Figure 2 | Scientific Reports

Figure 2

From: Formation of the world's largest REE deposit through protracted fluxing of carbonatite by subduction-derived fluids

Figure 2

Carbonatite classification plot of CaO-MgO-FeO + Fe2O3 + MnO 9.

Dolomite dykes have a close affinity to the REE ore bodies, both of which have systematically higher Fe and Mg than the calcitic carbonatite samples. Note that more than half of the samples from the calcitic carbonatite dykes plot in the ferrocarbonatite field. Considering that those samples were from the same calciocarbonatite dykes, we prefer to classify these samples as calcitic carbonatite. Nevertheless, these indicate that the calcitic carbonatite dykes have also been metasomatised by Fe-, Mg-rich fluids, which leached REE, Nb and Th out of the calcitic carbonatite and resulted in ore-forming fluids.

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