A catchment basin approach to the analysis of reconnaissance geochemical-geological data from Albay Province,Philippines

A systematic approach for identifying mineral exploration target areas from reconnaissance stream sediment data without sufficient a-priori control information has been demonstrated in a portion of western Albay Province in the southern Bicol Peninsula of the Philippines. The approach involved devising a rapid method of catchment basin mapping using a geographic information system (GIS) so that the areal influence of the catchment basins may be incorporated in the geochemical data analysis. Areal proportions of mapped rock units occurring in the sample catchment basins and observed Mn and Fe contents in stream sediments are used as independent variables in multiple regression analysis to predict element contents in stream sediments related to lithologic and chemical controls. The predicted element contents are filtered-out from the original data to leave residuals in which the effects of other factors (e.g., mineralization) may be seen. A simple correction for the effects of downstream dilution is applied; this allows for the different sizes of the sample catchment basins so that positive geochemical residuals are enhanced. The inter-relationship of the different positive residuals in ‘highly enriched’ samples are investigated through principal components analysis to determine and quantify an ‘anomalous geochemical signature’. Lastly, the ‘anomalous geochemical signature’ is integrated with ‘proximity’ to faults/fractures to determine favourable target areas. For the test region, the lithologic controls explain between 80% and 100% of the variability in most of the elements studied. Chemical controls account for generally less than 5% of the variability in the data. Most of the dilution-corrected residuals reveal high relative enrichment in certain areas underlain by andesite and/or diorite. An anomalous Cu-Mg-Fe-Zn geochemical signature is disclosed by the principal components analysis of the dilution-corrected residuals in ‘highly enriched’ samples. Most sample catchment basins defined by this ‘anomalous geochemical signature’ pertain to areas underlain by andesitic rocks. Integration of the ‘anomalous geochemical signature’ and ‘proximity’ to faults/fractures reveals that some of these anomalous sample catchment basins are favourable target areas. These areas are interpreted to contain andesite-hosted stockwork or stringer zones that once formed part of a complete stratigraphic sequence of a volcanogenic massive sulphide occurrence. The results demonstrate the usefulness and ability of the procedures followed to extract significant anomalies from the reconnaissance geochemical data without the benefit of sufficient a-priori control data to aid in anomaly recognition. Similar procedures could also be applied elsewhere.     

Application of multivariate statistical analysis and a geographic information system to trace element contamination in the Chungnam Coal Mine area,Korea

In order to examine contamination in the Chungnam Coal Mine area, rock, stream sediment and water samples were collected and analyzed for trace elements. In order to compile the drainage-based geochemical maps, catchment basins were calculated using aspects of DEM (data elevation model) and stream-line segments. The constructed DEMs with 3 types of resolution were examined, these need to be properly used for well-shaped and accurate catchment basins. The stream-line segments and sampling points were also considered as a target image for watershed segments and it was found that the stream-line segments as target images were better role at reflecting the catchment area rather than the sampling points. It is important that the geochemical databases were manipulated to present the various phenomena. Factor analysis in R-mode was used to integrate geochemical data, and the input data for factor analysis were the concentrations of 12 trace elements in stream sediment and 3 anion concentrations and pH values in stream water. Using a maximum likelihood scheme, eigenvalues that explained about 90% of total variance were established and 4 factors were selected. Factors 1 and 2 indicated relative enrichment of trace elements, factor 3 was explained by human activities of residents and factor 4 was related to the pH of stream water. The drainage-based geochemical maps with 4 kinds of factor scores were compiled.     

A Fractal Interpolatory Approach to Geochemical Exploration Data Processing

Traditional interpolation procedures used for processing geochemical data treat the data as a continuous smooth surface. In this paper, we proposed a fractal spatial interpolatory procedure based on the concept of the fractional delta variance. The method is suitable for processing the geochemical data that are measured at irregularly spaced discrete points, without resort to gridding procedures. The value at each interpolatory point is a function of the fractal disturbance that is related to the fractal dimension determined from the original data set, thus enhancing reconstruction of the natural spatial distribution of element concentration. The proposed procedure has been applied to the copper geochemical data measured from irregularly-spaced floodplain sediment samples in China. We compared geochemical maps created using different interpolatory procedures, including the new fractal method, the Kriging, and the weighted average, against the actual spatial distribution of copper mineral deposits in China, and found that the new fractal method detected more of known Cu-deposits from the test area than the other two methods.     

基于DEM数据的古沉积面的重建方法 ——以青藏高原东北缘青海贵德盆地为例

广泛使用的数字高程模型（DEM）数据使得古沉积面的恢复成为可能。以青藏高原东北缘的青海贵德盆地为例,分析对比了前人获取代表古沉积面地表露头样本数据的几种方法．提出了插值样本应选择露头中代表原始沉积地层的顶面点的优选方法,并提取了更新统地表露头顶面点的样本数据。通过分析样本的特征、比较插值的结果,选择了自然邻点法进行插值预测,重建了贵德盆地更新统的古沉积面。正确样本,最的提取加上合适插值算法的选择．优化了重建的古沉积面。     

The true sample catchment basin approach in the analysis of stream sediment geochemical data

The Sample Catchment Basin Approach (SCBA) is one of the techniques widely employed in the analysis of stream sediment geochemical data and delineation of anomalous catchments. However, this method fails to take into account the real catchment basin boundaries of each sample by incorporating only the incremental area between two adjacent samples. In other words, the SCBA incorrectly assumes that the geochemistry of every sample catchment within a drainage is independent from upstream sample catchment(s) feeding into this drainage. The chemical composition of sediment at the basin outlet originates from the whole basin upstream and not the incremental area as postulated in the SCBA. Consequently, the calculated background values for various lithologies and the background value for the element of interest at the basin outlet might be far from reality.This study used a True Sample Catchment Basin Approach (TSCBA), that reflects the true catchment boundary of every stream sediment sample, and in which all calculations are carried out on the premise that this boundary and the true area affect the composition of each sample. The results obtained from the application of both the SCBA and TSCBA to a gold endowed study area in western Iran clearly illustrated the superiority of the TSCBA over the SCBA. In addition, this study demonstrated the advantage of using the modified dilution correction equation of Mokhtari and Garousi Nezhad (2015), as compared to the existing Hawkes’s equation commonly used for dilution correction of residual values.     

基于DEM数据的古沉积面的重建方法——以青藏高原东北缘青海贵德盆地为例

广泛使用的数字高程模型（DEM）数据使得古沉积面的恢复成为可能。以青藏高原东北缘的青海贵德盆地为例,分析对比了前人获取代表古沉积面地表露头样本数据的几种方法．提出了插值样本应选择露头中代表原始沉积地层的顶面点的优选方法,并提取了更新统地表露头顶面点的样本数据。通过分析样本的特征、比较插值的结果,选择了自然邻点法进行插值预测,重建了贵德盆地更新统的古沉积面。正确样本,最的提取加上合适插值算法的选择．优化了重建的古沉积面。     

Geochemical mapping using a geomorphologic approach based on catchments

The Extended Sample Catchment Basin (ESCB) mapping technique, discussed in this paper, can be used to display the spatial distribution of geochemical variables measured in stream sediments taking into consideration the geomorphologic settings and the hydrographic patterns of surveyed areas. This approach is based on the association of an area of statistical representativeness with each sample, and on the assumption that the concentrations measured in the stream sediments can be considered as average reference values for this area.ESCBs can be easily identified considering the position of the sampling points within the hydrographic network and using the confluences between the streams of highest rank as break points for representing changes of the geochemical background. This approach, different from the traditional geostatistical and deterministic ones, does not consider the Euclidean distance among the sampling points as a measure of geochemical similarity but only refers to their functional relationship along the streams (following the water and the sediment flow) to measure their proximity.ESCBs can be seen as a specific development of previous techniques based on catchments and proves to be especially useful for supporting land planning in a preliminary survey phase while it is not specifically suitable for the identification of point sources of geochemical anomalies.Due to the fractal nature of the hydrographic network, all the procedures can be driven in a GIS environment by using digital terrain models apart from their spatial resolution.     

地球化学分区标准化方法在区域化探信息提取中的应用

从区域化探数据中提取找矿地球化学信息是目前化探工作的重要研究课题,地球化学背景与异常划分是提取找矿地球化学信息的关键。水系沉积物是岩石风化的产物,是上游汇水盆地物质的天然组合,在化学成分上与上游汇水盆地岩石组成具有明显的继承性。水系沉积物中成矿成晕元素含量与常量元素含量之间亦有着密切关系。笔者基于水系沉积物样品特点,采用地球化学分区标准化方法圈定地球化学异常。研究发现,利用常量元素进行地球化学分区是可行的;分区标准化数据处理可以有效地压抑高背景区非矿异常,并强化低背景区矿致异常,突出了找矿信息。以成矿成晕元素标准化数据的因子得分圈定矿化类型综合异常,集中体现了矿致异常信息。     

Towards a quantitative model of downstream dilution of point source geochemical anomalies

The quantitative relation between point source soil geochemical anomalies and their response in stream sediments is linked through the concept of productivity (area × concentration). The equation proposed by Hawkes in 1976 is shown to be a subset of a wider range of equations proposed by Russian workers. These workers introduced two coefficients to account for the contrasting behaviour of different elements and the position of the soil anomaly within the drainage catchment. The calculation of these coefficients requires a series of samples downstream from the ending of anomalous soil input. The concept of productivity has particular application where multiple samples and anomalies are present in catchments. Plotting of productivity allows the discrimination of anomalous areas not detectable from raw element concentrations. The usefulness of these techniques is demonstrated from a small detailed stream sediment survey in NW Scotland. Dispersion from a gossan shows deviation from the Hawkes equation with the result that detailed sampling is required to detect soil anomalies. Plotting productivity allows the detection at the base of major slopes of anomalies that are diluted by upslope sediment.     

Areal versus linear evaluation of relationship between drainage basin lithology and geochemistry of stream and overbank sediments in low-order mountainous drainage basins

The comparison of two multiple regression models is based on the assumption that geochemical composition of the drainage basin alluvial sediments is derived primarily from the underlying bedrock lithology. The parent material is integrated with both stream sediment and overbank sediment geochemistry via the two essentially different approaches as regards the drainage basin geomorphological data: (1) as the relative area of influence representing a portion of the catchment basin occupied by a specific rock type and (2) as the relative “line” of influence representing a narrow zone of the underlying bedrock traversed by the perennial streams which form the active stream network. The model comparison is established on the goodness-of-fit test for both experimental designs and for the same set of data. Both experiments converge on the linear approach as the more appropriate model in evaluating the lithologic influence on the analysed sample media in small mountainous watersheds.     

Representativity of wide-spaced lower-layer overbank sediment geochemical sampling

To develop a technique of implementing global ultra-low density geochemical sampling and as a contribution to the International Geochemical Mapping Program (IGCP Project No. 259), an orientation study in the use of deep (lower-layer) overbank sediments was conducted in Jiangxi Province of Southeast China in 1989–1990. Ninety-four samples were collected at depths of 50 to 120 cm from overbank terraces at an average density of 1 site per 1800 km². The total area of sampled catchment basins is approximately equivalent to 18% of Jiangxi Province. Most of the samples were collected at outflow sites of catchment basins with areas of 100 to 800 km². The samples were analyzed for 39 elements.The representativity of wide-spaced lower-layer overbank sediment sampling is discussed from various perspectives; the following features have been observed: (1) Widespaced lower-layer overbank sediment data and the data from China's national geochemical mapping (RGNR) project show similar geochemical patterns for W, Sn, Pb, Cu and Zn. (2) The results of wide-spaced lower-layer overbank sediment sampling demonstrate that catchment basins with areas of 100 to 800 km² are suitable sample site locations for the global geochemical reference network. (3) Wide-spaced lower-layer overbank sediment sampling is a fast and cost-effective way to identify geochemical provinces and has strategic significance in mineral exploration. (4) There is a significant correlation between the W content of wide-spaced lower-layer overbank sediment samples and the presence of W mineralizations within the catchment basins. (5) The distributions of Ni, Cr and V in wide-spaced lower-layer overbank sediment samples distinctly reveals the boundary between the Yangtze sedimentary platform and the South China Caledonian fold system in Jiangxi Province. (6) Distributions of Rb and Be coincide with the Yanshan granites, which are closely related to the major ore-forming episodes in Jiangxi Province.     

Overbank sediment: a representative sample medium for regional geochemical mapping

In Scandinavia, most fluvial erosion takes place in the Quaternary glacial overburden at a restricted number of small source areas along individual drainage channels. As a consequence, a sample of active stream sediment is representative of only a very limited portion of the drainage area. This restriction makes stream sediment less reliable for regional exploration than generally expected. Overbank (levee or river-plain) sediment produced during large floods is an alternate more representative sampling medium. The sediment suspended during a flood has a much more widespread origin, and when the load is deposited upon the flood plain, nearly horizontal strata are formed and preserved at levels above the ordinary stream channel. A composite sample through a vertical section of such strata represents a great number of sediment sources that have been active at different times and forms an integrated sample of the entire catchment area. Because young sediments overlay older, the uppermost layers will be contaminated by pollutants in industrialized regions, but those at depth may remain pristine and will to a greater extent reflect the natural pre-industrial environment. In regional geochemical mapping, overbank sediment can be sampled at widely spaced sites, keeping costs per unit area low. Examples from Norway (1 sample station per 500 km²) show that overbank sediment produces broad geochemical patterns with high contrasts reflecting the bedrock geochemistry. Some patterns agree with known geological units and metallogenic provinces, but hitherto unknown major structures have also been indicated. A large Mo-deposit missed by a traditional stream survey is readily detected in the overbank sediment. It is concluded that overbank sediment is a promising alternate sample medium that should be tested in other physiographic regions.     

Metal transport, partition and fixation in drainage waters and sediments in carbonate terrain in Southeastern Ontario

Lake sediment composition as an indicator of mineralization within the catchment area has found widespread application in recent years, particularly in Canada. Results have indicated, however, the existence of varying relationships between lake sediment composition and mineralization resulting from local features of the limnological environment. Accordingly it was considered appropriate to examine the nature of metal transport in the lake and stream environment, the partitioning of metal between the stream waters and stream sediments and between lake waters and lake sediments to obtain some understanding of the factors that affect the lake sediment-mineralization relationship. This investigation was carried out over an area containing Pb-Zn occurrences of supposed “Mississippi-Valley type” in Grenville and Paleozoic bedrock in southeastern Ontario.The headwater drainage systems comprise active streams, swamps, beaver ponds and small lake-bog systems giving way downstream to open lakes. The beaver swamps and seasonal swamps act as drainage sinks for metals, restricting the extent of geochemical dispersion in drainage systems adjacent to mineralization. Selective extraction analysis of bog, stream and lake sediments indicates that metals are preferentially concentrated with amorphous iron oxides, which readily adsorb and complex lead and zinc and are stable in the alkaline environment common in swamps adjacent to carbonate-hosted lead-zinc mineralization. The accumulation of lead and zinc with amorphous iron oxides combined with the adsorbing and chelating action of organic matter on lead and zinc makes organic-rich sediments from these small swampy areas an excellent sample medium for reflecting local mineralization. Down drainage anomalies of these elements can be accentuated by selective analysis for the amorphous iron oxide-held metal, involving selective extraction techniques.In contrast, within larger lake systems, the analysis of water samples indicates that geochemical dispersion in surface waters in the high pH environment (pH = 8.0) associated with the carbonate-hosted lead-zinc deposits is extremely restricted. In this environment, anomalous metal contents in lake water were not evident in lakes adjacent to mineralization, while anomalous lake sediment compositions exist only in lakes immediately adjacent to Pb-Zn mineralization and do not extend down the drainage system. The restricted dispersion necessitates basing geochemical reconnaissance surveys on collection and analysis of samples from the headwater organic-rich swamps at a higher sample density and resulting higher cost than in areas where a lower sample density is acceptable due to a wider dispersion.     

Incorporation of principal component analysis,geostatistical interpolation approaches and frequency-space-based models for portraying the Cu-Au geochemical prospects in the Feizabad district,NW Iran

Delineation of mineralization-related geochemical anomalies of stream sediment data is an essential stage in regional geochemical exploration. In this study, principal component analysis (PCA) was applied to 12 selected elements to acquire a multi-element geochemical signature associated with Cu-Au mineralization in Feizabad district, NE Iran. The spatial distribution of enhanced multi-element geochemical signature of the second component (PC2) was modeled by different geostatistical procedures including variogram calculation, ordinary kriging (OK) and inverse distance weighting (IDW) interpolation techniques. Concentration-area (C-A) fractal and U-spatial statistics models were then applied to the continuous-value interpolated models for delineation of geochemical anomalies. Quantitative comparison of results based on the known mineral occurrences in the study area was carried out using normalized density index and success-rate curves. All generated models represent a high positive relation with known Cu (±Au) deposits in the study area, although, comparison of the results revealed that the OK-based U-spatial statistics model was superior to the rest of models. Besides, the low, moderate and high-intensity anomalies are spatially associated with geological-structural features in the study area.     

Geochemical Features and Metallogenic Prediction of the Caixiashan‐Weiquan Area in the East Tianshan Region

The Caixiashan-Weiquan area is an important ore concentration area in the eastern Tianshan metallogenic belt. Firstly, this paper studies geochemical features of 1564 samples of 1:200000 stream sediments of the Matoutan mapsheet, where the Caixiashan and Weiquan deposits are located. Processing, analysis and explanation of exploration geochemical data play an important role in the procedure of finding the ore, which are related to whether the measured elements content of geochemical samples can effectively guide the work of mineral exploration. As a highly nonlinear dynamical system, the neural network is more analogous to the human brains in terms of principles and features compared with conventional geochemical approaches. It can adapt itself to the environment, sum up laws, complete pattern recognition. Secondly, the authors used the Kohonen neural network to classify all samples based on 10 mineralization elements of stream sediment samples in order to determine possible mineral ores, reduce the scope of ore targets and study indicator elements of the ninth group of samples, which is the mostly closest to the deposit. The results show that the neural network can delineate metallogenic prospective areas and is effective in the discovery of deep geochemical information.     

Adjusting stream-sediment geochemical maps in the Austrian Bohemian Massif by analysis of variance

The Austrian portion of the Bohemian Massif is a Precambrian terrane composed mostly of highly metamorphosed rocks intruded by a series of granitoids that are petrographically similar. Rocks are exposed poorly and the subtle variations in rock type are difficult to map in the field. A detailed geochemical survey of stream sediments in this region has been conducted and included as part of the Geochemischer Atlas der Republik Österreich,and the variations in stream sediment composition may help refine the geological interpretation. In an earlier study, multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was applied to the stream-sediment data in order to minimize unwanted sampling variation and emphasize relationships between stream sediments and rock types in sample catchment areas. The estimated coefficients were used successfully to correct for the sampling effects throughout most of the region, but also introduced an overcorrection in some areas that seems to result from consistent but subtle differences in composition of specific rock types. By expanding the model to include an additional factor reflecting the presence of a major tectonic unit, the Rohrbach block, the overcorrection is removed. This iterative process simultaneously refines both the geochemical map by removing extraneous variation and the geological map by suggesting a more detailed classification of rock types.     

1:50 000山东毕郭幅地球化学数据集

该数据集依托中国地质调查局“山东莱州-招远地区金矿整装勘查区矿产调查与找矿预测”项目,在充分收集地质、物探、化探、遥感及矿产等资料基础上,开展毕郭幅矿产地质调查。项目共采集1 875件水系沉积物样品,采样粒级为-10～+80目,平均采样密度4.5个/km²。采用电感耦合等离子质谱法（ICP-MS）、原子荧光光谱法（AFS）、粉末发射光谱法（ES）和石墨炉原子吸收光谱法（GF-AAS）分析了16种元素,最终形成1：50 000山东毕郭幅地球化学数据集,数据集包含有1 875件样品×16种元素的原始分析数据表格一个,图集一套（含有1张矿产地质图、一张采样点位图和16张元素地球化学图）。区内共新发现单元素地球化学异常149处,综合异常10处,结合地质、矿产、物探、化探、遥感等信息并圈出金矿找矿靶区5处。     

The suitability of floodplain sediment as a global sampling medium: evidence from China

Research undertaken by IGCP 259 (International Geochemical Mapping) indicates that wide-spaced sampling is a fundamental concept of international geochemical mapping as it appears to provide the only practical way to obtain a relative rapid (10–20 years) overview of global geochemistry. The main aim of this study is to test the suitability of floodplain sediment as a global sampling medium.Thirteen floodplain sediment samples and 13 stream sediment samples were taken at the exit of 13 super large drainage basins (SCB). The areal extents of these basins are in the order of 1000–10,000 km². Within each SCB, 3–11 stream sediment samples each representing a component catchment basin (CCB) of 100–1000 km² were also taken. Fourty nine elements were analyzed. The results were compared with the average values derived from calculating thousands of stream sediment data available from China's National Geochemical Mapping (RGNG) program. Strong similiarities were demonstrated in distribution and trends among the three levels of data. The set of floodplain sediment data shows great coincidence with RGNR stream sediment data.     

因子计量模型法在区域地球化学勘查中的应用

因子分析结果受样品数量的影响，同一件样品的因子计量也随之发生变化，使传统因子计量方法在地球化学数据处理中的应用受到一定的限制。因子计量模型法综合了因子计量的优点和利用模型找矿的思路，通过选定的某一典型地质单元计算因子计量系数矩阵，建立因子计量模型，用模型类比未知区。该方法使因子计量图的地球化学意义更加明确，并且可节省重新处理数据的工作量。因子计量模型方法和传统因子计量方法应用于某地区1：20万水系沉积物地球化学数据处理，因子计量模型法得出的地球化学异常规律性更为明显，更好地反映了区域地质构造与异常的关联性，有利于异常的解释和评价。