Fluorite Mineralization Related to Carbonatitic Magmatism in the Western Transbaikalia: Insights from Fluid Inclusions and Trace Element Composition

Fluorite mineralization associated with different types of magmatism is common in the Western Transbaikalia. This study deals with Arshan, Yuzhnoe, and Ulan-Ude fluorite occurrences, which are the most significant examples of carbonatite-related fluorite mineralization in the region. The present paper focused on new fluorite geochemistry and fluid inclusion data, is aimed at revealing conditions of the fluorite mineralization formation, highlighting its genetic relationship with magmatism, compared to other deposits of this type. All the three locations belong to the Late Mesozoic Central Asian carbonatite province. Fluorites here are characterized by high rare earth elements (REE), Sr, and elevated La/Yb values. Fluid inclusions data imply that the formation of fluorite mineralization is a long process extending from late magmatic to the hydrothermal stage. Early fluorite crystallized from sulfate-carbonate orthomagmatic fluids at temperatures up to 500 & DEG;C. True hydrothermal fluorite was formed from the same fluids that were probably mixed with meteoric waters, which caused the temperature to drop to below 420 & DEG;C and led to an increase in the chloride component. The REE compositions of fluorite from the studied locations are similar to compositions of REE-rich fluorites from carbonatite-related deposits around the world.