Ore Deposits of the Rare Earths

The deposits mentioned here are currently (2015) the most well-known economically interesting REE deposits. An extended fist of economic and non-economic REE-occurrences can be found in Orris and Grauch (2002). Recently, ion adsorption deposits, quite similar to those in southern China have been discovered on the island of Madagascar (Deshamais et al. 2014). Also it is likely that more deposits will be found in the future. Deposits described in this work are listed in Table 2.5. The descriptions given here are of course by no means exhaustive. 

Bayan Obo Inner Mongolia, China Carbonatite/hydrothermal EREE Bastnaesite, parisite, monazite 

Mount Weld SW-Australia Laterite/carbonatite EREE Apatite, monazite, synchysite, churchite, plumbogummite-group minerals 

Ilimaussaq (Kvanefleld, Kringleme, Motzfeldt S0) Greenland (Denmark) Peralkaline igneous Ea, Ce, Nd, HREE Eudialyte, steenstrupine 

Pilanesberg South Africa Peralkaline igneous Ce, Ea Eudialyte 

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Abstract This chapter gives an overview of the major and minor ore minerals of the rare earths, and of the related major ore deposits. As most of the rare earths are mined in China, the impression may arise that ore deposits of these metals occur in few other places on Earth. However, nothing is less true. The extensive overview of the ore deposits of the rare earths in this chapter is especially meant to indicate that deposits occur in quite a variety of countries, and that the apparent dominance of China is economically (and politically) powered. 

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