Rare earth and zirconium-niobium mineralization in diamondiferous carbonatites of Fuerteventura (Spain)

The results of a detailed study of the mineral composition of the carbonatites of Fuerteventura (Canaries, Spain) have been presented. The widespread REE and zirconium-niobium mineralization in the Canarian carbonatites was revealed. The mineralogical characteristics of major minerals-carriers of the above elements was given. They are represented by: REE phosphates (apatite, monazite), REE and Sr carbonates (bastnasite-(Ce), parisite-(Ce), synchysite-(Ce), ancylite-(Ce), dagingshanite-(Ce), strontianite, carbocernaite), REE silicates (cervandonite-(Ce), britholite-(Ce), allanite-(Ce), kainosite), REE and Nb oxides (aeschynite-(Ce), nioboaeschynite-(Nd,Ce), fergusonite-(Ce), cerianite-(Ce)), sulfate Sr - celestine and alumosilicate Sr - slawsonite. It was established that the zirconium-niobium mineralization forms three parasterical associations: zircon-baddeleyite-zirconolite-fersmite, aeschynite-(Ce)-fergusonite-(Ce) and betafite-uranpyroсhlore. Previously unknown minerals for this object - zirconolite, celestine and uranpyroсhlore - were discovered.