Geology and mineralization of the Bayan Obo supergiant carbonatite-type REE-Nb-Fe deposit in Inner Mongolia, China: A review

The Bayan Obo supergiant carbonatite-related rare-earth-element-niobium-iron (REE-Nb-Fe) endogenetic deposit (thereafter as the Bayan Obo deposit), located at 150 km north of Baotou City in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is the largest rare-earth element (REE) resource in the world. Tectonica...

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Main Authors: Yi-ke Li, Chang-hui Ke, Hong-quan She, Deng-hong Wang, Cheng Xu, An-jian Wang, Rui-ping Li, Zi-dong Peng, Ze-ying Zhu, Kui-feng Yang, Wei Chen, Jian-wei Zi, Wen-lei Song, Yong-gang Zhao, Li Zhang, Hong Yu, Bin Guo, Sheng-quan Zhou, Xing-yu Yuan, Jing-yao Liu
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: KeAi Communications Co., Ltd. 2023-10-01
Series:China Geology
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2096519223015021
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author Yi-ke Li
Chang-hui Ke
Hong-quan She
Deng-hong Wang
Cheng Xu
An-jian Wang
Rui-ping Li
Zi-dong Peng
Ze-ying Zhu
Kui-feng Yang
Wei Chen
Jian-wei Zi
Wen-lei Song
Yong-gang Zhao
Li Zhang
Hong Yu
Bin Guo
Sheng-quan Zhou
Xing-yu Yuan
Jing-yao Liu
author_facet Yi-ke Li
Chang-hui Ke
Hong-quan She
Deng-hong Wang
Cheng Xu
An-jian Wang
Rui-ping Li
Zi-dong Peng
Ze-ying Zhu
Kui-feng Yang
Wei Chen
Jian-wei Zi
Wen-lei Song
Yong-gang Zhao
Li Zhang
Hong Yu
Bin Guo
Sheng-quan Zhou
Xing-yu Yuan
Jing-yao Liu
author_sort Yi-ke Li
collection DOAJ
description The Bayan Obo supergiant carbonatite-related rare-earth-element-niobium-iron (REE-Nb-Fe) endogenetic deposit (thereafter as the Bayan Obo deposit), located at 150 km north of Baotou City in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is the largest rare-earth element (REE) resource in the world. Tectonically, this deposit is situated on the northern margin of the North China Craton and adjacent to the Xing’an-Mongolian orogenic belt to the south. The main strata within the mining area include the Neoarchean Se’ ertengshan Group and the Mesoproterozoic Bayan Obo Group. Generally, the rare earth, niobium, and iron mineralization within the deposit are intrinsically related to the dolomite carbonatites and the extensive alteration of the country rocks caused by the carbonatite magma intrusion. The alteration of country rocks can be categorized into three types: contact metasomatism (anti-skarn and skarn alteration), fenitization, and hornfelsic alternation. As indicated by previous studies and summarized in this review, the multi-element mineralization at Bayan Obo is closely associated with the metasomatic replacement of siliceous country rocks by carbonatite magmatic-hydrothermal fluids. The metasomatic process is comparable to the conventional skarnification that formed due to the intrusion of intermediate-acid magmatic rocks into limestone strata. However, the migration pattern of SiO2, CaO, and MgO in this novel metasomatic process is opposite to the skarn alteration. Accordingly, this review delineates, for the first time, an anti-skarn metallogenic model for the Bayan Obo deposit, revealing the enigmatic relationship between the carbonatite magmatic-hydrothermal processes and the related iron and rare earth mineralization. Moreover, this study also contributes to a better understanding of the REE-Nd-Fe metallogenetic processes and the related fluorite mineralization at the Bayan Obo deposit.©2023 China Geology Editorial Office.
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spelling doaj-art-9e5cc75d3b7c443e9c10f020e0b283392025-08-20T03:28:37ZengKeAi Communications Co., Ltd.China Geology2589-94302023-10-016471675010.31035/cg2023082Geology and mineralization of the Bayan Obo supergiant carbonatite-type REE-Nb-Fe deposit in Inner Mongolia, China: A reviewYi-ke Li0Chang-hui Ke1Hong-quan She2Deng-hong Wang3Cheng Xu4An-jian Wang5Rui-ping Li6Zi-dong Peng7Ze-ying Zhu8Kui-feng Yang9Wei Chen10Jian-wei Zi11Wen-lei Song12Yong-gang Zhao13Li Zhang14Hong Yu15Bin Guo16Sheng-quan Zhou17Xing-yu Yuan18Jing-yao Liu19MNR Key Laboratory of Metallogeny and Mineral Assessment, Institute of Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China; First author: E-mail address: like430@cags.ac.cn (Yi-ke Li).MNR Key Laboratory of Metallogeny and Mineral Assessment, Institute of Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, ChinaMNR Key Laboratory of Metallogeny and Mineral Assessment, Institute of Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China; Corresponding author: E-mail address: 974307769@qq.com (Hong-quan She).MNR Key Laboratory of Metallogeny and Mineral Assessment, Institute of Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, ChinaKey Laboratory of Orogenic Belts and Crustal Evolution, School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, ChinaMNR Key Laboratory of Metallogeny and Mineral Assessment, Institute of Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, ChinaMNR Key Laboratory of Metallogeny and Mineral Assessment, Institute of Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, ChinaMNR Key Laboratory of Metallogeny and Mineral Assessment, Institute of Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, ChinaMNR Key Laboratory of Metallogeny and Mineral Assessment, Institute of Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, ChinaKey Laboratory of Mineral Resources, Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Geological Processes and Mineral Resources, China University of Geosciences, Wuhan 430074, China; John de Laeter Centre, Curtin University, Bentley, WA 6102, AustraliaState Key Laboratory of Continental Dynamics, Department of Geology, Northwest University, Xi’an 710069, ChinaBayan Obo Iron Mine, Baotou Steel (Group) Co., Ltd., Inner Mongolia, Baotou 014080, ChinaBayan Obo Iron Mine, Baotou Steel (Group) Co., Ltd., Inner Mongolia, Baotou 014080, ChinaMNR Key Laboratory of Metallogeny and Mineral Assessment, Institute of Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, ChinaBayan Obo Iron Mine, Baotou Steel (Group) Co., Ltd., Inner Mongolia, Baotou 014080, ChinaMNR Key Laboratory of Metallogeny and Mineral Assessment, Institute of Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, ChinaBayan Obo Iron Mine, Baotou Steel (Group) Co., Ltd., Inner Mongolia, Baotou 014080, ChinaMNR Key Laboratory of Metallogeny and Mineral Assessment, Institute of Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, ChinaThe Bayan Obo supergiant carbonatite-related rare-earth-element-niobium-iron (REE-Nb-Fe) endogenetic deposit (thereafter as the Bayan Obo deposit), located at 150 km north of Baotou City in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, is the largest rare-earth element (REE) resource in the world. Tectonically, this deposit is situated on the northern margin of the North China Craton and adjacent to the Xing’an-Mongolian orogenic belt to the south. The main strata within the mining area include the Neoarchean Se’ ertengshan Group and the Mesoproterozoic Bayan Obo Group. Generally, the rare earth, niobium, and iron mineralization within the deposit are intrinsically related to the dolomite carbonatites and the extensive alteration of the country rocks caused by the carbonatite magma intrusion. The alteration of country rocks can be categorized into three types: contact metasomatism (anti-skarn and skarn alteration), fenitization, and hornfelsic alternation. As indicated by previous studies and summarized in this review, the multi-element mineralization at Bayan Obo is closely associated with the metasomatic replacement of siliceous country rocks by carbonatite magmatic-hydrothermal fluids. The metasomatic process is comparable to the conventional skarnification that formed due to the intrusion of intermediate-acid magmatic rocks into limestone strata. However, the migration pattern of SiO2, CaO, and MgO in this novel metasomatic process is opposite to the skarn alteration. Accordingly, this review delineates, for the first time, an anti-skarn metallogenic model for the Bayan Obo deposit, revealing the enigmatic relationship between the carbonatite magmatic-hydrothermal processes and the related iron and rare earth mineralization. Moreover, this study also contributes to a better understanding of the REE-Nd-Fe metallogenetic processes and the related fluorite mineralization at the Bayan Obo deposit.©2023 China Geology Editorial Office.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2096519223015021Rare earth elementsNiobium oreIron oreFluorite oreIgneous carbonatiteFenitization
spellingShingle Yi-ke Li
Chang-hui Ke
Hong-quan She
Deng-hong Wang
Cheng Xu
An-jian Wang
Rui-ping Li
Zi-dong Peng
Ze-ying Zhu
Kui-feng Yang
Wei Chen
Jian-wei Zi
Wen-lei Song
Yong-gang Zhao
Li Zhang
Hong Yu
Bin Guo
Sheng-quan Zhou
Xing-yu Yuan
Jing-yao Liu
Geology and mineralization of the Bayan Obo supergiant carbonatite-type REE-Nb-Fe deposit in Inner Mongolia, China: A review
China Geology
Rare earth elements
Niobium ore
Iron ore
Fluorite ore
Igneous carbonatite
Fenitization
title Geology and mineralization of the Bayan Obo supergiant carbonatite-type REE-Nb-Fe deposit in Inner Mongolia, China: A review
title_full Geology and mineralization of the Bayan Obo supergiant carbonatite-type REE-Nb-Fe deposit in Inner Mongolia, China: A review
title_fullStr Geology and mineralization of the Bayan Obo supergiant carbonatite-type REE-Nb-Fe deposit in Inner Mongolia, China: A review
title_full_unstemmed Geology and mineralization of the Bayan Obo supergiant carbonatite-type REE-Nb-Fe deposit in Inner Mongolia, China: A review
title_short Geology and mineralization of the Bayan Obo supergiant carbonatite-type REE-Nb-Fe deposit in Inner Mongolia, China: A review
title_sort geology and mineralization of the bayan obo supergiant carbonatite type ree nb fe deposit in inner mongolia china a review
topic Rare earth elements
Niobium ore
Iron ore
Fluorite ore
Igneous carbonatite
Fenitization
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2096519223015021
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