothermal aegirine might be useful as a geochemical indicator in the exploration for these critical-metals.
文摘Paleoproterozoic subduction strongly occurred in the western margin of Yangtze plate. The basalticandesite volcanics of Ailaoshan Group and Dibadu Formation had been formed during paleo QinghaiTibet oceanic plate subduction under the paleoYangtze plate. Their trace element geochemistry suggests that their forming environments are continentalmarginarc and back arcbasin respectively. Consequently, the Paleoproterozoic subduction system in the western margin of Yangtze plate was established. Ailaoshan Group and Dibadu Formation came from an enriched mantle source that was contaminated by crustal sediments carried by subducted slab, and formed the Paleoroterozoic metamorphic basement of western margin of Yangtze plate. Ailaoshan Group is actually western boundary of Yangtze plate.
基金Technological Leading Talents Program of Yunnan Province[grant number 2013HA001]the National Natural Science Foundation of China[grant number 41502076]+1 种基金the State Key Laboratory of Lithospheric Evolution,Institute of Geology and Geophysics,Chinese Academy of Sciences program[grant number 81300001]the China Geological Survey[grant number 12120114013701].
文摘Basalt discriminant diagrams have been used to identify the tectonic setting of basaltic magmatism since the 1970s and have played an important role in reconstructing paleotectonic environments.However,the significant increase in the availability of geochemical data has led to a reassessment of these diagrams,suggesting that some of the tectonic settings indicated by these diagrams are not accurate.Here,we use a database of global ocean island basalt(OIB),mid-ocean ridge basalt(MORB),and island arc basalt(IAB)geochemistry to propose a series of new tectonic discriminant diagrams based on the ratios of large-ion lithophile elements(LILEs)to high field strength elements(HFSEs).These new diagrams indicate that the LILE can be used to differentiate OIB,MORB,and IAB samples,meaning that LILE/HFSE ratios can discriminate between these basalts that form in different tectonic settings.Our new diagrams can correctly assign samples to OIB,MORB,and IAB categories more than 85%of the time,with the discrimination between OIB and MORB having an accuracy of slightly less than 85%.
文摘Conodont elements are calcium phosphate(apatite structure)mineralized remains of the cephalic feeding apparatus of an extinct marine organism.Due to the high affinity of apatite for rare earth elements(REE)and other high field strength elements(HFSE),conodont elements were frequently assumed to be a reliable archive of sea-water composition and changes that had occurred during diagenesis.Likewise,the crystallinity index of bioapatite,i.e.,the rate of crystallinity of biologically mediated apatite,should be generally linearly dependent on diagenetic alteration as the greater(and longer)the pressure and temperature to which a crystal is exposed,the greater the resulting crystallinity.In this study,we detected the uptake of HFSE in conodont elements recovered from a single stratigraphic horizon in the Upper Ordovician of Normandy(France).Assuming therefore that all the specimens have undergone an identical diagenetic history,we have assessed whether conodont taxonomy(and morphology)impacts HFSE uptake and crystallinity index.We found that all conodont elements are characterized by a clear diagenetic signature,with minor but significant differences among taxa.These distinctions are evidenced also by the crystallinity index values which show positive correlations with some elements and,accordingly,with diagenesis;however,correlations with the crystallinity index strongly depend on the method adopted for its calculation.
