Geology of the Kamthai Rare Earth Deposit

Abstract

Abstract A wide spectrum of calciocarbonatites and associated alkaline rocks are exposed around Kamthai, Rajasthan. The mineralogical studies exhibit a bimodal distribution of REE minerals. The southeastern block has carbocernaite and the eastern block has bastnaesite ± ancylite / synchysite as the dominant REE minerals followed by parisite and other accessory minerals. Calcite is the most abundant of the gangue phase, followed by biotite, albite, k-feldspar and iron oxide / hydroxide. Minor and trace gangue phases include pyrite, ilmenite, apatite, siderite, ankerite, amphibole, pyroxene, strontianite, barite, ilmenite / pyrophanite, celestine, clay minerals, sphalerite, pyrochlore, fluorite and Mn-rich phases including hollandite and Mn-Fe oxides. Calciocarbonatite occuring as intrusive veins, sills/dykes and plug, is perhaps a product of crystallization of a primary carbonatite melt generated at upper mantle. The first phase magmatic calciocarbonatite is alvikite type, rich in carbocernaite whereas second hydrothermal phase, sovite type, is enriched in bastnaesite. The absence of supergene activity and minerals (crandalite, florencite, gorceixite) indicate minor role of secondary enrichment. A rift-related mechanism, thermal equivalent to Deccan flood basalt (65±2 Ma), invoking “Reunion plume - continental hot spot” might have triggered Tertiary alkaline magmatism.