Rare Earth Deposits of North America     

Stephen B. Castor 《Resource Geology》2008,58(4):337-347

Rare earth elements (REE) have been mined in North America since 1885, when placer monazite was produced in the southeast USA. Since the 1960s, however, most North American REE have come from a carbonatite deposit at Mountain Pass, California, and most of the world’s REE came from this source between 1965 and 1995. After 1998, Mountain Pass REE sales declined substantially due to competition from China and to environmental constraints. REE are presently not mined at Mountain Pass, and shipments were made from stockpiles in recent years. Chevron Mining, however, restarted extraction of selected REE at Mountain Pass in 2007. In 1987, Mountain Pass reserves were calculated at 29 Mt of ore with 8.9% rare earth oxide based on a 5% cut‐off grade. Current reserves are in excess of 20 Mt at similar grade. The ore mineral is bastnasite, and the ore has high light REE/heavy REE (LREE/HREE). The carbonatite is a moderately dipping, tabular 1.4‐Ga intrusive body associated with ultrapotassic alkaline plutons of similar age. The chemistry and ultrapotassic alkaline association of the Mountain Pass deposit suggest a different source than that of most other carbonatites. Elsewhere in the western USA, carbonatites have been proposed as possible REE sources. Large but low‐grade LREE resources are in carbonatite in Colorado and Wyoming. Carbonatite complexes in Canada contain only minor REE resources. Other types of hard‐rock REE deposits in the USA include small iron‐REE deposits in Missouri and New York, and vein deposits in Idaho. Phosphorite and fluorite deposits in the USA also contain minor REE resources. The most recently discovered REE deposit in North America is the Hoidas Lake vein deposit, Saskatchewan, a small but incompletely evaluated resource. Neogene North American placer monazite resources, both marine and continental, are small or in environmentally sensitive areas, and thus unlikely to be mined. Paleoplacer deposits also contain minor resources. Possible future uranium mining of Precambrian conglomerates in the Elliott Lake–Blind River district, Canada, could yield by‐product HREE and Y. REE deposits occur in peralkaline syenitic and granitic rocks in several places in North America. These deposits are typically enriched in HREE, Y, and Zr. Some also have associated Be, Nb, and Ta. The largest such deposits are at Thor Lake and Strange Lake in Canada. A eudialyte syenite deposit at Pajarito Mountain in New Mexico is also probably large, but of lower grade. Similar deposits occur at Kipawa Lake and Lackner Lake in Canada. Future uses of some REE commodities are expected to increase, and growth is likely for REE in new technologies. World reserves, however, are probably sufficient to meet international demand for most REE commodities well into the 21st century. Recent experience shows that Chinese producers are capable of large amounts of REE production, keeping prices low. Most refined REE prices are now at approximately 50% of the 1980s price levels, but there has been recent upward price movement for some REE compounds following Chinese restriction of exports. Because of its grade, size, and relatively simple metallurgy, the Mountain Pass deposit remains North America’s best source of LREE. The future of REE production at Mountain Pass is mostly dependent on REE price levels and on domestic REE marketing potential. The development of new REE deposits in North America is unlikely in the near future. Undeveloped deposits with the most potential are probably large, low‐grade deposits in peralkaline igneous rocks. Competition with established Chinese HREE and Y sources and a developing Australian deposit will be a factor.  相似文献   

广州航空邮件处理中心土洞及桩端软土层处理工艺研究     

王干文 《中国煤炭地质》2008,(8):42-46

广州航空邮件处理中心位于岩溶发育地区,场区内存在大量土洞、溶洞等不良地质现象。该建筑物拟采用静压桩基础。为保证建筑物及场道安全,须对场区土洞进行处理。结合场地具体情况和施工工期要求,首先对大体积土洞进行泵注细石砼骨料充填处理,以消除地面大面积塌陷的危险,消灭压桩机械施工安全隐患,然后开始进行静压桩基础施工,同时在场地允许区域对中小体积土洞、桩端软土层等分别进行泵注砂浆骨料和袖阀注浆处理．以确保洞体密实和保证桩基承载力。通过对处理工艺、处理范围的比较筛选和对质量控制要点、施工技术要点的分析提炼．达到了施工简便、造价合理、安全高效的目的,并采用骨料取芯检测、土体标贯试验和压缩试验、洞体物探等多种检测手段,完全达到了设计要求,取得了良好的工程效果和经济效益。  相似文献   

“Tripoli”的含义及译名的讨论   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

方邺森  顾炳伟 《岩石矿物学杂志》1993,12(1):91-94

“Tripoli”是一种新型的石英质工业矿物原料,在我国长期被误译为硅藻土,影响地质部门对这一新矿种的认识和寻找。本文追溯了“Tripoli”一名的由来,正确地阐述了“Tripoli”的本质特征,分析了在国内文献中长期被误译的根源,指明了其正确含义,并建议废除各种不正确的中译名,译为“粉石英”。  相似文献   

Effects of low molecular weight organic acids on sorption and desorption behavior of p-chlorophenol by yellow earth     

Daoyong ZHANG Xiangliang PAN Shuimu LIAO Chenglin HUANG Jingmei ZHANG 《中国地球化学学报》2006,25(B08):133-133

Low molecular weight organic acids （LMWOAs） are important components of root exudates. They play an important role in immobilizing and remobilizing contaminants in rhizospheric soil. Effects of four LMWOAs on the sorption and desorption behavior of p-chlorophenol by yellow earth was studied in batch mode. The results showed that the previous application of LMWOAs to enhanced adsorption capacity of p-chlorophenol of the soil in the order of maleic acid〉malic acid〉oxalic acid〉citric acid. However, when LMWOAs were applied to soil where p-chlorophenol had been previously adsorbed, substantial p-chlorophenol was desorbed from soil by oxalic acid, whereas citric acid, malic acid and maleic acid didn＇t desorb as much p-chlorophenol from soil as deionized water.  相似文献   

Monazite behaviour and age significance in poly-metamorphic high-grade terrains: A case study from the western Musgrave Block, central Australia     

Nigel M. Kelly  Geoffrey L. Clarke  Simon L. Harley 《Lithos》2006,88(1-4):100-134

Integrated, in situ textural, chemical and electron microprobe age analysis of monazite grains in a migmatitic metapelitic gneiss from the western Musgrave Block, central Australia has identified evidence for multiple events of growth and recrystallisation during poly-metamorphism in the Mesoproterozoic. Garnet + sillimanite-bearing metapelite underwent partial melting and segregation to palaeosome and leucosome during metamorphism between 1330 and 1296 Ma, with monazite grains in leucosome recording crystallisation at 1300 Ma. Monazite breakdown during melting is inferred to have occurred in the palaeosome. During a subsequent granulite facies event at 1200 Ma, deformation and metamorphism of leucosome and palaeosome resulted in partial disturbance of ages and potential minor growth on 1300 Ma monazite in leucosome. Growth of new, high-Y (+HREE) monazite in palaeosome domains occurred during garnet breakdown in the presence of sillimanite to cordierite and spinel, as a result of post-peak isothermal decompression. Diffusive enrichment of resorbed garnet rims in Y + HREE suggests garnet breakdown occurred slower than volume diffusion of REE. Monazite in both palaeosome and leucosome were subsequently partially to penetratively recrystallised during a retrogression event that is suggested to have occurred at 1150–1130 Ma. The intensity of recrystallisation and disturbance of ages appears linked to proximity to retrogressed garnet porphyroblasts and their occurrence in the relatively reactive or ‘fertile’ local environments provided by the palaeosome/mesosome volumes, which caused localised changes in retrogressive fluids towards compositions more aggressive to monazite. Like reaction textures, it is apparent that domainal equilibrium and reaction may control or at least strongly influence monazite REE and U–Th–Pb chemistry and hence ages.  相似文献   

New Approach for Estimation of Static and Seismic Active Earth Pressure   总被引：1，自引：1，他引：1  

Deepankar Choudhury  Shailesh Singh 《Geotechnical and Geological Engineering》2006,24(1):117-127

To estimate static and seismic active earth pressure (P_ad) on a rigid retaining wall, numerical analyses using different step sizes have been carried out in this paper, based on the modified Culmann line method by considering Coulomb’s planar rupture surface. Equivalent pseudo-static seismic forces are considered in the analysis. A new concept of modified unit weight by considering ground surcharge is introduced under static and seismic conditions. By numerical analysis, area of soil (A) has been estimated to obtain the ratio of A/A₀ where A₀ is θh², θ is the angle between retaining structure and ground surface and h is the vertical height of the wall. This ratio remains constant for a particular type of soil and has been used to estimate the maximum active earth pressure using force diagram. Results are provided in tabular form for easy calculation of the coefficient of static and seismic active earth pressure. Present results by considering the new technique, compares well with the results obtained by earlier researchers.  相似文献   

The multilevel fast multipole method for forward modelling the multiply scattered seismic surface waves   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

Özcan Çakir 《Geophysical Journal International》2006,167(2):663-678

  相似文献   

华南地区晚二叠和晚三叠世煤中稀土元素特征研究   总被引：2，自引：0，他引：2  

杜美霞  庄新国 《中国煤田地质》2006,18(2):22-26

在华南地区贵州六盘水、江西乐平、露庆和湖北黄石矿区晚二叠和晚三叠世煤层的稀土元素ICP—MS分析数据的基础上，系统研究了研究区煤中稀土元素的含萤分布特征、赋存特征、配分模式以及地质控制因素。含量分布表明晚二叠世稀土元素含量总体高于晚三叠世；煤中稀土元素与灰分成正相关关系，部分煤样品由于有富稀土元素的重矿物组合的存在而出现稀土元素的异常高值；同一矿区、同一时代煤中稀土元素的配分模式具有一定的相似性，而不同地区同一时代和同一地区不同时代煤中稀土元素的配分模式具有较大差异；煤的沉积环境，煤中无机矿物组成以及海水的影响是控制煤中稀土元素含量和配分模式的主要地质因素。  相似文献   

地球表层系统浅论     

张猛刚  雷祥义 《西北地质》2005,38(2):99-101

地球表层系统是岩土圈、大气圈、水圈、人类圈和生物圈构成的地表自然社会综合体，笔者从系统论的观点出发，阐述了地球表层系统的边界、环境、要素、结构和功能；并分析了地球表层系统的开放性、有序性和耗散结构的特征；最后阐明了协调人地关系是地球表层系统研究的主要内容。  相似文献   

金刚石工具富铁胎体掺杂稀土的研究   总被引：5，自引：0，他引：5  

段隆臣  田永常  邹庆化  杨凯华 《地质科技情报》2002,21(3):101-103,107

稀土的加入量、加入形态和在混料中的均匀弥散性直接影响热压富铁金刚石复合材料的性能。改进的稀土掺杂工艺，保证了稀土在胎体中的均匀弥散性；通过试验研究了稀土的加入量与富铁胎体的抗弯强度、抗冲击韧性和孔隙率的关系，从而确定了稀土的最优加入量。通过差热分析试验，认为稀土可以改变富铁胎体的热物理特性。  相似文献