Multi-stage metasomatic Zr mineralization in the world-class Baerzhe rare earth element Nb-Zr-Be deposit, China
-
Mingqian Wu
,
Iain M. Samson
Abstract
Magmatic and metasomatic zircon occurs in many alkaline igneous rocks and both are potential economic reservoirs of Zr, and in some places, rare-earth elements. The Baerzhe deposit in China is an example of a system where both types of zircon occur. Previous studies recognized deuteric and variably altered magmatic zircon in a transsolvus miaskitic granite, as well as four types of metasomatic zircon in a transsolvus agpaitic granite. In this study, the relationships among, and origins of, zircon and how these relate to models for rare-metal mineralization are assessed. In situ backscattered electron (BSE) and cathodoluminescence (CL) imaging, Raman spectroscopy (including mapping), and chemistry of zircon from the agpaitic granite were conducted, combined with evaluation of published data on zircon from Baerzhe. Their textural, spectroscopic, and chemical characteristics suggest that the four types of metasomatic zircon in the agpaitic granite were not subjected to metamictization or intense alteration, with trace-element accommodation largely following a xenotime substitution mechanism. The most abundant type of metasomatic zircon in the agpaitic granite occurs in zircon-quartz pseudomorphs and exhibits comparable CL, Raman spectral, and chemical features to rare zircon that has partially replaced elpidite. This confirms that the pseudomorphs formed by complete replacement of elpidite. The pseudomorph zircon occurs in association with snowball quartz that contains inclusions of zircon, aegirine, and albite, and with secondary quartz containing aegirine. This is consistent with their coeval formation during Na metasomatism. The restriction of Na metasomatism to the agpaitic granite indicates that this event and the associated zircon formation resulted from early autometasomatism of the agpaitic phase. REE- and Be-rich zircon that replaced magmatic amphibole crystallized as a result of reaction with a REE- and Be-rich fluid that most likely was responsible for the later REE-Nb-Be mineralization that affected both the miaskitic and agpaitic granites. The miaskitic granite contains deuteric and altered magmatic zircon with diferent chemical characteristics to the four types of metasomatic zircon in the agpaitic granite. This suggests that secondary Zr mineralization in the miaskitic granite formed from diferent fluids to those that metasomatized the agpaitic granite and may also have resulted from autometasomatism. This study reveals a complex picture for the formation of zircon at Baerzhe, the character of which can vary significantly, both temporally and spatially. Such variable chemistry of the various types of zircon resulted not only from their diferent origins (magmatic vs. metasomatic), but also from localized water-rock interaction that involved multiple stages of fluids. Zircon in both the miaskitic and agpaitic phases was mainly the product of autometasomatism that was constrained to their parental granites.
Acknowledgments and Funding
Sharon Lackie, Marc Beauchamp, Huan Hu, Jean Claude Barrette, and Melissa Price are thanked for their help during lab work. We acknowledge the comments and suggestions of Anouk Borst and an anonymous reviewer that greatly improved the paper. The present study was funded by an NSERC (Canada) Discovery Grant to I.M. Samson and by National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) grants to Dehui Zhang (41773030) and Kunfeng Qiu (91962106).
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- Highlights and Breakthroughs
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- Titanite geochemistry and textures: Implications for magmatic and post-magmatic processes in the Notch Peak and Little Cottonwood granitic intrusions, Utah
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- Paragenesis and precipitation stages of Nb-Ta-oxide minerals in phosphorus-rich rare-element pegmatites (Buranga dike, Rwanda)
- 3D zoning of barium in alkali feldspar
- In situ Raman vibrational spectra of siderite (FeCO3) and rhodochrosite (MnCO3) up to 47 GPa and 1100 K
- Isotopic responses of magnesium to two types of dissolution-reprecipitation processes for the growth of the double-carbonate mineral norsethite
- Fluid-rock interaction and fluid mixing in the large Furong tin deposit, South China: New insights from tourmaline and apatite chemistry and in situ B-Nd-Sr isotope composition
- A neutron diffraction study of boussingaultite, (NH4)2[Mg(H2O)6](SO4)2
- Zn-clays in the Kihabe and Nxuu prospects (Aha Hills, Botswana): A XRD and TEM study
- Finchite, Sr(UO2)2(V2O8)·5H2O, a new uranyl sorovanadate with the francevillite anion topology
- Multi-stage metasomatic Zr mineralization in the world-class Baerzhe rare earth element Nb-Zr-Be deposit, China
- American Mineralogist thanks the Reviewers for 2022
