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Abstract
Carbonatite-hosted rare earth element (REE) deposits are the primary source of the world’s light REEs and have the potential to be a source of heavy REEs. The Mount Weld REE deposit in Western Australia is hosted in a lateritic sequence that reflects supergene enrichment of the underlying carbonatite complex. Similar to other carbonatite-related ore deposits, ore from Mount Weld displays extreme light REE (LREE) enrichment (La up to 4 wt. %), but in contrast also contains substantially higher concentrations of heavy REEs (HREEs). REE enrichment in the laterite is controlled by the breakdown of primary minerals, the release and transport of REEs, and the formation of secondary minerals. Secondary REE-bearing phosphate minerals are the primary REE-host phases in the laterite ore with monazite as the dominant phase; other REE-bearing phases include rhabdophane, cerianite, churchite, florencite, and crandallite subgroup minerals. Profiles through the laterite show that in the REE-rich zone, apatite and primary calcite have broken down, and dolomite decreases by approximately 60-100%, such that the loss of Ca and Mg, as well as Si and K, leads to a relative increase in the REEs. Sequestering of REEs in secondary mineral phases formed by groundwater further enhances the REE concentration.
Study Area
| Publication type | Conference Paper |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Conference Paper |
| Title | The Mount Weld rare earth element deposit, Western Australia: A carbonatite-derived laterite |
| Volume | 3 |
| Year Published | 2023 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Society for Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits |
| Contributing office(s) | Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center |
| Description | 4 p. |
| Larger Work Type | Book |
| Larger Work Subtype | Conference publication |
| Larger Work Title | Proceedings of the 17th SGA biennial meeting |
| First page | 236 |
| Last page | 239 |
| Conference Title | 17th Biennial SGA Meeting |
| Conference Location | Zurich, Switzerland |
| Conference Date | August 28 - September 1, 2023 |
| Country | Australia |
| Other Geospatial | Mount Weld mine |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |