西太平洋富稀土沉积大规模成矿作用研究

The REY-rich deep-sea sediments is a newly discovered potential undersea rare earth resource. The western Pacific Ocean Basin is distributed with extensive REY-rich deep-sea sediments, and it contained huge REY resource potential. However, the study on its mineralization is very weak. To reveal the large-scale mineralization of REY-rich deep-sea sediments in the western Pacific Ocean, a hypothesis related REY mineralization was put forward as "Driven by bottom water – enriched by adsorption”. To reveal the mineralization mechanism, expound the controlling factors of REY-rich deep-sea sediments, further verify, modify, and improve the REY mineralization hypothesis, establish the mineralization model, and finally prospect a target area in the western Pacific Ocean, we will focus on the effects of Antarctic bottom water on REY enrichment mechanism, and study the regional metallogenic background, characteristics, mineragenetic epoch, occurrence phases and sources of the metallogenetic materials. This project will deepen the understanding of this new mineralization mechanism of REY-rich deep-sea sediments, enrich the theory of rare earth metallogenesis, support deep sea rare earth exploration, and lay the basis for the "Exploration Regulations" of REY-rich deep-sea sediments in the future. This research will also be contributable for solving the second key scientific issue in the project, which is titled “the trans-layer material and energy exchange process of fluid-solid interface in Western Pacific”.

深海富稀土沉积是近年来发现的一种新型潜在的稀土矿产资源。西太平洋盆地是全球最发育富稀土沉积的区域之一，其资源潜力巨大，但成矿作用的研究却非常薄弱。本项目针对西太平洋富稀土沉积大规模成矿作用提出了“底流驱动-吸附富集”稀土成矿假说。项目以底流演化对稀土元素富集的控制为核心，针对富稀土沉积典型区，开展区域成矿背景、成矿特征、成矿时代、稀土元素赋存状态与成矿物质来源等方面的研究，以揭示西太平洋富稀土沉积成矿机制，阐明其控矿条件和控矿要素；验证、修改和完善上述稀土成矿假说，建立西太平洋富稀土沉积成矿模型，并以此为指导提出一个找矿靶区。本项目的研究可加深对深海富稀土沉积这一新型成矿作用机制的认识，丰富稀土成矿理论，为深海稀土找矿提供支撑，并可为未来国际海底区域深海稀土“探矿规章”的制定提供依据。本项目的研究还可为解决重大研究计划中“西太平洋流固界面跨圈层物质与能量交换过程”这一关键科学问题做出贡献。

深海富稀土沉积是近年来发现的一种新型潜在的稀土矿产资源，其资源潜力巨大，是陆地稀土资源的重要潜在替代资源。西太平洋盆地是全球最发育富稀土沉积的区域之一。项目聚焦底流演化对稀土元素富集的控制作用，针对富稀土沉积典型区，开展了区域成矿背景、成矿特征、成矿时代、稀土元素赋存状态与成矿物质来源等方面的研究，取得了多项创新性成果：（1）确定了西太平洋深海稀土赋存状态和主要赋存矿物，揭示了深海富稀土沉积物中稀土元素迁移、富集规律；（2）完善了项目提出的“底流驱动-吸附富集”深海稀土成矿假说，建立了西太平洋深海稀土成矿模型；（3）总结了西太平洋及全球深海稀土分布规律和特征，在西太平洋初步圈划了一个深海稀土“找矿靶区”。项目成果深化了对深海富稀土沉积这一新型稀土成矿作用机制的认识，丰富了稀土成矿理论，为指导深海稀土勘查提供了重要的支撑。截至目前，项目共发表学术论文21篇，其中SCI论文16篇，另有在审SCI论文6篇；授权计算机软件著作权专利1项；培养博士后4名，博士研究生3名，硕士研究生3名，32人次参加国内外学术会议交流。项目研究成果深化了对地球深部物质循环、流体与沉积物在深海流固界面处相互作用的认识，为解决“西太平洋板块俯冲与地球深部流固相互作用”、“西太平洋流固界面跨圈层物质与能量交换过程”这两个关键科学问题做出了贡献。