REE MINERALIZATION AND CARBONATITE IN DONG PAO, NW VIETNAM
Rare earth elements (REE) are critical to many high-tech devices and primarily sourced from carbonatites. Numerous REE deposits, associating with Cenozoic carbonatite-alkaline igneous complexes, were discovered along Ailaoshan-Red River fault across southwest China and northwest Vietnam. Among them, Dong Pao, however, has no carbonatite being confidently identified. It is unclear whether its REE mineralization is purely associated to syenite intrusion or carbonatitic magmatism has involved. In this study, we will utilize mineralogical, geochemical and isotopic tools to examine the Dong Pao REE mineralization system. Our findings will fill the gap on the poorly studied part in the region such that the regional mineralization could be better understood in a holistic view.