Point locations for rare earth element leachate collection and precipitation tanks from ion-adsorption clay deposits in Burma (Myanmar) and China identified from satellite imagery between 2010 and 2025

Rare earth elements are critical mineral commodities typically extracted together as a group of 15 elements (lanthanides plus yttrium) from either 1) hard rock ores or 2) ion-adsorption clay deposits. The locations of hard rock mines targeting carbonatite and peralkaline magmatic rare earth deposits are well constrained and typically mined using conventional open-pit or underground operations. By contrast, ion-adsorption clay deposits form by chemical weathering and vary laterally depending on geomorphological and hydrologic controls on weathering profiles. The diffuse and discontinuous surface footprint of ion-adsorption clay deposits makes monitoring their extraction, estimating their extent, and assessing their environmental impact challenging. Considering that these deposits are the dominant supply of heavy rare earth elements, a robust understanding of their geographical footprint is essential for accurately assessing mine production. This dataset utilizes publicly available satellite imagery to identify leachate collection and precipitation tanks, which are diagnostic features in the extraction of rare earth elements from ion-adsorption clay deposits in Burma and China. Leachate tanks are situated downslope of in-situ ion-adsorption clay deposits and are readily identifiable on satellite imagery. Tanks are typically circular, but may be rectangular, in shape and range in diameter from about 10 to 20 meters. Precipitation tanks are typically constructed from concrete lined with an impermeable barrier in closely-spaced clusters that may contain a few to a dozen or more individual tanks, whereas collection tanks tend to be more dispersed, smaller, and usually isolated. Active precipitation tanks appear blue in satellite imagery, while abandoned tanks appear empty or filled with soil or detritus. As the footprint of rare earth element extraction continues to expand, spatiotemporal analysis of satellite imagery provides critical data points for understanding heavy rare earth supply dynamics. The point locations provided here may be used as labeled training data for automated satellite imagery analysis to better estimate rare earth extraction activity.

[
  "010:12"
]

[
  "geospatial"
]