REE geochemistry of the Zhoutan Group metasedimentary rocks in central Jiangxi Province,Southeast China

Detailed REE and trace elements geochemical studies of the Zhoutan Group metasedimentary rocks in central Jiangxi Province, China, and rock-forming minerals such as garnet were conducted and the results showed that the REEs are partly present in the rock-forming minerals and are dominantly contained in the lattice of accessory minerals. In the process of metamorphism the REEs between garnet porphyroblast and rock and the partitioning of REEs between garnet and the host rock is obviously controlled by the chemical composition of the system. The REEs compositions of metamorphic veins and their minerals display remarked lanthanide tetrad effects and the element pairs Zr-Hf, Y-Ho, Pb-Nd and U-Th have also experienced a certain degree of fractionation with respect to the metasedimentary rocks and they can be used as discriminating indicators to some extent for the occurrence of fluid processes in the process of metamorphism of the Zhoutan Group.