New Mexico carbonatites

Region West, Southwest
States
Mineral systems
Deposit types
Commodities
Other minerals

Information leading to the delineation of this focus area

Basis for focus area Carbonatites focus area is based on "district" outlines enclosing areas that contain documented carbonatites in five scattered locations from McLemore (2014): 1) Chupadero Mountains, 2) Laughlin Peak-Chico Hills in Raton volcanic field, 3) Lemitar Mountains, 4) Lobo Hill, and 5) Monte Largo Hills.
Identified resources Unknown.
Production Unknown.
Status Past exploration (drilling in 2010).
Estimated resources Unknown.
Geologic maps Eggleston (1982), scale unknown; Staatz (1986, 1987), scale: 1:24,000; McLemore (1982a), scale: ~1:44,250; Kelley and Northrop (1975), scale 1:48,000.
Geophysical data Inadequate aeromagnetic and aeroradiometric coverage.
Favorable rocks and structures Carbonatite intrusions as well as adjacent contact metasomatic fenites.
Deposits Laughlin Peak prospects (MRDS dep_id: 10013004).
Evidence from mineral occurrences MRDS.
Geochemical evidence ΣREE contents are variable, some exceeding 6,000 ppm (McLemore, 1982a; Van Allen and Emmons, 1986; McLemore and others, 2020). Laughlin Peak prospects reportedly contain Nb (columbite), Th, REE, barite, and Sr.
Geophysical evidence Unknown.
Evidence from other sources None.
Comments No dike is very thick; maximum thickness of an individual dike is 4.9 ft (1.49 m) (Van Allen and Emmons, 1986); individual dikes can be traced continuously up to 1000 m and traced with small offsets as much as 5000 m (Van Allen and Emmons, 1986); a single small plug of magnesio-carbonatite was discovered and sampled by Schreiner (1991) near Laughlin Peak in Colfax County. Carbonatite recently discovered in Caballo Mountains.
Cover thickness and description Dikes not known where covered.
Authors Lukas Zurcher, Timothy S. Hayes, Mark E. Gettings, Virginia T. McLemore, Joshua M. Rosera.
New data needs Focus on Lemitar and Monte Largo (if can get access), geophysics.
Geologic mapping and modeling needs Adequate: McLemore (1982a) at 1:12,000, Van Allen and Emmons (1986).
Geophysical survey and modeling needs High resolution geophysical coverage needed (geophysical survey request completed).
Digital elevation data needs Lidar complete.