A large deposits of 15 rare earth elements found in Andhra Pradesh

In news– Hyderabad-based National Geophysical Research Institute has found large deposits of 15 rare earth elements(REE) in Andhra Pradesh’s Anantapur district recently.

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NGRI scientists conducted a survey looking for non-traditional rocks like syenites in Anantapur and successfully identified the host minerals.
The major REE identified were allanite, ceriate, thorite, columbite, tantalite, apatite, zircon, monazite, pyrochlore euxenite and fluorite.
Scientists also said that several alkaline syenite deposits earlier, which were reported by the Geological Survey of India were looked at afresh for REE-bearing minerals.
Some of the potential hubs for these REE-bearing minerals include Dancherla, Peddavaduguru, Danduvaripalle, Reddypalle Chintalchervuand the Pulikonda complex in Anantapur and Chittoor districts.
An estimated 5.9-million tonne reserve of lithium, a crucial mineral for the manufacturing of electric vehicles and solar panels, had been discovered in Reasi district by the Geological Survey of India (GSI).
REE of the lanthanide series are critical components in many electronic devices like cellphones, televisions, computers, automobiles used daily and in various industrial applications.
Lithium falls in the critical resource category, which was not earlier available in India and India was dependent for its 100 per cent import.
The G3 (advanced) study of the GSI shows the presence of best quality lithium in abundant quantity in the foothills of Mata Vaishno Devi shrine at Salal village (Reasi).