| Issue ID: | P2014-01-13 |
| Title: | Fluorite and its potential as an indicator mineral for carbonatite-related rare earth element deposits |
| Author(s): | Makin, S.A., Simandl, G.J., Marshall, D. |
| Series Name: | Paper |
| Publication Year: | 2014 |
| Larger Work Citation: | in Geological Fieldwork 2013, B.C. Ministry of Energy and Mines, Paper 2014-01 |
| NTS Map Sheet(s): | 082;083;092;093;094;102;103;104;114 |
| Place Keyword(s): | British Columbia, central |
| Lat/Long (NSWE): | 60, 48, -139, -114 |
| Theme Keyword(s): | fluorite, REE exploration, discrimination diagrams, specialty metals |
Download(s):
| PDF |
Abstract:
| Fluorite has potential as a proximal indicator mineral for the exploration of specialty metals, particularly rare earth elements and Nb in carbonatite-related deposits. Plots of Tb/La - Tb/Ca were generated using all available published data (worldwide) to compare REE concentrations in fluorite from carbonatite, peralkaline-alkaline, Mississippi Valley Type (MVT), and vein (sedimentary, igneous, and metamorphic hosted) deposits. Y-Yb plots distinguish between fluorites from carbonatite and MVT deposits. Fluorite from carbonatite-related and MVT deposits form compositional fields with minor overlap. Ongoing investigations include: microchemical analyses of fluorites from key Canadian and foreign deposits, diagram refinement by contouring, the production of probability plots, and experimentation with discrimination diagrams incorporating normalized REE slope calculations with the presence or absence of Ce and Eu anomalies. |
