A special orogenic-type rare earth element deposit in Maoniuping, Sichuan, China: Geology and geochemistry

Abstract

The Maoniuping REE deposit is the second largest light rare earth elements deposit in China, explored recently in the northern Jinpingshan Mountains, a Cenozoic intracontinental orogenic belt in southwestern China. It is a vein-type deposit hosted within, and genetically related to, carbonatite-alkalic complex. Field investigation and new geochemical data of the carbonatites from the carbonatite-alkalic complex support an igneous origin for the Maoniuping carbonatites and related REE mineralization. Carbonatite itself carries rare earth elements which were enriched by hydrothermal solution. It is known that most of the REE deposits related to carbonatite-alkalic complexes were formed in relatively stable tectonic setting such as cratonic or rifting environment. The Maoniuping deposit, however, was formed during the processes of Cenozoic orogeny. Although the Maoniuping deposit is located in the north sector of the Panxi paleo-rift zone, the rift had been closed before early Cenozoic and evolved into an intracontinental orogenic belt, i.e., the Jinpingshan Orogen, which was formed since later Mesozoic to early Cenozoic. Geochronological and geochemical data also prove that the Maoniuping REE deposit was formed in an intracontinental orogenic belt instead of rift system or stationary block. The Maoniuping REE deposit is similar to the Mountain Pass REE deposit in many respects such as the high contents of bastnaesite and barite, the low content of niobium, and the common occurrence of sulfides. The discovery of the Maoniuping deposit and other REE deposits during the past two decades suggest a good potential for prospecting REE deposits along the alkalic complex belt located on the eastern side of the Qinghai-Xizang-West Sichuan Plateau.