Fig. 1: Global distribution of rare earth element deposits.
From: Adsorption of rare earth elements in regolith-hosted clay deposits
Regolith-hosted ion-adsorption-type REE deposits (shown in white circles) dominantly occur in the tropics and subtropics and currently provide most of the world’s heavy REE supply. The majority of economically exploited regolith-hosted REE deposits occur in China, where REEs are associated with clay minerals in granitic weathering profiles. The two localities studied here are marked in orange: the Ambohimirahavavy complex in Madagascar and the Zhaibei granite in China. Other economically significant rare earth prospects are dominantly hard-rock deposits associated with alkaline igneous rocks and carbonatites, some are shown as grey pentagons and black triangles, respectively.
