IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/gam/jresou/v6y2017i3p36-d106330.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Speculations Linking Monazite Compositions to Origin: Llallagua Tin Ore Deposit (Bolivia)

Author

Listed:
  • Elizabeth J. Catlos

    (Department of Geological Sciences, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Sta. C9000, EPS 1.130, Austin, TX 78712, USA)

  • Nathan R. Miller

    (Department of Geological Sciences, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 1 University Sta. C9000, EPS 1.130, Austin, TX 78712, USA)

Abstract

Monazite [(Ce,Th)PO 4 ] from the Llallagua tin ore deposit in Bolivia is characterized by low radiogenic element contents. Previously reported field evidence and mineral associations suggest the mineral formed via direct precipitation from hydrothermal fluids. Monazite compositions thus may provide insight into characteristics of the fluids from which it formed. Chemical compositions of three Llallagua monazite grains were obtained using Electron Probe Microanalysis (EPMA), n = 64] and laser ablation mass spectrometer (LA-ICP-MS, n = 56). The mineral has higher amounts of U (123 ± 17 ppm) than Th (39 ± 20 ppm) (LA-ICP-MS, ±1σ). Grains have the highest amounts of fluorine ever reported for monazite (0.88 ± 0.10 wt %, EPMA, ±1σ), and F-rich fluids are effective mobilizers of rare earth elements (REEs), Y, and Th. The monazite has high Eu contents and positive Eu anomalies, consistent with formation in a highly-reducing back-arc environment. We speculate that F, Ca, Si and REE may have been supplied via dissolution of pre-existing fluorapatite. Llallagua monazite oscillatory zoning is controlled by an interplay of low (P + Ca + Si + Y) and high atomic number (REE) elements. We suggest monazite compositions provide insight into fluid geochemistry, mineral reactions, and tectonic settings of ore deposits that contain the mineral.

Suggested Citation

  • Elizabeth J. Catlos & Nathan R. Miller, 2017. "Speculations Linking Monazite Compositions to Origin: Llallagua Tin Ore Deposit (Bolivia)," Resources, MDPI, vol. 6(3), pages 1-18, July.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jresou:v:6:y:2017:i:3:p:36-:d:106330
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9276/6/3/36/pdf
    Download Restriction: no
    File URL: https://www.mdpi.com/2079-9276/6/3/36/
    Download Restriction: no
    ---><---

    Citations

    Citations are extracted by the CitEc Project, subscribe to its RSS feed for this item.
    as


    Cited by:

    1. Simon M. Jowitt, 2018. "Introduction to a Resources Special Issue on Criticality of the Rare Earth Elements: Current and Future Sources and Recycling," Resources, MDPI, vol. 7(2), pages 1-4, May.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:gam:jresou:v:6:y:2017:i:3:p:36-:d:106330. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: MDPI Indexing Manager (email available below). General contact details of provider: https://www.mdpi.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.