EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF ALKALINE MAGMATIC ALUMINOSILICATE SYSTEMS: IMPLICATION FOR THE GENESIS OF REE-Nb LOPARITE DEPOSITS

Abstract

The study of the formation mechanism of alkaline intrusive and related deposits is of great theoretical and applied significance. The alkali magmatic complexes often host large deposits of rare and radioactive elements (Sr, REE, Ti, Nb, Zr, Th, U, and others). In this respect, the Lovozero alkaline massif (Kola Peninsula) with loparite and eudialyte mineralization is one of the most productive bodies. The loparite deposits localized in the urtite horizon were taken as the modeling object. For many years, they have been studied in different aspects, including experimental modeling. The experimental study of phase equilibria in the loparite–nepheline and melting in the lujavriteloparite systems without the participation of volatile components showed wide fields of loparite crystallization in the agpaitic melt. We carried out experiments under virtually natural conditions of magma and ore formation strongly defined by fluid–magma interaction.