Pocos de Caldas (Morro do Ferro) (Record #235) rare-earth element deposit in Minas Gerais, Sao Paolo, Brazil

Pocos de Caldas (Morro do Ferro)

Alkalic igneous rare earth element deposit in Minas Gerais, Sao Paolo, Brazil

Geographic location

Country	Brazil
State or province	Minas Gerais, Sao Paolo
Geographic location:	-46.566667, -21.916667
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Location references

Azevedo Branco, P.C. de, 1984, Principais depósitos minerais: Conceitos, methodologia e listagem, in Schobbenhaus, Carlos, Campos, D. de A., Derze, G.R., Asmus, H.E., eds., Geologia do Brasil; texto explicativo do mapa geológico do Brasil e da área oceânica adjacente incluindo depósitos minerais: Brazil Divisão de Geologia e Mineralogia, p. 359-419.

Geologic characteristics

Deposit type	Alkalic igneous
Age of deposit	60.8 Ma (K-Ar, lujarite) 86.3 Ma (Rb-Sr, lujavrite-khibinite)
REE minerals	allanite bastnäsite eudidymite cerianite
Ore minerals	thorium uranium baddeleyite zircon caldasite thorogummite magnetite fluorite molybdenum astrophyllite lavenite rosenbuschite gibbsite
Gangue minerals	natrolite cancrinite nephm kao
Host rock types	highly weathered lujavrite and khibinite nepheline syenite phonolite; bauxite

Nearby scientific information

Geologic map unit	-46.566666666667, -21.916666666667
Other databases	Find additional scientific data near this location

Economic information

Status	Past producer U, Zr, Bauxite
Resource estimates	>1.0 Mt @ 4% REO, 1% ThO2 1.5 Mt bas or 0.050 t REO (1990) 6 Mt @ 3% REO

References for resource estimates

Roskill Information Services, 1988, The economics of rare earths & yttrium, 1994, seventh edition: London, Roskill Information Services, 359 p. + appendices.
Jackson, W.D., and Christiansen, Grey, 1993, International strategic minerals inventory summary report-- Rare-earth oxides: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 930-N, 68 p.
Singer, D.A., 1998, Revised grade and tonnage model of carbonatite deposits: U.S. Geological Survey Open-File Report 98-0235, 7 p.

Comments

Eudialyte contents range from 0 to 11% in the relatively small host bodies. Was once one of world's biggest baddeleyite deposits, but now nearly depleted. Weathered magnetite stockwork in alkaline rocks.

Bibliographic references

Castor, S.B., 1994, Rare earth minerals, in Carr, D.D., ed., Industrial minerals and rocks, 6th edition: Littleton, Colorardo, Society for Mining, Metallurgy, and Exploratin, Inc., p. 827-839.
Azevedo Branco, P.C. de, 1984, Principais depósitos minerais: Conceitos, methodologia e listagem, in Schobbenhaus, Carlos, Campos, D. de A., Derze, G.R., Asmus, H.E., eds., Geologia do Brasil; texto explicativo do mapa geológico do Brasil e da área oceânica adjacente incluindo depósitos minerais: Brazil Divisão de Geologia e Mineralogia, p. 359-419.
Jackson, W.D., and Christiansen, Grey, 1993, International strategic minerals inventory summary report-- Rare-earth oxides: U.S. Geological Survey Circular 930-N, 68 p.
Woolley, A.R., 1987, Alkaline rocks and carbonatites of the world; Part 1, North and South America: London, United Kingdom, British Museum of Natural History, 216 p.
Neary, C.R., and Highley, D.E., 1984, The economic importance of the rare earth elements, in Henderson, P., ed., Rare earth element geochemistry: New York, Elsevier, Developments in Geochemistry 2, p. 423-466.
Wedow, Helmuth, Jr., 1967, The Morro do Ferro thorium and rare-earth ore deposit, Pocos de Caldas District, Brazil: U.S. Geological Survey Bulletin 1185-D, 34 p.
Ellert, Reinhold, 1966, The Pocos de Caldas alkaine massif, in 1966 International Field Institute to Brazil: Washington, D.C., American Geological Institute, p. VI-1 to VI-5.