Geochemistry of apatites in the granitic rocks of the Molybdenum, Tungsten, and Barren provinces of Southwest Japan

Recognition of the importance of chlorine complexing in enhancing the solubility of metal sulfides in aqueous solutions has led to the view that the chlorine content of intrusive rock could govern the ability of a magma to separate a metal-rich hydrothermal phase. This article presents the chlorine and fluorine contents of apatites in the granitic rocks of the Barren, Tungsten, and Molybdenum provinces of Southwest Japan.The abundance of Cl in apatites correlates negatively with rock D.I. (differentiation indices), and the abundance of F in apatites correlates positively with rock D.I. The abundance of Cl in apatites of the Molybdenum province is generally higher than that of the Tungsten and Barren provinces, and the abundance of F in apatites in the Molybdenum province is generally lower than that of F in apatites of the Tungsten and Barren provinces.Apatites in the granitic rocks associated with tungsten and fluorite mineralization and granite pegmatite formation, and from the Barren province are mostly F-OH apatites