Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 11, 2026

Synchrotron X-ray Microdiffraction and Fluorescence Imaging of Mineral and Rock Samples
Published on: June 19, 2018
Samarium-neodymium direct dating of fluorite mineralization
Abstract:
The direct dating of many styles of hydrothermal mineralization has proved difficult, limiting understanding of the geological processes that lead to crustal fluid flow and the formation of major ore deposits. The hydrothermal mineral fluorite (CaF(2)) displays large variations in rare earth element (REE) abundance and samarium/neodymium ratios within a single vein. Samarium-neodymium dating of fluorite from the classic granite-hosted tin deposits of southwest England demonstrates its use as a precise chronometer of mineralization. The concentrations of light rare earth elements (LREEs) in the fluorites are highly variable and suggest the coeval precipitation of an LREE-rich phase as the most likely cause of the extreme variation in samarium/neodymium ratios.
More Related Videos
14:55Analysis of Minerals Produced by hFOB 1.19 and Saos-2 Cells Using Transmission Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive X-ray Microanalysis
Published on: June 24, 2018
09:41Isolation of Quartz Grains for Optically Stimulated Luminescence (OSL) Dating of Quaternary Sediments for Paleoenvironmental Research
Published on: August 2, 2021
Related Concept Videos
Radioactive Decay and Radiometric Dating
Minerals