Effect and significance of contamination-related compositional melt variations of the Tweerivier and Bulhoekkop carbonatites, South Africa, with special reference to their REE mineralization

• Applicant: Privatdozent Dr. Benjamin Walter
• Subject Area: Mineralogy, Petrology and Geochemistry
• Term: from 2019 to 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 437542348

Carbonatites represent important rare earth elements (REE) deposits, which is reflected by the fact that REE exploration projects worldwide are dominated by carbonatites and accompanying rock types. The extraordinary REE enrichment in carbonatitic melts is generally attributed to a combination of parameters, including low-degree partial melting of enriched mantle sources, crystal fractionation, separation of fluid phases and hydrothermal alteration. However, the effect of contamination by crustal and cogenetic rocks, as a potential first order process is only weakly constrained. Nevertheless, our recent study on Kaiserstuhl carbonatites clearly provided evidence that the interaction of carbonatite magma with silicate wall rocks can enable strong REE enrichment in apatite via the britholite substitution mechanism involving Si. Based on the results from the Kaiserstuhl, the role of variable contaminants needs to be tested in detail to show if this process is of general importance in carbonatitic systems.This project will investigate the impact of carbonatite-country rock interaction on REE enrichment in carbonatites. The study will be performed using field examples from the Tweerivier and Bulhoekkop carbonatites (South Africa) which are known to bear a large variability of crustal xenoliths (BIF, sedimentary dolomites, granites, anorthosites and gabbros) and contain variable amounts of silicate minerals (e.g., amphibole, clinopyroxene, mica, tremolite) that may indicate crustal contamination.To test this hypothesis, whole rock data (XRF and ICP-MS), textural, mineral chemical and isotopic data (microscopy, EMPA, C and O-isotope systematics) will be carried out for the different carbonatites samples to study the effect of contamination by Fe, Mg, Al and Si-rich lithologies. The expected results will allow for (1) the identification of the influence of contamination on the REE pattern of the residual melt, and (2) the identification of mineralogical and compositional variation of major mineral phases.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: South Africa
• Cooperation Partner: Professor Robin Harmer, Ph.D.
• Co-Investigator: Dr. Johannes Giebel