Formation of the Mount Weld rare earth element deposit, Western Australia: A carbonatite-derived laterite
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Abstract
Carbonatite-hosted rare earth element (REE) deposits are the primary source of the world’s light REEs. The Mount Weld REE deposit in Western Australia is hosted in a lateritic sequence that reflects supergene enrichment of the underlying carbonatite. Water-rock interaction is a key to the formation of this world-class deposit. 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 and dolomite have broken down 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.
Suggested Citation
Verplanck, P., Thompson, J.M., Mercer, C.M., Bhat, G., Lowers, H.A., Boehlke, A., 2025, Formation of the Mount Weld rare earth element deposit, Western Australia: A carbonatite-derived laterite, in Proceedings of the 3rd IAGC international conference, p. 643-646.
Study Area
| Publication type | Conference Paper |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | Conference Paper |
| Title | Formation of the Mount Weld rare earth element deposit, Western Australia: A carbonatite-derived laterite |
| Year Published | 2025 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | UNICApress |
| Contributing office(s) | Central Energy Resources Science Center, Mineral Resources Program, Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center |
| Description | 4 p. |
| Larger Work Type | Book |
| Larger Work Subtype | Conference publication |
| Larger Work Title | Proceedings of the 3rd IAGC international conference |
| First page | 643 |
| Last page | 646 |
| Country | Australia |
| Other Geospatial | Mount Weld Mine |