Apatite Trace Element Compositions: A Robust New Tool for Mineral Exploration

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dc.contributor.authorMao, Mao
dc.contributor.authorRukhlov, Alexei S.
dc.contributor.authorRowins, Stephen M.
dc.contributor.authorSpence, Jody
dc.contributor.authorCoogan, Laurence A.
dc.date.accessioned2018-09-27T18:40:19Z
dc.date.available2018-09-27T18:40:19Z
dc.date.copyright2016en_US
dc.date.issued2016
dc.description.abstractApatites from the major types of mainly magmatic-hydrothermal mineral deposits (30 localities, mostly in British Columbia, Canada) together with apatites from carbonatites (29 intrusive complexes) and unmineralized rocks (11 localities) have been analyzed by electron microprobe and laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Discriminant analysis using Mg, V, Mn, Sr, Y, La, Ce, Eu, Dy, Yb, Pb, Th, and U reveals that apatites from mineral deposits can be distinguished from apatites in carbonatites and unmineralized rocks. Apatites from mineral deposits are characterized by higher Ca and correspondingly lower total contents of trace elements that partition onto the Ca sites (rare earth elements (REEs), Y, Mn, Sr, Pb, Th, and U) than apatites from unmineralized rocks and carbonatites. Apatites from the different deposit types also have distinct trace element compositions that are readily discriminated by the discriminant functions. Apatites from worldwide carbonatites have the most fractionated REE distributions with light REE enrichment (Ce/YbCN = 35–872), high V (1.6–1,466 ppm), Sr (1,840–22,498 ppm), Ba (1.8–275 ppm), and Nb (0.4–19 ppm) contents, the lowest W contents (0.05–0.55 ppm), and no significant Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.9–1.2). Apatites from alkalic porphyry Cu-Au deposits in the North American Cordillera possess high V contents (2.5–337 ppm), whereas apatites from calc-alkaline porphyry Cu-Au and Cu-Mo deposits have high Mn contents (334–10,934 ppm) and typically large negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.2–1.1). Apatites from iron oxide Cu-Au (IOCG) and related Kiruna-type iron oxide-apatite (IOA) deposits in Canada, China, and Mexico typically have large negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.2–1.5) and low Mn contents (40–5,753 ppm). Apatites from orogenic Ni-Cu, porphyryrelated Cu-Au breccia, Au-Co skarn, Pb-Zn skarn, and Cu skarn deposits have relatively low abundances of impurity cations. This study demonstrates that detrital apatite grains collected during regional geochemical surveys are effective in identifying specific types of buried mineral deposits in glaciated terranes.en_US
dc.description.reviewstatusRevieweden_US
dc.description.scholarlevelFacultyen_US
dc.description.sponsorshipThis research was supported by a grant from the BC Ministry of Energy and Mines-University of Victoria Geoscience Partnership Program.en_US
dc.identifier.citationMao, M., Rukhlov, A.S., Rowins, S.M., Spence, J. & Coogan, L.A. (2016). C Apatite Trace Element Compositions: A Robust New Tool for Mineral Exploration. Economic Geology, 111(5), 1187–1222. https://doi.org/10.2113/econgeo.111.5.1187en_US
dc.identifier.urihttps://doi.org/10.2113/econgeo.111.5.1187
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1828/10101
dc.language.isoenen_US
dc.publisherEconomic Geologyen_US
dc.subjectBritish Columbia
dc.subjectgold ores
dc.subjectcrystal chemistry
dc.subjectmetasomatic rocks
dc.subjectmetals
dc.subjectmetamorphic rocks
dc.subjectmineral exploration
dc.subjectorogeny
dc.subjectCanada
dc.subjectmolybdenum ores
dc.subjectmetal ores
dc.subjectmineral deposits, genesis
dc.subjectphosphates
dc.subjectskarn
dc.subjectapatite
dc.subjectcarbonatites
dc.subjectigneous rocks
dc.subjecteuropium
dc.subjectIOCG deposits
dc.subjectNorth American Cordillera
dc.subjectNorth America
dc.subjectrare earths
dc.subjectcopper ores
dc.subjectWestern Canada
dc.subject.departmentSchool of Earth and Ocean Sciences
dc.titleApatite Trace Element Compositions: A Robust New Tool for Mineral Explorationen_US
dc.typeArticleen_US

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