Geochemistry of Rocks at the Neskevara Rare-Metal Deposit of the Vuoriyarvi Alkaline–Ultramafic Complex, Kola Peninsula

Abstract

The Vuoriyarvi Paleozoic alkaline–ultramafic complex with carbonatites is made up of a great diversity of rocks with various ore mineralization. The paper presents data on the geochemistry of pyroxenites, phoscorites, and carbonatites from the Neskevara deposit of rare metals. The pyroxenites of the rare-metal deposit are significantly enriched in Nb, Ta, and Th relative to the primitive mantle and the primary alkaline–ultramafic melt composition calculated for the Kola alkaline province and are characterized by high Nb/Ta, Zr/Hf, and Th/U ratios of 29, 35, and 14, respectively. HFSE are maximally enriched in the phoscorites and carbonatites of stages II and III, with the highest concentrations of Nb (16 000 ppm), Th (2800 ppm), and Zr (4000 ppm) found in the calcite–tetraferriphlogopite phoscorites, in which pyrochlore crystallization on the liquidus was identified. The rocks of the carbonatite series are strongly enriched in LREE relative to carbonaceous chondrite. The calcite–dolomite carbonatites of the late magmatic–carbothermal stage show REE enrichment up to 25 800 ppm. The chondrite-normalized REE patterns and (La/Yb)N ratio indicate that REE were systematically more strongly fractionated in the sequence pyroxenite (70)—phoscorite (90)—calcite (540) and dolomite (3790) carbonatites The crystallization sequence of minerals in the rare-metal phoscorites and carbonatites of intermediate stages indicates that magnetite and pyrochlore crystallized nearly simultaneously. The crystallization temperatures of such associations are, according to data of the magnetite–ilmenite thermometer, lower than 500–600°C, at ∆NNO = –0.3 and + 1.5 and corresponded to the temperature at which the rare-metal ore mineralization of the main stage was formed.