Hydrothermal Rare Earth Element (Xenotime) Mineralization at Maw Zone, Athabasca Basin, Canada, and Its Relationship to Unconformity-Related Uranium Deposits

Research Article| September 01, 2017 Hydrothermal Rare Earth Element (Xenotime) Mineralization at Maw Zone, Athabasca Basin, Canada, and Its Relationship to Unconformity-Related Uranium Deposits Morteza Rabiei; Morteza Rabiei 1Department of Geology, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 0A2, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Guoxiang Chi; Guoxiang Chi † 1Department of Geology, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 0A2, Canada †Corresponding author: e-mail, Guoxiang.Chi@uregina.ca Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Charles Normand; Charles Normand 2Saskatchewan Geological Survey, Saskatchewan Ministry of Economy, 1000-2103 11th Avenue, Regina, Saskatchewan S4P 3Z8, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar William J. Davis; William J. Davis 3Geological Survey of Canada, 601 Booth Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0E8, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Mostafa Fayek; Mostafa Fayek 4Department of Geological Sciences, University of Manitoba, 240 Wallace Building, 125 Dysart Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Nigel J.F. Blamey Nigel J.F. Blamey 5Department of Earth Sciences, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, Ontario L2S 3A1, Canada Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Author and Article Information Morteza Rabiei 1Department of Geology, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 0A2, Canada Guoxiang Chi † 1Department of Geology, University of Regina, 3737 Wascana Parkway, Regina, Saskatchewan S4S 0A2, Canada Charles Normand 2Saskatchewan Geological Survey, Saskatchewan Ministry of Economy, 1000-2103 11th Avenue, Regina, Saskatchewan S4P 3Z8, Canada William J. Davis 3Geological Survey of Canada, 601 Booth Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0E8, Canada Mostafa Fayek 4Department of Geological Sciences, University of Manitoba, 240 Wallace Building, 125 Dysart Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2, Canada Nigel J.F. Blamey 5Department of Earth Sciences, Brock University, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines, Ontario L2S 3A1, Canada †Corresponding author: e-mail, Guoxiang.Chi@uregina.ca Publisher: Society of Economic Geologists Accepted: 24 May 2017 First Online: 25 Aug 2017 Online Issn: 1554-0774 Print Issn: 0361-0128 © 2017 Society of Economic Geologists.Society of Economic Geologists Economic Geology (2017) 112 (6): 1483–1507. https://doi.org/10.5382/econgeo.2017.4518 Article history Accepted: 24 May 2017 First Online: 25 Aug 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Morteza Rabiei, Guoxiang Chi, Charles Normand, William J. Davis, Mostafa Fayek, Nigel J.F. Blamey; Hydrothermal Rare Earth Element (Xenotime) Mineralization at Maw Zone, Athabasca Basin, Canada, and Its Relationship to Unconformity-Related Uranium Deposits. Economic Geology 2017;; 112 (6): 1483–1507. doi: https://doi.org/10.5382/econgeo.2017.4518 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyEconomic Geology Search Advanced Search Abstract The Maw zone rare earth element (xenotime) deposit is hosted in brecciated sandstones in the Athabasca Basin and is associated with silicification, hematitization, and tourmalinization (magnesiofoitite). Petrographic studies indicate that xenotime precipitated after significant compaction of the host rocks and was coeval with the main phase of tourmaline and drusy quartz. Sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe U-Pb dating of xenotime yielded a 207Pb/206Pb age of 1547 ± 14 Ma. In situ secondary ion mass spectrometry oxygen isotope analysis of coeval tourmaline and quartz gives temperatures from 89° to 385°C (average 185°C) and δ18Ovsmsow-Fluid values from −6.2 to +10.8‰ (average +1.6‰). The coexistence of different types of fluid inclusions (liquiddominated biphase, vapor-dominated biphase, vapor only, and halite-bearing triphase) in individual fluid inclusion assemblages in drusy quartz suggests boiling and heterogeneous trapping. Excluding the heterogeneously entrapped fluid inclusions, the liquid-dominated biphase inclusions yielded homogenization temperatures from 63° to 178°C, ice-melting temperatures mainly from −37.4° to −21.8°C, and salinities mainly from 22.0 to 28.3 wt %. Raman spectroscopic and mass spectrometric analyses indicate low nonaqueous volatile concentrations (<1 mole %). In conjunction with regional stratigraphy indicating burial depth less than 2.5 km at the time of mineralization, these data suggest an epithermal mineralization environment. The similarities in wall-rock alteration, paragenesis, mineralization age, oxygen isotopes, and fluid inclusion attributes between the Maw zone rare earth element deposit and unconformity-related uranium deposits in the region invokes a possible genetic link between them. The hydrothermal fluid at Maw zone probably represents one of the fluids that carried reducing agents and caused uraninite precipitation in the unconformity-related uranium deposits. You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.