Abstract
Many light rare earth deposits, such as Maoniuping, Dalucao, Panzhihua deposits, are collectively distributed in Panxi rift of Sichuan Province, China, and closely associated with the aegirine quartz syenite-carbonatite complex. Carbon and oxygen isotope studies demonstrate that the carbonatites in the complex are of typical igneous origin related to mantle processes. Electronic microprobe studies show that the fluid-melt inclusions found in the complex are enriched in light rare earth elements (LREE), which suggests that the magma was rich in LREE and could serve as the ore source for the regional LREE mineralization. Both the aegirine quartz syenite-carbonatite complex and the LREE mineralization found therein were derived from the mantle. The rare gas isotope analyses also support that there is a genetic association between the LREE mineralization and mantle processes.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bai Ge, Yuan Zhongxin, Study on the genesis of Bayan Obo deposit, J. Inst. Mineral Deposit Geol, CAGS (in Chinese), 1983,4: 1–15.
Yuan Zhongxin, Bai Ge et al., The Maoniuping Rare Earth Ore Deposit, Mianning County, Sichuan Province (in Chinese), Beijing: Seismological Publishing Company, 1996.
Niu Hecai, Lin Chuanxian, The genesis of Mianning REE deposit, Sichuan Province, Mineral Deposit (in Chinese with English abstract), 1994, 13: 345–353.
Niu Hecai, Lin Chuanxian, The study on the fluid-melt inclusions in fluorite, Geol. Rev. (in Chinese with English abstract), 1995, 14(1): 28–33.
Campbell, A. R., Banks, D. A., Phillips, R. S. et al., Geochemistry of Th-U-REE mineralizing fluids Capitan Mountains, New Mexico, Econ. Geol., 1995, 90: 1271–1287.
Fan Qicheng, Liu Ruoxin, Yang Ruiying, LREE-rich CO2 fluid inclusions in mantle minerals in eastern China and their geology significance, Acta Petrol Sinica(in Chinese with English abstract), 1993, 9(4): 411–415.
Liu Ruoxin, Fan Qicheng, Lin Zuoran, Geochemistry of mantle fluids and mantle derived rocks [J], Geochemistry of Mantle Fluids and Asthenosphere (Asthenoliths) (eds. Du Letian, Liu Ruoxin, Deng Jinfu) (in Chinese), Beijing: Geological Publishing House, 1996, 26–57.
Zhou Dejin, E. Mofeng, Xu Ping, The REE characteristics of fluid-melt inclusions in Lei-Qiong mantel xenoliths, Acta Petrol. Sinica (in Chinese with English abstract), 1995, 4(11): 435–440.
Du Letian, The current status of geochemical studies on mantle fluids and asthenosphere (asthenoliths), Geochemistry of Mantle Fluids and Asthenosphere (Asthenoliths) (eds. Du Letian, Liu Ruoxin, Deng Jinfu) (in Chinese), Beijing: Geological Publishing House, 1996, 26–57.
Solovyev, S. G., Rare earth and trace elements in rocks of the Soukul gabbro-monzonite (syenite)-granitic complex in Kirgizia, Geochimica (in Russian), 1995, 33(1): 64–81.
Harmer, R. E., Lee, C. A., Eglington, B. H., A deep mantle source for carbonatite magmatism: evidence from the nephelin-ites and carbonatites of Buhera district, SE Zimbabwe, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 1998, 158: 131–142.
Stoppa, F., Principer, C., Eruption style and petrology of a new carbonatitic suite from the Mt. Vulture Southern Italy: The Monticchio Lakes Formation, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research, 1997, 78: 251–265.
Li Shi, Geochemical features and petrogenesis of Miaoya carbonatites, Hupeh, Geochimica (in Chinese with English abstract), 1980, 9(4): 345–355.
Smith, M. P., Henderson, P., Preliminary fluid inclusion constraints on fluid evolution in the Bayan Obo Fe-REE-Nb deposit, Inner Mongolia, China, Economic Geology, 2000, 95: 1371–1388.
Frezzotti, M. -L., Silicate-melt inclusions in magmatic rocks: Applications to petrology, Lithos., 2001, 55: 273–299.
Amundsen, H. E. F., Evidence for liquid immiscibility in the upper mantle, Nature, 1987, 327: 692–695.
Ionov, D. A., Dupuy, C., O’Reilly, S. Y. et al., Carbonated peridotite xenoliths from Spitzbergen: implication for trace element signature of mantle carbonate metasomatism, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 1993, 119: 283–297.
Schiano, P., Clocchiatti, R., Shimizu, N. et al., Cogenetic silica-rich and carbonate-rich melts trapped in mantle minerals in Kerguelen ultramafic xenoliths: implications for metasomatism in the oceanic upper mantle, Earth Planetary Science Letter, 1994, 123: 167–178.
Andersen, T., Neumann, E. R., Fluid inclusion in mantle xenoliths, Lithos., 2001, 55: 300–318.
Frezzotti, M. -L., Touret, J. L. R., Lustenhouwer, W. et al., Melt and fluid inclusions in dunite xenoliths from La Gomera, Canary Island: tracking the mantle metasomatic fluids, Eur. J. Mineral, 1994, 6: 805–817.
Dalton, J. A., Presnall, D. C., The continuum of primary carbonatitic-kimberlitic melt compositions in equilibrium with lherzolithe: data from the system CaO-MgO-Al2O3SiO2-CO2 at 6 GPa, J. Petrol., 1998, 39: 1953–1964.
Wyllie, P. J., Lee. W. -J., Model system control on condition for formation of magnesiocarbonatite magmas from the mantle, Journal of Petrology, 1998, 39: 1885–1893.
Seifert, W., Kampf, H., Wasternack, J., Compositional variation in apatite, phlogopite and other accessory minerals of the ultramafic Delitzsch complex, Germany: implication for cooling history of carbonatites, Lithos, 2000, 53: 81–100.
Carter, S. R., Evensen, N. M., Hamilton, P. et al., Continental volcanics derived from enriched and depleted source regions: Nd and Sr isotope evidence, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 1997, 137: 401–408.
Zindler, A., Hart, S., Chemical Geodynamics, Am. Rev. Earth Planet. Sci., 1986, 14: 493–571.
Niu Hecai, Shan Qiang, Lin Maoqing, A study on inclusion in minerals from Mianning REE deposit in Sichuan province, Geochimica (in Chinese with English abstract), 1996, 25(6): 559–567.
Hu Ruizhong, Bi Xianwu, Jurner, G. et al., He and Ar isotope geochemistry of mineralizing fluids in Ailao Mountains gold ore belt, Science in China, Series D (in Chinese), 1999, 29(4): 321–330.
Xu Sheng, Liu Chongqiang, He isotope composition and its significance of mantle geochemistry evolvement of mantle xenoliths in East China, Chinese Science Bulletin (in Chinese), 1997, 42(11): 1190–1193.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Hecai, N., Qiang, S., Xiaoming, C. et al. Relationship between light rare earth deposits and mantle processes in Panxi rift, China. Sci. China Ser. D-Earth Sci. 46 (Suppl 1), 41–49 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1360/03dz9026
Received:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1360/03dz9026