Abstract:Laiwu—Zibo area in Shandong province is located at the eastern margin of the North China Craton. Tectonic activities are strong, magmatic activities are frequent, and geological background for mineralization is favorable. It is one of the critical potential zones for rare earth element exploration in China in recent years. However, there is still significant uncertainty regarding the material sources, mineralization mechanisms, and mineralization ages of rare earth mineralization in this area. On the basis of comprehensive collection and analysis of various geological data in the past, by using geological surveying, geophysical exploration, trenching and sampling analysis testing, distribution and output characteristics of mineral (mineralized) bodies, as well as the quality characteristics of ores have been roughly determined, and the mineralization conditions and laws of carbonate rock type rare earth deposits in the research area have been analyzed and summarized. It is believed that rare earth deposits in this area are all magmatic hydrothermal light rare earth deposits related to carbonate rocks of late Yanshan period in Mesozoic era. The intrusive rocks closely related to rare earth mineralization are mainly porphyritic vermiculite containing apatite mica rock in Mesozoic Yaoguan unit and carbonate rock in Luye unit. Three rare earth mineral exploration target areas have been circled, they are HujiazhuangDong'nanyu exploration target area, BeilingziNanshuangwang exploration target area and LuangongNanwangzhuang exploration target area.