Genetic model of carbonatite hosted rare earth elements mineralization from Ambadongar Carbonatite Complex, Deccan Volcanic Province, India

Abstract

Carbonatites and associated alkaline rocks are the primary sources for REE mineralization. The Ambadongar Carbonatite Complex (ADCC) from NW Deccan Volcanic Province (DVP) constitutes the largest Carbonatite Associated REE Deposits (CARD) in India. ADCC belongs to the final stages of the Late Cretaceous alkaline-carbonatite magmatism associated with main Deccan basalt volcanic activity. The ADCC is an envisioned diatreme structure in which four carbonatitic phases are recognized, mainly calcio-carbonatites and ferro-carbonatites. Each successive carbonatite phase shows higher REE enrichment. The primary REE mineralization with bastnäsite as the dominant REE phase is hosted by pervasive hydrothermally altered ferro-carbonatite plugs. The secondary mineralogy formed with barites in the main orebody during late- to post-magmatic hydrothermal fluid alteration is fluorite, quartz, ankerite, and other REE-bearing minerals like bastnäsite, parisite, synchysite, strontianite, florencite, monazite and columbite.Carbonatite samples contain 18.61% to 52.42% of CaO, and the LOI varies from 5.28% to 38.79%. Most can be classified as calcio-carbonatites. Since all the samples also contain an appreciable amount of Fe2O3 (4.13% to 20.20%) and MnO (0.07% to 5.46%), some may be classified as ferro-carbonatites. Total REE content varies from 0.6 to 4%, with a high Ce concentration and LREE/HREE ratio. The highest values for La, Ce, Pr, and Nd are 1.95%, 1.56%, 0.16%, and 0.45%, respectively.Metasomatism of SCLM from asthenospheric melts followed by the low degree partial melting of the SCLM region is responsible for fertile carbonatite generation in ADCC. The multiphase liquid immiscibility of carbonatite melts from carbonate-silicate magma followed by immiscibility of REE rich carbonatite melt and REE deficient fluoride-rich aqueous fluids explain the higher level of REE enrichment in each successive phases of carbonatites in ADCC.The mineralizing fluids were probably the result of residual magmatic volatiles that brought mainly REE and later SiO2 into the overprinted rocks. Ambadongar carbonatites' stable isotopic compositions agree with a magmatic origin (δ13C = −4.1 ± 1.9‰ [PDB] and δl8O = 10.3 ± 1.7‰ [SMOW]). The C–O stable isotopic modeling indicates re-equilibration under hydrothermal conditions between 180 °C and 70 °C. Significant amounts of REE fluorocarbonate minerals, relatively Sr- and Th-rich, were deposited during re-equilibration. The REE fluorocarbonate bastnäsite-(Ce) occurs as late individual crystals, overgrown on the synchysite and parisite polycrystals. Textural and chemical reactions between the REE fluorocarbonates provide insights into rare-earth elements' mobility during fluid-rock interaction. Early crystallization of synchysite/parisite indicates the high activity of Ca2+, OH−, (SO4)2−, Al and Si in the fluid. Later, the fluid was characterized by increased activity of F−, (SO4)2−, REE and Si, and decreased activity of Ca2+ as reflected in the association of barite, fluorite, quartz, and bastnäsite typical of strongly overprinted ferro-carbonatites.Re-equilibration and recrystallization of the primary minerals in the presence of OH−, (SO4)2−, F−, REE, Al, and Si carried in solution by the hydrothermal fluid is the leading cause behind the refixing of REE in the form of REE fluorocarbonate in REE rich ferro-carbonatites.