Research on REE Geochemistry of the Baliersi Iron Deposit in Altay, Xinjiang

The Baliersi iron deposit is located in Maizi Basin on the southern margin of Altay orogenic belt. The ore bodies are hosted in the metamorphosed volcaniclastic-sedimentary rocks of the Upper Silurian-Lower Devonian Kangbutiebao Formation. The ore bodies are largely concordant with the bedding of the strata, and the wall rocks are amphibolite, leptynite and leptite. Abundant skarn minerals such as garnet, diopside, amphibole, epitote and chlorite are widely distributed around the ore bodies. The REE characteristics of skarn, magnetite ore and amphibolite are similar to each other, indicating that skarn and magnetite ore have close relationship, and amphibolite might have provided part of metallogenic materials. Skarn and most ores have obvious Eu positiveanomalies and Ce negative anomalies, implying that mineralization took place at high temperature and in an oxidation environment.