Master of Science, Miami University, 2001, Geology and Environmental Earth Science

This thesis consists of two separate but related manuscripts; Surface Structure Controlled Sectoral Zoning of REE in Fluorite from Long Lake, N.Y. and Bingham, N.M. and Mineralogy and paragenetic history of fluorites from Bingham, N.M. Links between REE chemistry, color and morphology. In the first paper, fluorite crystals from two deposits were identified as sectorally zoned with respect to the rare earth elements. It has been shown that the differential incorporation of the REE occurred during crystal growth due to heterogeneities in the atomic structure of the fluorite surface. The second paper addresses the use of the REE as petrogenetic indicators in actual hydrothermal deposits. This study attempts to identify if there is a systematic correlation between REE chemistry and other factors, such as crystal morphology, and color, or if compositional variability merely reflects temporal variation in hydrothermal fluids.

Committee: John Rakovan (Advisor) Subjects: