A REE prospect where REE-bearing argillaceous laterites cover several sq km in a hilly area near the village of Befitina. The laterite reaches a thickness of over 10m and is underlain by Tertiary alkaline syenites. Besides rare earths, the laterite carries high amounts of zirconium (0.5 %), niobium, tantalum, lead, zinc, gallium, hafnium and tin. Due to the intense tropical weathering, new secondary minerals have been formed. Baddeleyite for example has probably been formed by the decomposition of primary eudialyte (?).

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Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Commodity List

This is a list of exploitable or exploited mineral commodities recorded at this locality.

ⓘ Rare Earths

Mineral List

12 valid minerals.

Rock Types Recorded

Note: data is currently VERY limited. Please bear with us while we work towards adding this information!

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Alphabetical List Tree Diagram

ⓘ Laterite

Detailed Mineral List:

ⓘ Baddeleyite

Formula: ZrO₂

References:

Hatzl, T. (2010) Mineralogische und geochemische Untersuchungen an der Probe TANT2-477067 aus Madagaskar unter besonderer Berücksichtigung der Seltenerdelemente, Zirkon, Hafnium, Yttrium, Niob, Tantal, Thorium und Uran. Report for Tantalus Rare Earths AG, Tantalus Rare Earths AG. 1-56

ⓘ Cerianite-(Ce)

Formula: (Ce⁴⁺,Th)O₂

References:

ⓘ Gibbsite

Formula: Al(OH)₃

References:

ⓘ Goethite

Formula: α-Fe³⁺O(OH)

References:

Wolfgang Hampel collection

ⓘ Hematite

Formula: Fe₂O₃

References:

ⓘ Kaolinite

Formula: Al₂(Si₂O₅)(OH)₄

References:

ⓘ 'Monazite'

Formula: REE(PO₄)

References:

ⓘ Muscovite

Formula: KAl₂(AlSi₃O₁₀)(OH)₂

References:

ⓘ Muscovite var. Illite

Formula: K_0.65Al_2.0[Al_0.65Si_3.35O₁₀](OH)₂

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ⓘ Pyrite

Formula: FeS₂

References:

ⓘ 'Pyrochlore Group'

Formula: A₂Nb₂(O,OH)₆Z

References:

ⓘ 'Pyrochlore Group var. Plumbopyrochlore (of Skorobogatova et al.)'

Formula: A₂Nb₂(O,OH)₆Z

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ⓘ Quartz

Formula: SiO₂

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ⓘ Sphalerite

Formula: ZnS

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ⓘ Thorianite

Formula: ThO₂

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ⓘ Zircon

Formula: Zr(SiO₄)

References:

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts
ⓘ	Sphalerite	2.CB.05a	ZnS
ⓘ	Pyrite	2.EB.05a	FeS₂
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
ⓘ	Goethite	4.00.	α-Fe³⁺O(OH)
ⓘ	'Pyrochlore Group var. Plumbopyrochlore (of Skorobogatova et al.)'	4.00.	A₂Nb₂(O,OH)₆Z
ⓘ	''	4.00.	A₂Nb₂(O,OH)₆Z
ⓘ	Hematite	4.CB.05	Fe₂O₃
ⓘ	Quartz	4.DA.05	SiO₂
ⓘ	Baddeleyite	4.DE.35	ZrO₂
ⓘ	Cerianite-(Ce)	4.DL.05	(Ce⁴⁺,Th)O₂
ⓘ	Thorianite	4.DL.05	ThO₂
ⓘ	Gibbsite	4.FE.10	Al(OH)₃
Group 9 - Silicates
ⓘ	Zircon	9.AD.30	Zr(SiO₄)
ⓘ	Muscovite var. Illite	9.EC.15	K_0.65Al_2.0[Al_0.65Si_3.35O₁₀](OH)₂
ⓘ		9.EC.15	KAl₂(AlSi₃O₁₀)(OH)₂
ⓘ	Kaolinite	9.ED.05	Al₂(Si₂O₅)(OH)₄
Unclassified
ⓘ	'Monazite'	-	REE(PO₄)

List of minerals for each chemical element

H	Hydrogen
H	ⓘ Gibbsite	Al(OH)₃
H	ⓘ Goethite	α-Fe³⁺O(OH)
H	ⓘ Muscovite var. Illite	K_0.65Al_2.0[Al_0.65Si_3.35O₁₀](OH)₂
H	ⓘ Kaolinite	Al₂(Si₂O₅)(OH)₄
H	ⓘ Muscovite	KAl₂(AlSi₃O₁₀)(OH)₂
H	ⓘ Pyrochlore Group var. Plumbopyrochlore (of Skorobogatova et al.)	A₂Nb₂(O,OH)₆Z
H	ⓘ Pyrochlore Group	A₂Nb₂(O,OH)₆Z
O	Oxygen
O	ⓘ Baddeleyite	ZrO₂
O	ⓘ Cerianite-(Ce)	(Ce⁴⁺,Th)O₂
O	ⓘ Gibbsite	Al(OH)₃
O	ⓘ Goethite	α-Fe³⁺O(OH)
O	ⓘ Hematite	Fe₂O₃
O	ⓘ Muscovite var. Illite	K_0.65Al_2.0[Al_0.65Si_3.35O₁₀](OH)₂
O	ⓘ Kaolinite	Al₂(Si₂O₅)(OH)₄
O	ⓘ Monazite	REE(PO₄)
O	ⓘ Muscovite	KAl₂(AlSi₃O₁₀)(OH)₂
O	ⓘ Pyrochlore Group var. Plumbopyrochlore (of Skorobogatova et al.)	A₂Nb₂(O,OH)₆Z
O	ⓘ Pyrochlore Group	A₂Nb₂(O,OH)₆Z
O	ⓘ Quartz	SiO₂
O	ⓘ Thorianite	ThO₂
O	ⓘ Zircon	Zr(SiO₄)
Al	Aluminium
Al	ⓘ Gibbsite	Al(OH)₃
Al	ⓘ Muscovite var. Illite	K_0.65Al_2.0[Al_0.65Si_3.35O₁₀](OH)₂
Al	ⓘ Kaolinite	Al₂(Si₂O₅)(OH)₄
Al	ⓘ Muscovite	KAl₂(AlSi₃O₁₀)(OH)₂
Si	Silicon
Si	ⓘ Muscovite var. Illite	K_0.65Al_2.0[Al_0.65Si_3.35O₁₀](OH)₂
Si	ⓘ Kaolinite	Al₂(Si₂O₅)(OH)₄
Si	ⓘ Muscovite	KAl₂(AlSi₃O₁₀)(OH)₂
Si	ⓘ Quartz	SiO₂
Si	ⓘ Zircon	Zr(SiO₄)
P	Phosphorus
P	ⓘ Monazite	REE(PO₄)
S	Sulfur
S	ⓘ Pyrite	FeS₂
S	ⓘ Sphalerite	ZnS
K	Potassium
K	ⓘ Muscovite var. Illite	K_0.65Al_2.0[Al_0.65Si_3.35O₁₀](OH)₂
K	ⓘ Muscovite	KAl₂(AlSi₃O₁₀)(OH)₂
Fe	Iron
Fe	ⓘ Goethite	α-Fe³⁺O(OH)
Fe	ⓘ Hematite	Fe₂O₃
Fe	ⓘ Pyrite	FeS₂
Zn	Zinc
Zn	ⓘ Sphalerite	ZnS
Zr	Zirconium
Zr	ⓘ Baddeleyite	ZrO₂
Zr	ⓘ Zircon	Zr(SiO₄)
Nb	Niobium
Nb	ⓘ Pyrochlore Group var. Plumbopyrochlore (of Skorobogatova et al.)	A₂Nb₂(O,OH)₆Z
Nb	ⓘ Pyrochlore Group	A₂Nb₂(O,OH)₆Z
Ce	Cerium
Ce	ⓘ Cerianite-(Ce)	(Ce⁴⁺,Th)O₂
Th	Thorium
Th	ⓘ Cerianite-(Ce)	(Ce⁴⁺,Th)O₂
Th	ⓘ Thorianite	ThO₂

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

African Plate

Majunga basinBasin

Madagascar

⭔Antsiranana ProvinceProvince

Somali PlateTectonic Plate

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References

Rakotovao, S. (2009) Les minéralisations associées aux intrusions alcalines d’Ampasindava, Ph.D. study, University of Antananarivo. 1-189

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