UNIQUE MULTICOMPONENT Fe, Mn, Ti, V MINERALIZATION IN LATERITE PROFILES OF WEATHERED CARBONATITES: NEW PROSPECTS
A.V. Lapin1, A.V. Tolstov2,3, O.A. Nabelkin1, I.M. Kulikova1
1Institute of Trace Element Mineralogy, Geochemistry, and Crystal Chemistry, Moscow, Russia
2V.S. Sobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
3Diamond and Precious Metal Geology Institute, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Yakutsk, Russia
Keywords: Weathering of carbonatite, mineral potential, Fe, Mn, Ti, V, surface zone, migration of elements in laterite profiles, fractionation of colloids
Abstract
Data from the Chuktukon, Tomtor (Russia), and Morro dos Seis Lagos (Brazil) mineral deposits demonstrate that the mineral potential of laterite produced by weathering of carbonatites can be extended with Fe, Mn, Ti, and V, which are commonly beyond the conventional ore production. Several previously unknown factors have been revealed, which control the mineral potential of laterite: reduction of weathering products, composition and ore contents of carbonatite, lateral and vertical migration of elements, as well as liquid fractionation of colloids in upper zones of weathering profiles. The reported study provides additional arguments for the idea that laterite derived from carbonatites stores unique multicomponent mineralization of heavy lanthanides, Y, Sc, Fe, Mn, Ti, V, Sr, Ba, Al, and Ga, besides the common target commodities of Nb, La, Ce, and P.
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