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⇱ Bou Naga complex, Trarza Region, Mauritania

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Bou Naga complex, Trarza Region, Mauritaniai
Regional Level Types
Bou Naga complexComplex
Trarza RegionRegion
MauritaniaCountry

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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
18° 58' 59'' North , 13° 19' 0'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Köppen climate type:
Mindat Locality ID:
227742
Long-form identifier:
mindat:1:2:227742:7
GUID (UUID V4):
0


The Bou Naga alkaline complex is Mauritania’s biggest deposit of yttrium, thorium, rare earths, baryte, and fluorite. The multiphase, sub-circular ring complex has a diameter of approximately 12 km. The central part, belonging to the Bou Naga suite, consists of syenite, quartz syenite, alkaline granite, monzosyenite and phonolite. The outer parts are dominated by rhyolite, rhyodacite and trachyte belonging to the Oued Tidoumaline formation.

Between 1967 and 1968, French company Péchiney mined some 1,200 t of yttrium and thorium bearing concentrates from high grade, xenotime bearing quartz veins from the western part of the prospect. The northern part of the prospect, the so-called Guelb Zellaga, is dominated by mainly bastnäsite-(Ce) bearing quartz-hematite-carbonate-fluorite veins in syenite.

The salt flat, a so-called sebkha or sabkha, between the two prospects is periodically flooded. The annual amount of precipitation is extremely low, often there is no rainfall at all for years. The water in the sebkha is extremely salty and contains also dissolved sulphates.

Select Mineral List Type

Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical Elements

Mineral List


19 valid minerals.

Detailed Mineral List:

ⓘ Ankerite
Formula: Ca(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2
ⓘ 'Apatite'
Formula: Ca5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
ⓘ Baryte
Formula: BaSO4
ⓘ 'Bastnäsite'
Formula: (Ce/Nd/Y/REE)(CO3)F
ⓘ Bastnäsite-(Ce)
Formula: Ce(CO3)F
ⓘ Cryptomelane
Formula: K(Mn4+7Mn3+)O16
ⓘ Epidote
Formula: (CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
ⓘ Fluorite
Formula: CaF2
ⓘ Goethite
Formula: Fe3+O(OH)
ⓘ Hematite
Formula: Fe2O3
ⓘ Magnetite
Formula: Fe2+Fe3+2O4
ⓘ Malachite
Formula: Cu2(CO3)(OH)2
ⓘ 'Monazite Group'
Formula: REE(PO4)
ⓘ Parisite-(Ce)
Formula: CaCe2(CO3)3F2
ⓘ Pyrite
Formula: FeS2
ⓘ Quartz
Formula: SiO2
ⓘ Riebeckite
Formula: ◻[Na2][Fe2+3Fe3+2]Si8O22(OH)2
ⓘ Rutile
Formula: TiO2
ⓘ Rutile var. Ilmenorutile
Formula: (Ti,Nb)O2
ⓘ Siderite
Formula: FeCO3
ⓘ Thorite
Formula: Th(SiO4)
ⓘ Thorite var. Uranothorite
Formula: (Th,U)SiO4
ⓘ Xenotime-(Y)
Formula: Y(PO4)
ⓘ Zircon
Formula: Zr(SiO4)

Gallery:

List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification

Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts
ⓘPyrite2.EB.05aFeS2
Group 3 - Halides
ⓘFluorite3.AB.25CaF2
Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides
ⓘGoethite4.00.Fe3+O(OH)
ⓘMagnetite4.BB.05Fe2+Fe3+2O4
ⓘHematite4.CB.05Fe2O3
ⓘQuartz4.DA.05SiO2
ⓘRutile
var. Ilmenorutile		4.DB.05(Ti,Nb)O2
ⓘ4.DB.05TiO2
ⓘCryptomelane4.DK.05aK(Mn4+7Mn3+)O16
Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates
ⓘSiderite5.AB.05FeCO3
ⓘAnkerite5.AB.10Ca(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2
ⓘMalachite5.BA.10Cu2(CO3)(OH)2
ⓘBastnäsite-(Ce)5.BD.20aCe(CO3)F
ⓘParisite-(Ce)5.BD.20bCaCe2(CO3)3F2
Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates
ⓘBaryte7.AD.35BaSO4
Group 8 - Phosphates, Arsenates and Vanadates
ⓘXenotime-(Y)8.AD.35Y(PO4)
Group 9 - Silicates
ⓘThorite9.AD.30Th(SiO4)
ⓘZircon9.AD.30Zr(SiO4)
ⓘThorite
var. Uranothorite		9.AD.30(Th,U)SiO4
ⓘEpidote9.BG.05a(CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
ⓘRiebeckite9.DE.25◻[Na2][Fe2+3Fe3+2]Si8O22(OH)2
Unclassified
ⓘ'Bastnäsite'-(Ce/Nd/Y/REE)(CO3)F
ⓘ'Monazite Group'-REE(PO4)
ⓘ'Apatite'-Ca5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)

List of minerals for each chemical element

HHydrogen
Hⓘ Epidote(CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
Hⓘ GoethiteFe3+O(OH)
Hⓘ MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
Hⓘ Riebeckite◻[Na2][Fe32+Fe23+]Si8O22(OH)2
Hⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
CCarbon
Cⓘ AnkeriteCa(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2
Cⓘ Bastnäsite-(Ce)Ce(CO3)F
Cⓘ Bastnäsite(Ce/Nd/Y/REE)(CO3)F
Cⓘ MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
Cⓘ Parisite-(Ce)CaCe2(CO3)3F2
Cⓘ SideriteFeCO3
OOxygen
Oⓘ AnkeriteCa(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2
Oⓘ BaryteBaSO4
Oⓘ Bastnäsite-(Ce)Ce(CO3)F
Oⓘ Bastnäsite(Ce/Nd/Y/REE)(CO3)F
Oⓘ CryptomelaneK(Mn74+Mn3+)O16
Oⓘ Epidote(CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
Oⓘ GoethiteFe3+O(OH)
Oⓘ HematiteFe2O3
Oⓘ Rutile var. Ilmenorutile(Ti,Nb)O2
Oⓘ MagnetiteFe2+Fe23+O4
Oⓘ MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
Oⓘ Monazite GroupREE(PO4)
Oⓘ Parisite-(Ce)CaCe2(CO3)3F2
Oⓘ QuartzSiO2
Oⓘ Riebeckite◻[Na2][Fe32+Fe23+]Si8O22(OH)2
Oⓘ RutileTiO2
Oⓘ SideriteFeCO3
Oⓘ ThoriteTh(SiO4)
Oⓘ Xenotime-(Y)Y(PO4)
Oⓘ ZirconZr(SiO4)
Oⓘ Thorite var. Uranothorite(Th,U)SiO4
Oⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
FFluorine
Fⓘ Bastnäsite-(Ce)Ce(CO3)F
Fⓘ Bastnäsite(Ce/Nd/Y/REE)(CO3)F
Fⓘ FluoriteCaF2
Fⓘ Parisite-(Ce)CaCe2(CO3)3F2
Fⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
NaSodium
Naⓘ Riebeckite◻[Na2][Fe32+Fe23+]Si8O22(OH)2
MgMagnesium
Mgⓘ AnkeriteCa(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2
AlAluminium
Alⓘ Epidote(CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
SiSilicon
Siⓘ Epidote(CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
Siⓘ QuartzSiO2
Siⓘ Riebeckite◻[Na2][Fe32+Fe23+]Si8O22(OH)2
Siⓘ ThoriteTh(SiO4)
Siⓘ ZirconZr(SiO4)
Siⓘ Thorite var. Uranothorite(Th,U)SiO4
PPhosphorus
Pⓘ Monazite GroupREE(PO4)
Pⓘ Xenotime-(Y)Y(PO4)
Pⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
SSulfur
Sⓘ BaryteBaSO4
Sⓘ PyriteFeS2
ClChlorine
Clⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
KPotassium
Kⓘ CryptomelaneK(Mn74+Mn3+)O16
CaCalcium
Caⓘ AnkeriteCa(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2
Caⓘ Epidote(CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
Caⓘ FluoriteCaF2
Caⓘ Parisite-(Ce)CaCe2(CO3)3F2
Caⓘ ApatiteCa5(PO4)3(Cl/F/OH)
TiTitanium
Tiⓘ Rutile var. Ilmenorutile(Ti,Nb)O2
Tiⓘ RutileTiO2
MnManganese
Mnⓘ CryptomelaneK(Mn74+Mn3+)O16
FeIron
Feⓘ AnkeriteCa(Fe2+,Mg)(CO3)2
Feⓘ Epidote(CaCa)(AlAlFe3+)O[Si2O7][SiO4](OH)
Feⓘ GoethiteFe3+O(OH)
Feⓘ HematiteFe2O3
Feⓘ MagnetiteFe2+Fe23+O4
Feⓘ PyriteFeS2
Feⓘ Riebeckite◻[Na2][Fe32+Fe23+]Si8O22(OH)2
Feⓘ SideriteFeCO3
CuCopper
Cuⓘ MalachiteCu2(CO3)(OH)2
YYttrium
Yⓘ Bastnäsite(Ce/Nd/Y/REE)(CO3)F
Yⓘ Xenotime-(Y)Y(PO4)
ZrZirconium
Zrⓘ ZirconZr(SiO4)
NbNiobium
Nbⓘ Rutile var. Ilmenorutile(Ti,Nb)O2
BaBarium
Baⓘ BaryteBaSO4
CeCerium
Ceⓘ Bastnäsite-(Ce)Ce(CO3)F
Ceⓘ Bastnäsite(Ce/Nd/Y/REE)(CO3)F
Ceⓘ Parisite-(Ce)CaCe2(CO3)3F2
NdNeodymium
Ndⓘ Bastnäsite(Ce/Nd/Y/REE)(CO3)F
ThThorium
Thⓘ ThoriteTh(SiO4)
Thⓘ Thorite var. Uranothorite(Th,U)SiO4
UUranium
Uⓘ Thorite var. Uranothorite(Th,U)SiO4

Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality

AfricaContinent
African PlateTectonic Plate
North Africa
West AfricaUN Subregion

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