Did you know that spectroscopic methods constitute powerful and inexpensive tools for exploration.

They have been recently used to highlight the potential for rare earth elements (REE) in the phosphate deposits at Siilinjärvi (Finland); work done as part of the FRAME project. Raman and cathodoluminescence spectroscopy give clues regarding enrichment in REE of apatite. A fast qualitative assessment of the latter can be deduced from the spectroscopic data. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) helps constraining the distribution of apatite and REE in the different lithotypes.

Decrée et al. (2020). Applied Geochemistry 123, 104778. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apgeochem.2020.104778