Geochemical and petrological characteristics of Eppawala phosphate deposits, Sri Lanka

Abstract

The apatite-bearing carbonate rocks at Eppawala, Sri Lanka occur as massive, discontinuous bodies in a Precambrian, high-grade metamorphic terrain, which weather to form economically important phosphate deposits. The ore bodies at Eppawala contain ≤42% P2O5, and citric acid solubility of different components varies from 4 to 6%. The parent rocks are mainly made up of calcite, dolomite and apatite, with lesser amounts of ilmenite, magnetite, pyrite, forsterite, phlogopite, enstatite, magnesite, diopside, tremolite and spinel. Most of minerals show an euhedral habit, with a wide range of crystal sizes (from a few millimetres to several decimetres). The Eppawala rocks are characterised by low silica (≤0.41%), high phosphorous (≤10.58%) and high strontium content (2,960–6,819 ppm). Concentrations of light rare-earth elements in these rocks are comparably higher than those of marbles. The REE fractionation of these rocks is pronounced, and La/Yb ratios vary between 14 and 43. Both apatite and calcite show markedly elevated strontium levels (≤0.6%). The δ 13CPDB and δ 18OSMOW values of the carbonates are in the range of –3.4 to –2.2 and 7.7 to 16.4‰ respectively. The euhedral habit, as well as the presence of major quantities of apatite and considerable amounts of iron-bearing minerals suggest that the ore host rock has genetic links to an igneous source rather than to an intensely metamorphosed limestone. The higher light REE contents of the rocks, compared to marbles, also argue against a metamorphic or sedimentary origin. The Sr/Mn and Ce/La ratios in the apatite are ~40 and ~2 respectively, suggesting that they were formed in a carbonatite magma. The markedly increased REE concentrations in the bulk chemistry of the rocks have been shown to be mainly controlled by the content of phosphate minerals. Compared to most carbonatites, the Eppawala rocks are generally depleted in selected trace elements, particularly Ba, Nb, Th, V, U and Zr. This depletion may be due to either a primary infertility of the parent magma with regard to such trace elements, or it is a result of fractional crystallisation during the rock formation. The stable isotope ratios do not plot within the defined "mantle carbonatite box", but still lie within the broader range of carbonatitic rocks. With these data at hand, it can be readily argued that the mode of occurrence, petrography and geochemistry of the Eppawala apatite-bearing carbonates provide conclusive evidence of their carbonatitic origin.