In-situ C and Mg isotopes of dolomite from the giant Bayan Obo REE deposit: Implications for recrystallization and recycled carbonate in the source

Carbonatites are known to host over 95% of light rare earth element (REE) resource, and the REEs are commonly hosted in minerals with well-established extraction methods. Most REE mineralized carbonatites are associated with hydrothermal alteration/recrystallization. Identifying the source composition and role of recrystallization is crucial for understanding the formation of the giant carbonatite-associated REE deposit. Here we report the first in-situ carbon and magnesium isotopic compositions for the hosting dolomite in the Bayan Obo deposit.

In-situ carbon isotope analyses of dolomite from the coarse-grained (CM), fine-grained (FM) and heterogeneous-grained (HM) samples show a wide range of δ¹³C values (-5.19‰ to 2.08‰), which is distinct from the common mantle-derived carbonatite and slightly overlaps the range of sedimentary carbonate. CM dolomite displays almost homogeneous carbon isotope compositions (δ¹³C=-1.29‰ to 0.16‰) with the average δ¹³C of -0.82‰. Recrystallized dolomites from both FM and HM samples vary greatly, and FM dolomite generally displays a heavier δ¹³C range (-3.94‰ to 2.08‰) compared to that for HM dolomite (-5.19‰ to 0.64‰). CM dolomite also shows relative consistent Mg isotope compositions in the range of -0.27‰ to 0.05‰ with an average of -0.10‰, which is similar to the mantle value. δ²⁶Mg values of FM and HM dolomites vary greatly from -1.18‰ to 0.06% with averages of -0.40‰ and -0.32‰, which are lighter compared to that of CM dolomite. The recrystallized dolomites (FM and HM) are characterized by depleted light REE (LREE) and increased Pb/Ce_N features compared to the pristine dolomite (CM). Moreover, the LREE depletion and Pb/Ce_N increase correlate with the lighter Mg isotope compositions. The highly variable C isotopes recorded by FM and HM dolomites (lighter or heavier compared to the pristine dolomite) involve both recrystallization and degassing. The combined in-situ Mg and C isotope compositions of the pristine dolomite suggest the Bayan Obo carbonatite sourced from the mantle previously fertilized by fluids derived from the carbonate-bearing subduction slab.