Prospección y exploración geoquímica de elementos de tierras raras en la parroquia La Victoria, cantón Arenillas, El Oro

Abstract

Abstract: The graduation project aimed to determine potential rare earth element mineralizations through geochemical prospecting in the La Bocana Unit, Moromoro granitoid complex, in the El Oro province. Additionally, it sought to identify lithology types through mineralogical analysis, establish concentrations of major and trace elements in collected samples, and conduct a geo-statistical study and maps of geochemical anomalies of the elements of interest. Chemical analysis results using ICP-OES revealed geochemical anomalies in several rare earth elements in the established polygon, with notable concentrations of ytterbium, samarium, praseodymium, neodymium, lutetium, lanthanum, holmium, gadolinium, dysprosium, and europium, while other elements showed lower concentrations below the detection limit. The lithology in the area consists of plutonic rocks with high concentrations of SiO2 and Al2O3, including quartz diorites, quartz-rich granitoids, quartzolites, tonalites, gneisses, and pegmatites. X-ray diffraction analyses unveiled a varied mineralogical composition in the samples, predominantly quartz, magnesiohornblende, muscovite, sillimanite, albite, zoisite, phlogopite, fengite, and orthoclase. X-ray fluorescence assay detected major elements such as SiO2, Al2O3, CaO, Fe2O3, and K2O, as well as trace elements like Mn, Co, and Z.