Rare-earth element geochemistry in Ca-bearing minerals from the Xianghuapu tungsten deposit, Hunan Province, China

The Xianghuapu tungsten deposit is the rare fluorite-scheelite-type deposit in southern Hunan. In the present contribution, rare earth elements in-situ analyses are performed by LA-ICP-MS on scheelite and calcite samples collected from the Xianghuapu deposit. It reveals that the chondrite-normalized REE pattern of scheelites is LREE-enriched with positive Eu anomaly, whereas calcite samples are characterized by a flat or LREE-enriched pattern and a strong negative Eu anomaly. The studies show that the Xianghuapu deposit is related to magmatic activity in origin, and the ore-forming fluid is transported under reducing conditions, after the crystallization of LREE-rich calcite and scheelite, calcite with flat-type REE patterns were subsequently precipitated. Moreover, the inhomogeneity distribution of REE in scheelite and calcite suggests that there is a various hydrodynamic environment during mineral crystallization. On the other hand, the inhomogeneity may also be affected by later fluid which pollutes the crystal face of some mineral grains.