The role of zircon in hydrothermal heavy REE mineralisation: The case for unconformity-related ore deposits of north-west Australia

Walsh, Jessica M.J.; Spandler, Carl

doi:10.1016/j.chemgeo.2023.121493

Cited by 4 publications

(2 citation statements)

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“…The outcome of this for REE exploration is that, despite the tendency for explorers to target primary lithologies that are typified by REE enrichment (i.e., carbonatites and peralkaline complexes), mining companies should also consider assaying for REEs in regions and lithologies that are prone to any form of phosphate mineralization. This is especially true if those regions may have also been subject to sustained periods of tropical weathering, since a growing body of evidence suggests that the protolith itself need not be 'REE-rich' for significant fluid volumes to mobilise the REEs necessary for economic mineralization upon contact with phosphate-enriched fluids or rock-types (Walsh and Spandler 2023).…”

Section: Suitable Settings For Supergene Enrichment and High Grade Re...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The rare-earth elements (REEs, La -Lu) are defined as critical metals (Grohol & Veeh 2023; United States Geological Survey (USGS) 2022) for the development of renewable energy and defence technologies (Balaram 2019;Beard et al 2023;Habib et al 2020;Hayes & McCullough 2018;Jowitt 2022;Klimpel et al 2021;Lewicka et al 2021;Verma et al 2022). Significant work has recently sought to understand the processes that govern REE mobilization, transport, and accumulation in nature (Anenburg et al 2020a;Borst et al 2020;Louvel et al 2022;Migdisov et al 2016;Strzelecki et al 2022;Walsh & Spandler 2023). Particularly, there is an increasing focus on the processes that govern REE behaviour in supergene systems (Andersen et al 2017;Borst et al 2020;Cook et al 2023;Hutchinson et al 2022;Li et al 2022a, b;Wu et al 2023).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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High-Grade REE accumulation in regolith: Insights from supergene alteration of an apatite-rich vein at the Kapunda Cu mine, South Australia

Bamforth,

Xia,

Tiddy

et al. 2024

Miner Deposita

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The stratiform and vein-hosted Kapunda Cu deposit in South Australia contains a saprolitized hydrothermal vein with 12.37 wt.% total rare earth oxide (TREO). The vein was analyzed by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, synchrotron-based X-ray fluorescence microscopy and electron backscatter diffraction to understand the controls that govern high-grade REE accumulation during periods of intense weathering. Petrological assessments indicate the transformation of an apatite-calcite-aluminosilicate-bearing protolith to a supergene assemblage of Fe-oxides, kaolinite and REE-phosphate minerals that include rhabdophane-(Ce), monazite-(Ce) and florencite-(Ce). This transformation was facilitated by progressive acidification of the weathering fluid, which is indicated by: 1) the increasing crystallinity of authigenic Fe-oxides and kaolinite, which led to REE desorption; 2) the textural evolution and increase in grain size of authigenic REE-phosphates from nanoscopic crystallites, to acicular needles, to micro-scale hexagonal prisms; 3) the late dissolution of REE-phosphates; and 4) the replacement of goethite by jarosite, whose sulfate component originated from the oxidation and weathering of proximal sulfide minerals. Alongside the depletion of pH-buffering carbonate minerals that are indicated by the preservation of calcite menisci, this sulfide dissolution also facilitated acid generation. Results illustrate how highly acidic weathering fluids might facilitate either REE mobilization or REE accumulation in regolith. High-grade REE accumulation under acidic supergene conditions is prioritized when the host-rock contains a significant source of depositional ligands (i.e., phosphate in the form of apatite) that can be readily leached during intense weathering. Exploration companies should therefore assay routinely for REEs in any heavily weathered phosphatic rock, due to the observed efficiency of phosphate minerals as geochemical traps for REE accumulation.

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Section: Suitable Settings For Supergene Enrichment and High Grade Re...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

High-Grade REE accumulation in regolith: Insights from supergene alteration of an apatite-rich vein at the Kapunda Cu mine, South Australia

Bamforth,

Xia,

Tiddy

et al. 2024

Miner Deposita

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Ultrapotassic plutons as a source of uranium of vein-type U-deposits (Moldanubian Zone, Bohemian Massif): insights from SIMS uraninite U–Pb dating and trace element geochemistry

Kubeš,

Leichmann,

Wertich

et al. 2024

Miner Deposita

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The Bohemian Massif hosts significant hydrothermal U-deposits associated with shear zones in the high-grade metamorphic basement. But there is a lack of evidence of a genetic link between mineralization and U-fertile igneous rocks. This contribution provides constraints on the major U source of the vein-type U-deposits, the timing of ore formation and the metallogenetic model. The anomalous trace element signatures of the low-temperature hydrothermal deposits (high Zr, Y, Nb, Ti, ∑REE) and their close spatial relation with ultrapotassic rocks of the durbachite series point to a HFSE and REE enriched source rock. The durbachites have high U content (13.4–21.5 ppm) mainly stored in magmatic uraninite and other refractory minerals (e.g., thorite, zircon, allanite) that became metamict over a time interval sufficient to release U from their crystal structure, as suggested by the time gap between emplacement of the durbachites (EMP uraninite U–Pb age ~ 338 Ma) and hydrothermal activity (SIMS uranium ore U–Pb age ~ 270 Ma). Airborne radiometric data show highly variable Th/U ratios (1.5–6.0), likely reflecting a combination between (1) crystallization of magmatic uraninite, (2) hydrothermal alteration, and (3) leaching and mobilization of U along NW–SE-trending fault zones, manifested by elevated Th/U values in the radiometric map. The presence of rare magmatic uraninite in durbachites suggests almost complete uraninite dissolution; EMP imaging coupled with LA-ICP-MS analyses of refractory accessory phases revealed extensive mobilization of U together with HFSE and REE, providing direct evidence for metal leaching via fluid-driven alteration of radiation-damaged U-rich minerals. The large-scale HFSE and REE mobilization, demonstrated by the unusual trace element signatures of the U-deposits, was likely caused by low-temperature (270–300 °C), highly alkaline aqueous solutions containing F-, P-, and K-dominated complexing ligands. The first SIMS U–Pb age of 270.8 ± 7.5 Ma obtained so far for U-mineralization from the Bohemian Massif revealed a main Permian U mineralizing event, related to crustal extension, exhumation of the crystalline basement, and basin formation, as recorded by U–Pb apatite dates (280–290 Ma) and AFT thermal history models of the durbachites. The Permo-Carboniferous sedimentary cover probably represented a source of oxidized basinal brines infiltrating the basement-hosted durbachite plutons and triggering massive metal leaching. The interaction between basin-derived brines and durbachites resulted in significant modification of the chemical composition of the hydrothermal system (K and F release during biotite chloritization, P liberation through monazite alteration), leading to the formation of ore-bearing fluids responsible for the metallogenesis of the basement-hosted unconformity-related U-deposits in shear zones in the Bohemian Massif.

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Zircon in tin granite as tracer for fluid metasomatism and Sn mineralization

Duan,

Su,

Jiang

2024

Lithos

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The role of zircon in hydrothermal heavy REE mineralisation: The case for unconformity-related ore deposits of north-west Australia

Cited by 4 publications

References 78 publications

High-Grade REE accumulation in regolith: Insights from supergene alteration of an apatite-rich vein at the Kapunda Cu mine, South Australia

High-Grade REE accumulation in regolith: Insights from supergene alteration of an apatite-rich vein at the Kapunda Cu mine, South Australia

Ultrapotassic plutons as a source of uranium of vein-type U-deposits (Moldanubian Zone, Bohemian Massif): insights from SIMS uraninite U–Pb dating and trace element geochemistry

Zircon in tin granite as tracer for fluid metasomatism and Sn mineralization

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