The albitite occurrences of Central Sardinia (Italy): geological, mineralogical, geochemical evidences and hydothermal evolution.

Several albitite deposits outcropping over an area of about 90 km2 in the Ottana-Sarule-Orani-Oniferi sector (central Sardinia) and hosted within the Hercynian granitoid complex were recently investigated. Accessory minerals (mainly allanite) of granitoids contain a high proportion of whole-rock REE. This paper deals with the geology, geochemistry, mineralogy of the albitites, emplacement of the granitoid mother-rocks, the REE content and their distribution in the REE-bearing minerals. Moreover, a schematic model was suggested for the origin of the mineralization and the epidote-forming reactions occurred during metasomatic processes.