The garnet placer deposit from SE Spain: industrial recovery and geochemical features

Abstract

The only economic deposit of garnets in Spain is located in the Almería province (SE Spain), forming part of the Neogene Volcanic Complex of El Hoyazo. Due to the high quantity and diversity of the almandine garnets, this area is unique. Garnet occurs as isolated euhedral crystals in the volcanic rock, as the principal component of metapelitic xenoliths in dacite, and as a terrigenous deposit formed by the erosion of the volcanic dome. In this work, we provide new mineralogical and geochemical data, which should be taken into account during the processing and recovery of the garnet placer.

Th- and U-bearing minerals in the SE Mediterranean margin of Spain

“…This work presents the first specific study of Th and U bearing minerals which were recently found in the SE Mediterranean margin of Spain (El Hoyazo, Almería province) (Muñoz-Espadas et al 2000). They are REE phosphates which occur as amoeboidal-toelongated inclusions, from around 10 m to 120 µm, hosted in single garnet crystals from dacite lavas and metamorphic rocks ( Figure 1) which form part of a geologically well-defined volcanic outcrop: El Hoyazo Volcanic Complex.…”

“…In addition, El Hoyazo is, following Zeck (1968), where the first described cordierite was found (this mineral occurs in clear association with the garnet). Detailed descriptions of the petrology and geochemistry of the volcanics from the EHC can be found in Zeck (1968Zeck ( , 1970, López Ruiz et al (1977), Molin (1980), Munksgaard (1984Munksgaard ( , 1985, Zeck (1992), Benito (1993), Cesare et al (1997), Benito et al (1999), Lunar et al (1999) and Muñoz-Espadas et al (2000).…”

“…Given that the erosion of the volcanic source outcrop has generated a "placer-type" deposit of monazite sands (Muñoz-Espadas et al 2000) and that garnets (main carriers of the monazite) are being sporadically commercialised, an environmental monitoring and management plan should be urgently executed in the area.…”