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Title: Hydrothermal Rare Earth Elements (REE) Partitioning into Fluorite: A Fluid Inclusion Study from the Gallinas Mountains REE-bearing Fluorite Deposit, NM
are earth elements (REE) are becoming increasingly important in modern society due to their numerous uses in manufacturing of components for green and high-tech energy industries. Studying the mechanisms of REE mineral formation in geologic systems is vital for understanding where and how these mineral deposits form. Previous studies of REE mineral deposits have shown that hydrothermal fluids can play a key role in the mobilization and enrichment of REE (Williams-Jones et al., 2000; Gysi et al., 2016; Vasyukova and Williams-Jones, 2018). Fluorite is ideal to study the behavior of REE because of their compatibility in its structure and it is a ubiquitous hydrothermal vein mineral found together with REE fluorocarbonates (i.e., bastnäsite and parisite). However, the controls on hydrothermal fluid-mineral REE partitioning in these deposits are not yet fully understood. In this study, we present petrographic observations of fluorite veins and fluid inclusions from the Gallinas Mountains REE-bearing fluorite veins/breccia deposit in New Mexico (McLemore, 2010; Williams-Jones et al. 2000). The Gallinas Mountains deposit notably contains hydrothermal fluorite and bastnäsite, and is associated with ~30 Ma alkaline igneous rocks intruded into Permian sedimentary rocks (McLemore, 2010). The goal of this study is to better understand the cause of REE variations in fluorite as a function of temperature and salinity of the fluids, and to determine how the REE concentrations change in barren and mineralized veins. Optical microscopy and cold-cathode cathodoluminescence (CL) is used to distinguish different fluorite generations and fluid inclusion types. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) is used to identify REE minerals, zonation in fluorite, and acquire elemental compositions of different vein minerals.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2039674
PAR ID:
10517888
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ;
Publisher / Repository:
New Mexico Geological Society
Date Published:
ISSN:
2834-5800
Page Range / eLocation ID:
75-76
Format(s):
Medium: X
Location:
Macey Center, Socorro, NM
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
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