Resource potential of rare earth metals and recommendations on top-priority regional geological exploration in the Russian Federation

Metallogenic zoning of rare earth metals is carried out in the area of the Russian Federation, and their undiscovered potential resources by grades are described per federal districts and for the whole country. Particular types of rare earth mineralization are identified. The review of information on specifics of rare earth mineralization in Russia and in the world produced the regional prediction criteria for localization of rare earth metals deposits—these are the geological, geochemical, metasomatic-and-hydrothermal, cosmostructural, geophysical etc. criteria which, when aggregate in a certain geological space, point at the promising nature of this area in terms of different-grade rare earth metal ore bodies. The GIS-Project Map of Distribution Patterns and Prediction of Basic Types of Rare Earth Metals Deposits in the Russian Federation, Scale 1:2 500 000 is described, and recommendations are given for sequencing medium-scale geological exploration in the ranking lists at a scale of 1:200 000, with a favorable combination of the regional prediction criteria of localization of ore bodies.