Which rock type is most closely associated with rare earth elements?

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Study for the ASBOG Fundamentals of Geology exam. Access flashcards, multiple-choice questions, and understand key geologic principles. Prepare confidently for your exam!

Multiple Choice

Which rock type is most closely associated with rare earth elements?

Explanation:
Rare earth elements preferentially concentrate in melts from alkaline magmas, so rocks formed from alkaline processes are the main hosts. Alkaline igneous rocks—including nepheline syenites, peralkaline granites, phonolites, and especially carbonatites—are well known to host REE-rich minerals. In contrast, scree and grus are just loose rock debris or weathered sediment, and granite that has weathered to quartz sand is simply a weathering product of a common felsic rock with no particular REE enrichment. So the rock type most closely associated with rare earth elements is alkaline igneous rocks.

Rare earth elements preferentially concentrate in melts from alkaline magmas, so rocks formed from alkaline processes are the main hosts. Alkaline igneous rocks—including nepheline syenites, peralkaline granites, phonolites, and especially carbonatites—are well known to host REE-rich minerals. In contrast, scree and grus are just loose rock debris or weathered sediment, and granite that has weathered to quartz sand is simply a weathering product of a common felsic rock with no particular REE enrichment. So the rock type most closely associated with rare earth elements is alkaline igneous rocks.

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