Rare-earth elements as indicators of ore sources and the degree of differentiation and ore potential of rare-metal granite intrusions (eastern Transbaikalia)

The meteoritic-material-normalized REE patterns of rare-metal granite intrusions of the ore-bearing Kukul'bei complex (J2–J3), eastern Transbaikalia, were studied. It is shown that the intrusions were initially enriched in granitophile volatiles and trace elements (rare metals), i.e., this phenomenon is not related to the differentiation of their parental magma chambers. On the differentiation of the Kukul'bei rare-metal intrusions, the REE contents decrease in passing from granites of the main intrusive phase (MP) to late leucocratic differentiates (muscovite and amazonite granites), the differentiates become more enriched in granitophile elements, and their rare-metal contents drastically increase as compared with the MP granites. The ore-bearing bodies of muscovite and amazonite granites have extremely low REE contents and the highest contents of granitophile (including ore-forming) elements.The REE patterns of the Kukul'bei intrusive differentiates are not universal among rare-metal intrusions. By the example of highly ore-bearing rare-metal granite intrusions of the Erzgebirge, Central Europe, it has been established that their late deep-seated differentiates (ultrarare-metal lithionite-zinnwaldite Li-F-granites) accompanied by highly productive Sn-W mineralization concentrate both granitophile elements and REE (particularly HREE). Among the studied Transbaikalian rare-metal intrusions of the Kukul'bei complex, only the differentiates of the most ore-bearing Sherlovaya Gora intrusive system belong to the above type. The analysis of the REE patterns of the Kukul'bei granites confirmed the earlier conclusions on the low ore potential of the rare-metal mineralization of the studied intrusive complex.