RT Journal Article
T1 Th- and U-bearing minerals in the SE Mediterranean margin of Spain
A1 Martínez Frías, Jesús
A1 Lunar Hernández, María Del Rosario
A1 Benito, R.
AB This paper presents the first specific study of the Th- and U-bearing minerals, which were recently found in the SE Mediterranean margin of Spain (El Hoyazo area, Almería province). These minerals are REE phosphates (mainly monazite) which occur as amoeboidal-to-elongate inclusions, from around 10 µm to 120 µm, hosted in single garnet crystals from dacite lavas and metamorphic rocks from the El Hoyazo Volcanic Complex. Th and U contents are higher than 1 wt%, with 3.04 to 5.62 wt % for ThO2, and 0.7 to 1.75 wt% for UO2. Both elements are also found in xenotime (ThO2: 0.24, UO2: 0.27 wt%). Given that the erosion of the volcanic source rocks has generated a "placer-type" deposit of monazite sands and that garnets (main carriers of monazite) are being commercialised, an environmental monitoring and management plan should be urgently executed in the area.
PB International Union of Geological Sciences
SN 0705-3797
YR 2004
FD 2004
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/128808
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/128808
LA eng
NO Martinez-Frias, Jesus, et al. «Th- and U-Bearing Minerals in the SE Mediterranean Margin of Spain». Episodes, vol. 27, n.º 1, marzo de 2004, pp. 33-38. DOI.org (Crossref), https://doi.org/10.18814/epiiugs/2004/v27i1/004.
NO Spanish/German NATO Collaborative Research Grant
DS Docta Complutense
RD 12 dic 2025