Geological Settings of Archean Rare-Metal Pegmatites

Dittrich, Thomas; Seifert, Thomas; Schulz, Bernhard; Hagemann, Steffen; Gerdes, Axel; Pfänder, Jörg A.

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-10943-1_2

Cited by 2 publications

(4 citation statements)

References 52 publications

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“…In pegmatite provinces, including those in Western Australia (Duuring 2020), there are commonly several generations of pegmatites, with only some representing LCT spodumene-bearing pegmatites. However, there are normally few details on variations within these provinces globally, including the recently discovered LCT pegmatite provinces and districts in Western Australia.…”

Section: Characteristics Of Lct Spodumene Pegmatitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Sweetapple and Collins (2002) broadly subdivide these into two categories of LCT and NYF (Niobium–Yttrium–Fluorine) pegmatites with some intermediate types. Both LCT and NYF pegmatites are structurally controlled, largely by shear zones or faults, but the LCT pegmatites including Pilgangoora are normally within the greenstone belts whereas the NYF pegmatites are commonly hosted by granite intrusions (Duuring 2020). This aspect is not pursued further here because of the lack of similar context for the recently discovered LCT pegmatites elsewhere in Western Australia.…”

Section: Characteristics Of Lct Spodumene Pegmatitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although the structure is important from the lithosphere to crustal scale, and shear and fault zones control the location of LCT pegmatites in the mineral system (Duuring 2020), there are few detailed studies of structural controls for individual spodumene pegmatite deposits (Bradley and McCauley 2013). In addition, as most of the recently discovered LCT pegmatites in Western Australia are described only in company websites, there is little definitive structural information available for these deposits.…”

Section: Characteristics Of Lct Spodumene Pegmatitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Recent pegmatite-hosted spodumene discoveries in Western Australia: insights for lithium exploration in Australia and globally

Phelps-Barber

Trench

Groves

2022

Applied Earth Science

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The discovery and development of world-class Lithium-Caesium-Tantalum (LCT) spodumenebearing pegmatites in Western Australia underpins growth of a significant new sector of its mining industry. Recently, several new spodumene discoveries have been delineated in the Yilgarn and Pilbara Cratons. Contrary to exploration narratives that new economic mineral discoveries will generally be made at increasingly greater depths, beneath barren cover rocks, or in remote geological environments, all new lithium discoveries have clear surface expressions in relatively 'mature' greenstone belts. The exploration implication is that the search space for pegmatite-hosted spodumene deposits in Western Australia remains immature. These recently discovered LCT pegmatites have geological features relevant to exploration including their age, amphibolite-facies metamorphic setting and synmetamorphic timing, and 3D geometry, particularly their typically gentle dips, that match other such world-class pegmatites globally. Further spodumene discoveries within pegmatites at or near surface are likely in the Archean terranes of Western Australia based on these consistent exploration criteria and supportive capital market conditions.

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Section: Characteristics Of Lct Spodumene Pegmatitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Characteristics Of Lct Spodumene Pegmatitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Characteristics Of Lct Spodumene Pegmatitesmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Recent pegmatite-hosted spodumene discoveries in Western Australia: insights for lithium exploration in Australia and globally

Phelps-Barber

Trench

Groves

2022

Applied Earth Science

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“…Zimbabwe is currently the world's fifth largest lithium producer (USGS 2018) and has substantial pegmatite lithium resources. Several important raremetal pegmatites of Archaean to Proterozoic age occur within the Zimbabwe Craton (Melcher et al 2017, Dittrich et al 2019, typically intruded into greenstone belts (Von Knorring & Condliffe 1987). These include the Bikita pegmatite, which is actively mined and is the source of Zimbabwe's current lithium production.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Magmatic–Hydrothermal Transition in Lithium Pegmatites: Petrographic and Geochemical Characteristics of Pegmatites from the Kamativi Area, Zimbabwe

Shaw

Goodenough

Deady

et al. 2022

The Canadian Mineralogist

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Lithium is a critical metal, vital for electrification of transport. Currently, around half the world's lithium is extracted from rare-metal pegmatites and understanding the genesis and evolution of these igneous rocks is therefore essential. This paper focuses on the pegmatites in the Kamativi region of Zimbabwe. A group of early pegmatites is distinguished from a late pegmatite suite which includes the ca. 1030 Ma Main Kamativi Pegmatite. Previously mined for tin, the mine tailings are now being investigated for lithium. Mineral-scale investigation of samples from the Main Kamativi Pegmatite has allowed recognition of a four-stage paragenesis: (1) an early magmatic assemblage dominated by quartz, alkali feldspar, spodumene (LiAlSi2O6) and montebrasite [LiAl(PO4)(OH, F)]; (2) partial alteration by widespread albitization, associated with growth of cassiterite and columbite group minerals; (3) irregular development of a quartz, muscovite, columbite group mineral assemblage; and (4) widespread low-temperature fluid-induced alteration of earlier phases to cookeite, sericite, analcime, and apatite. Whole-rock geochemistry indicates that the late pegmatites are enriched in Li, Cs, Ta, Sn, and Rb but depleted in Nb, Zr, Ba, Sr, and the rare earth elements relative to early pegmatites and country rock granitoids. A combination of field relationships and published dating indicates that the granitoids, and probably the early pegmatites, were emplaced toward the end of the ca. 2000 Ma Magondi Orogeny, whereas the late pegmatites are almost 1000 million years younger. The late pegmatites thus cannot be genetically related to the granitoids and are instead likely to have formed by partial melting of metasedimentary source rocks. The drivers for this melting may be related to crustal thickening along the northern margin of the Kalahari Craton during the assembly of Rodinia.

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Geological Settings of Archean Rare-Metal Pegmatites

Cited by 2 publications

References 52 publications

Recent pegmatite-hosted spodumene discoveries in Western Australia: insights for lithium exploration in Australia and globally

Recent pegmatite-hosted spodumene discoveries in Western Australia: insights for lithium exploration in Australia and globally

The Magmatic–Hydrothermal Transition in Lithium Pegmatites: Petrographic and Geochemical Characteristics of Pegmatites from the Kamativi Area, Zimbabwe

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