"Implications of the tectonic setting, magma-wallrock interaction and postemplacement evolution of carbonatites for their rare-metal (REE, Nb, Ta, Zr and U) potential"

碳酸盐岩及其成因相关的碳酸盐岩是稀有金属的重要经济来源。近年来，人们越来越认识到碳酸岩可能具有多种成因，并因其构造环境和地幔来源而表现出根本的差异。碳酸岩的构造和地球化学之间的这些关系（因此，也是它们的经济潜力）迄今尚未得到系统的研究。岩浆-围岩相互作用对稀有元素的迁移和封存的影响，以及交代后结构和化学变化对碳酸岩型矿体的几何形状和组成的影响，都没有得到足够详细的研究。拟议的研究将解决这些现有的差距，试图确定的主要因素，有助于发展的经济浓度的镧系元素，铌，钽和其他稀有金属的碳酸岩。拟议的研究计划的新奇在于，它将涉及一个系统的和综合的研究碳酸岩含有记录的稀有元素矿化从不同的构造环境。该计划将建立在申请人在这些地质系统方面的丰富经验的基础上，并将涉及收购以前未研究过的新材料，但代表了重要的地质不同类型的碳酸盐岩。该计划将包括一个大型培训部分，并将遵循多分析方法，以确保不同类型的矿化可以在碳酸盐岩演化的背景下进行解释。这项分析工作将涉及样品的地球化学特征、矿物鉴定、来源-物源研究和岩石成因建模。这项工作的三个主要成果将是：（1）更好地了解碳酸岩形成的来源和过程;（2）完善碳酸岩矿床的勘探标准;（3）培训高素质的人员。拟议研究的结果将通过同行评审的国际期刊、网络媒体、会议上的演讲、矿产勘探会议和和记黄埔巡回演讲等方式传播。

Carbonatites and genetically related carbonate rocks are an economically important source of rare metals. In recent years, it has been increasingly recognized that carbonatites may have multiple origins and show fundamental differences specific to their tectonic setting and mantle sources. These relations between the tectonics and geochemistry of carbonatites (and, therefore, also their economic potential) have not been systematically studied to date. Neither the effects of magma-wallrock interactions on the transport and sequestration of rare elements, nor the impact of postemplacement textural and chemical changes on the geometry and composition of carbonatite-hosted ore bodies have been studied in adequate detail. The proposed research will address these existing gaps in an attempt to identify the principal factors that contribute to the development of economic concentrations of lanthanides, Nb, Ta and other rare metals in carbonatites. The novelty of the proposed research program is in that it will involve a systematic and integrated study of carbonatites containing documented rare-element mineralization from different tectonic settings. The program will build on the applicant's extensive experience with these geological systems and will involve acquisition of new material not studied previously, but representing important geologically distinct types of carbonatite. The program will include a large training component and will follow a multi-analytical approach to ensure that different styles of mineralization can be interpreted in the context of carbonatite evolution. This analytical work will involve geochemical characterization of samples, mineral identification, source-provenance studies, and petrogenetic modelling. The three major outcomes of this work will be: (1) an improved understanding of the sources and processes responsible for the formation of carbonatites; (2) refined exploration criteria for carbonatite-hosted ore deposits, and (3) training of highly qualified personnel. The results of the proposed research will be disseminated through publications in peer-reviewed international journals, web-based media, presentations at conferences, mineral exploration conventions and Hutchison lecture tour.