title: Origin of heavy rare earth mineralization in South China.
abstract: Heavy rare earth elements (HREE) are dominantly mined from the weathering crusts of granites in South China. Although weathering processes occur globally, no economic HREE resources of this type have yet been found outside China. Here, we report the occurrence of unidentified REE minerals in the granites from South Chinese deposits. They contain high levels of both HREE and light REE, but are strongly depleted in Ce, implying high oxidation state. These REE minerals show higher initial Nd isotope than primary REE-rich minerals (ɛNd(t)=0.9±0.8 versus -11.5±0.5). The mineralized weathering crusts inherited REE signature of the granites, but show more Ce depletion and more overall concentration of the REE. We propose, therefore, that highly oxidized, REE-rich fluids, derived from external, isotopically depleted sources, metasomatized the granites, which resulted in Ce depletion as Ce4+and enrichment of the remaining REE, especially the HREE, contributing to formation of a globally important REE resource.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Orogenic Belts and Crustal Evolution, School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
authors.forename: Cheng
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Geology and Pedology, Mendel University, Brno 61300, Czech Republic.|Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Brno 61600, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Jindřich
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kynický
authors.affiliation: School of Environment and Technology, University of Brighton, Brighton BN41 2HQ, UK.
authors.forename: Martin P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Brno 61600, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Antonin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kopriva
authors.affiliation: Department of Geology and Pedology, Mendel University, Brno 61300, Czech Republic.|Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Brno 61600, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brtnický
authors.affiliation: Central European Institute of Technology, Brno University of Technology, Brno 61600, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Tomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Urubek
authors.affiliation: Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100029, China.
authors.forename: Yueheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Institute of Mineral Resources, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences, Beijing 100037, China.
authors.forename: Zheng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Orogenic Belts and Crustal Evolution, School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: He
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of Orogenic Belts and Crustal Evolution, School of Earth and Space Sciences, Peking University, Beijing 100871, China.|Department of Geology and Pedology, Mendel University, Brno 61300, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Wenlei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Song