Whole-rock geochemical data for the Bear Lodge alkaline complex, Wyoming: 2009 - 2013
type: Dataset
description: This data release contains analytical data from a suite of rock samples collected within the Bear Lodge alkaline complex, northeast Wyoming, which hosts the Bear Lodge rare earth element (REE) deposit. Geochemistry data include major and trace element analytical results for 105 samples including alkaline igneous rocks, carbonatites, and weathered and oxidized samples. Samples were collected from surface exposures, a shallow temporary exploration trench, and drill core. Drill core samples are from exploration holes drilled by Rare Element Resources between 2009 and 2013 and from historical drill core from previous exploration companies. Rare earth element mineralization at Bear Lodge is hosted by carbonatite dikes, veins, and stockworks cutting a diatreme breccia body and adjacent alkaline silicate intrusive rocks. Identified zones within the carbonatite resource include an unoxidized zone, a transitional zone, an oxide-carbonate zone, and an oxidized zone. The deepest zone is characterized by unoxidized carbonatite with mineralized pseudomorphs and veins which contain a REE mineral assemblage of predominantly ancylite and carbocernaite with lesser burbankite, monazite, and Ca-REE fluorocarbonates (Mariano and Mariano, 2012; Andersen and others, 2019). The thin transition zone, generally 6 meters thick, occurs at the top of the unoxidized zone and represents the initial stages of sulfide oxidation and replacement of ancylite by Ca-REE fluorocarbonate minerals (Dahlberg, 2014). The oxide-carbonate zone extends from the top of the transition zone to the base of the oxidized zone. It is characterized by nearly total oxidation of sulfides, partial dissolution of groundmass calcite, and substantial replacement of ancylite by Ca-REE fluorocarbonates. The upper part of the deposit primarily consists of intensely oxidized dikes and veins termed FMR dikes (Fe oxide-Mn oxide-REE). Within the oxide zone, sulfides are completely oxidized, and groundmass carbonate is completely l…
issued: 2025-11-22T22:13:48.478479
modified: 20200820
spatial: Location
contact point: Organization
  fn: Philip L. Verplanck
keyword: amerigeo
keyword: amerigeoss
keyword: bear-lodge-intrusive-complex
keyword: bear-lodge-mountains
keyword: carbonatite
keyword: ckan
keyword: crook-county
keyword: economic-geology
keyword: geo
keyword: geochemistry
keyword: geology
keyword: geology-geophysics-and-geochemistry-science-center
keyword: geoscientificinformation
keyword: geoss
keyword: gggsc
keyword: icp-aes
keyword: icp-ms
keyword: inductively-coupled-plasma-atomic-emission-spectrometry
keyword: inductively-coupled-plasma-mass-spectrometry
keyword: mass-spectroscopy
keyword: metallic-mineral-resources
keyword: mineral-resources
keyword: mineral-resources-program
keyword: mrp
keyword: national
keyword: north-america
keyword: northeast-wyoming
keyword: rare-earth-elements
keyword: u-s-geological-survey
keyword: united-states
keyword: united-states-of-america
keyword: usa
keyword: usgs
keyword: usgs-5e7130b3e4b01d50926823f3
keyword: wyoming
theme: {geospatial}

Digital Data
type: Distribution
description: Landing page for access to the data
format: XML
issued: 2022-08-06T22:27:25.975449
modified: 2025-11-22T22:13:48.459170
access URL: https://doi.org/10.5066/P9RCPAMC
media type: application/http

Original Metadata
type: Distribution
description: The metadata original format
format: XML
issued: 2022-08-06T22:27:25.975443
modified: 2025-11-22T22:13:48.458664
access URL: https://data.usgs.gov/datacatalog/metadata/USGS.5e7130b3e4b01d50926823f3.xml
media type: text/xml

US Migrating
type: Agent