Sources and control factors of rare earth elements in Late Permian mudstones, Southwest China

Abstract

The material sources and control factors of rare earth elements (REEs) for 25 borehole bulk samples from the Late Permian Longtan Formation in Mount Huaying (borehole number: ZK10-6), Sichuan Province, South China, were investigated. All samples were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The chondrite-normalized distribution patterns of mudstone samples are uniform. All samples belong to the light rare earth element (LREE)-rich type and are enriched in LREEs relative to heavy rare earth elements (HREEs). The distribution curves of REEs in mudstone are highly similar to Mount Emei basalt and the three periods of REEs enrichment correspond to three Mount Emei basalt eruption cycles in Longtan period. The results indicate that REE patterns are not controlled by materials from the seawater or land plants. The predominant sources of REEs are from terrigenous material as indicated by negative Eu anomaly. So, the sources of REEs are controlled by terrigenous material, and the Mount Emei basalt is the predominant source of terrigenous material. Thus, transgression-regression is another control factor of REEs enrichment.