Comprehensive systematics of tantalum and tantalo-niobium deposits

Abstract

A comprehensive systematics of tantalum and tantalo-niobium deposits has been elaborated in form of a table, where three granitoid and one syenitoid igneous series crucial for forecasting of rare-metal-bearing territories are displayed in four columns, and mineralized volcanic and plutonic rocks, pegmatites, and placers critical to ore processing technology are shown in rows. The known and inferred geological and economic types of deposits and their mineralogical subtypes are placed in cells at intersections of rows and columns. The proposed systematics, which combines many attributes, contains a new quality and makes it possible to forecast economic mineralization, including new types that correspond to so far empty cells of the table. Ordinary geological maps and maps of mineral resources are used for this purpose.