Geochemistry of rare earth elements (REE) in barite and fluorite minerals from the Ardakan deposit, Yazd province

Subject Areas : The Application of Chemistry in Environment

Ebrahim Ansari ¹ , Farhad Ehya ² , Ghodratollah Rostami Paydar ³ , sara maliki kheyme sari ⁴

1 - Department of Geology, Behbahan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Behbahan, Iran
2 - Department of Geology, Behbahan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Behbahan, Iran
3 - Department of Geology, Ahvaz Branch, Islamic Azad University, Ahvaz, Iran
4 - Department of Geology, Behbahan Branch, Islamic Azad University, Behbahan, Iran

Received: 2024-02-23 Accepted : 2024-04-24 Published : 2024-07-23

Keywords: Barite, Fluorite, Rare earth elements, Geochemistry, Ardakan,

Abstract :

This study investigates the geochemistry of rare earth elements (REE) in barite and fluorite minerals to determine the origin of the Ardakan barite deposit. Barite mineralization occurred in the form of veins in dolomites and limestones of the Middle Triassic Shotori Formation in the northeast of Ardakan city in Yazd province. Barite is accompanied by the subordinate minerals fluorite, quartz, sphalerite, malachite, chrysocolla as well as iron and manganese oxides and hydroxides. The nature of the mineralization and the relationships between ore and host rock indicate that the barite mineralization is epigenetic. Chemical analysis of the barite and fluorite samples shows very low levels of ΣREE in these minerals (ranging from 14.80 to 19.59 ppm and 0.14 to 6.52 ppm, respectively). Low ΣREE and Ce/La ratios in barite samples confirm a hydrothermal (terrestrial) origin of the barite. The low ΣREE concentration and the Tb/Ca vs. Tb/La diagram confirm a hydrothermal origin of the fluorite from the Ardakan deposit. As a result, the geochemical REE data in barite and fluorite minerals indicate a hydrothermal origin of the Ardakan barite deposit.

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