Delineation of geochemical blocks for undiscovered large ore deposits using deep-penetrating methods in alluvial terrains of eastern China

Many large ore deposits have been discovered in eastern China along the Circum-Pacific Rim. However, alluvium, which covers most of the terrain, prevents a complete assessment of the mineralization potential by geological and conventional geochemical approaches. Two deep-penetrating geochemical methods—collection of nanoscale metals in earthgas (NAMEG) and selective leaching of mobile forms of metals in overburden (MOMEO) have been used to investigate the possibility to delineate geochemical blocks generated from large ore deposits buried by alluvial terrains. A wide-spaced sampling was carried out in an area of approximately 250 000 km² at density of one sample per 400–800 km². The soil samples were subjected to MOMEO leaching and were analyzed for Au, Ag, Cu, Pb, Zn, Fe, and Mn by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS). The earthgas samples were analyzed for 17 elements by INNA. The results show that water-extractable metals by MOMEO processing can give prominent expression to concealed deposits and can delineate large-scale geochemical anomalies in the alluvial terrains. The distribution of gold in earthgas is situated along the largest deep fault systems and the concentration centers distribute in the secondary faults on the both sides of the deep fault systems.     

巨型矿床与大型矿集区勘查地球化学

巨型矿床和大型矿集区有着巨量的成矿物质供应与聚集,表现为地壳上存在某些成矿元素含量高度聚集的地球化学块体．地球化学块体中只有一部分呈活动态易被各种流体携带的金属才能逐步浓集成矿,并在大矿、巨矿和矿集区周围留下一系列套合的地球化学模式谱系。文中阐述了发现和识别大矿、巨矿和矿集区四周套合地球化学模式的采样系统,研制了能觉察地下深部发出极微弱直接找矿信息的深穿透地球化学方法－－金属活动太测量与地球气纳微     

Late Paleozoic Element Migration and Accumulation under Intracontinental Sinistral Strike-slip Faulting in the West Junggar Orogenic Belt, NW China

The migration, accumulation and dispersion of elements caused by tectonic dynamics have always been a focus of attention, and become the basis of tectono-geochemistry. However, the effects of faulting, especially strike-slip faulting, on the adjustment of geochemical element distribution, are still not clear. In this paper, we select the West Junggar Orogenic Belt (WJOB), NW China, as a case study to test the migration behavior of elements under tectonic dynamics. The WJOB is dominated by NE-trending large-scale sinistral strike-slip faults such as the Darabut Fault, the Mayile Fault, and the Baerluke Fault, which formed during the intracontinental adjustment under N–S compression during ocean-continental conversion in the Late Paleozoic. Geochemical maps of 13 elements, Al, W, Sn, Mo, Cu, Pb, Zn, As, Sb, Hg, Fe, Ni, and Au, are analyzed for the effects of faulting and folding on element distribution at the regional scale. The results show that the element distribution in the WJOB is controlled mainly by two mechanisms during tectonic deformation: first is the material transporting mechanism, where the movement of geological units is consistent with the direction of tectonic movement; second is the diffusion mechanism, especially by tectonic pressure dissolution driven by tectonic dynamics, where the migration of elements is approximately perpendicular or opposite to the direction of tectonic movement. We conclude that the adjustment of element distributions has been determined by the combined actions of transporting and diffusion mechanisms, and that the diffusion mechanism plays an important role in the formation of geochemical Au blocks in the WJOB.     

Deep-penetrating geochemistry for sandstone-type uranium deposits in the Turpan–Hami basin, north-western China

The Turpan–Hami basin, covering an area of approximately 50,000 km² in NW China, contains concealed sandstone-type U deposits in a Jurassic sequence of sandstone, mudstone and coal beds. Sampling of soil profiles over the Shihongtan concealed U deposit in this basin shows that fine-grained soil collected from the clay-rich horizon contains U concentrations three times higher than similar soils at background areas. Selective leaching studies of these soils show that U is mainly associated with clay minerals, which comprise from 17.9% to 40% (average 30.4%) of the total mineral content. This may indicate that U is converted to uranyl ions [UO₂]²⁺ under oxidizing conditions and is sorbed on clay minerals to accumulate in anomalous concentrations. Fine-grained soil (<120 mesh, <0.125 mm) from the clay-rich horizon, generally occurring at a depth of 0–40 cm, is shown to be an effective sampling medium for deep-penetrating geochemical surveys. A wide-spaced geochemical survey at a density of approximately 1 site per 100 km² was carried out throughout the whole basin using this sampling medium. Samples were analyzed for 30 elements by ICP-MS following a 4-acid extraction. Three large-scale geochemical anomalies of U and Mo were delineated over the whole basin. One of the anomalies is consistent with the known U deposit at Shihongtan in the western part of the basin. A new potential target in the eastern part of the basin was selected for a follow-up survey at a density of 1 sample per 4 km². A drilling exploration programme at the center of the geochemical anomaly delineated by this follow-up survey discovered a new U deposit.     

National-Scale Geochemical Mapping Projects in China

Regional, national and global scale geochemical mapping projects have been carried out in China since the late 1970s, due to the development of cost‐effective, low detection limit analytical methods. These projects have provided a huge mass of high‐quality, informative and comparable data for mineral resource exploration and are now making contributions to environmental assessment. In this paper, four national‐scale geochemical mapping projects are described. (1) The Regional Geochemistry‐National Reconnaissance Project (RGNR project), which is China's largest national geochemical mapping project, has covered 6 million km² of upland regions since 1978. Generally, stream sediment samples were collected at a density of 1/km² and four samples were composited into one sample and analysed for thirty‐nine elements. (2) The deep‐penetrating geochemical mapping project (DEEPMAP Project) has been conducted since 1994 in covered terrains, including sedimentary basins, at a density of 1 sample per 100 km² with thirty to seventy elements determined per sample. In the past 10 years, an area of approximately 800 000 km² has been covered and this project has played an important role in finding sandstone‐type uranium deposits in basins. (3) The seventy‐six geochemical element mapping project (76 GEM project) has been carried out since 1999 and involved the collection of stream sediment samples from the RGNR project targets which were analysed for seventy‐six elements. Samples from each 1:50 000 map sheet were composited into one analytical sample (approximately one composite sample per 400 km²). Approximately 1 million km² have been surveyed to date. (4) The multi‐purpose eco‐geochemical mapping project has been conducted since 1999 in Quaternary plain areas for environmental and agricultural applications. Surface soils (depths from 0–20 cm) were collected at a density of one sample per km², and four samples were composited into one for analysis. Deep soils (from a depth of 150 to 200 cm) were collected at a density of one sample per 4 km² and four samples were composited into one analytical sample. All the composite samples were analysed for fifty‐four elements.     

Leaching of mobile forms of metals in overburden: development and application

A procedure for sequential leaching of various mobile forms of metals in overburden (MOMEO) has been developed. Previous work showed that selective extraction techniques developed for base metals are ineffective for Au extraction. The mobile forms of Au in overburden occur not only as ionic or complex forms but also as ultrafine particles (submicron to nanometer) dispersed in, or bound onto, water-soluble salts, colloidal particles, organic matter, iron and manganese oxides or clay minerals. The conventional approach of partial leach methods, developed for base metals, involves using appropriate extractants to attack the host materials and release the trapped mobile forms of metals into solution. But the ultrafine Au particles thus released from the host are either insoluble in the mild extractant or reabsorbed by colloids. Therefore a two-stage selective leaching scheme has been developed for Au, a sequential leaching procedure to destroy the host materials, followed by a second treatment to place the Au released from the first stage into solution for analysis. This method has been used widely in detailed, regional and strategic exploration in overburden terrains. Case studies from different climatic and geographic settings show that selective leaching of optimum mobile forms of metals in different settings can be effective in finding indications of mineralization. In temperate alluvial terrains, water-extractable and adsorbed or exchangeable forms of metals give the most prominent expression. In arid sandy desert terrains, water-extractable metals and metals in oxides are the best indicators. In cold grasslands, organically bound and water-extractable metals are the most effective indicators of mineralization at depth.     

中蒙跨境阿尔泰构造带稀有元素锂区域地球化学分布

锂被称为21世纪改变世界的“绿色能源金属”和“白色石油”,战略意义显著。阿尔泰构造带是重要的稀有金属成矿带,开展阿尔泰地区锂资源远景优选至关重要。在中蒙跨境阿尔泰地区,按相同的工作方法(采样方法、采样介质、实验室分析测试、数据统计、图件制作)开展了约300 000 km2的1∶100万国家尺度地球化学填图,分析了包括稀有元素锂在内的69种元素,填补了中蒙边界地区稀有、稀土元素地球化学分布的空白。研究结果表明：中国境内锂元素背景值(235×10-6)低于蒙古境内锂元素背景值(259×10-6);对于划分的构造单元而言,阿尔泰构造带、阿尔泰南缘弧盆系和准噶尔地块锂背景值和平均值均高于总体含量值,尤其是阿尔泰构造带锂含量背景值(316×10-6)和平均值(329×10-6)特征明显,说明该构造单元是锂元素的富集区;根据85%累积频率圈定出24个锂地球化学异常区并优选出3个锂地球化学省,结合地质条件讨论异常性质,为该区寻找稀有金属矿床提供了重要选区。     

胶东水系沉积物金地球化学异常分布规律及其意义

为研究巨量金聚集作用和成矿元素地球化学异常响应关系,本文针对胶东地区收集了1∶20万全国区域化探扫面计划水系沉积物、全国地球化学基准计划河漫滩沉积物和岩石的地球化学数据,绘制了该研究区水系沉积物和岩石的金地球化学分布图,并结合区域构造-蚀变-成矿特征揭示水系沉积物和主要地质体岩矿石中金的地球化学异常分布及其成因联系。研究区水系沉积物金含量以10.7×10^-9为异常下限,地球化学异常面积为164.3km^2,其中Au-1号异常面金属量占研究区总面金属量的51.94%,标准化异常面金属占研究区总标准化面金属量的73.63%,是胶东地区最主要的次生金浓集中心和原生金矿化中心,因此也是胶东金矿床密集产出的部位。区内赋矿地质体岩石、载金矿物黄铁矿和水系沉积物中成矿相关元素Au、Ag、Cu、Pb、Zn和Bi含量变化及综合对比研究表明,胶东地区不同构造带中水系沉积物金背景值受岩石金背景值和矿化体风化剥蚀的综合制约。因此,胶东金的地球化学异常图谱是由区域大规模金矿化作用、高金背景的岩石和金矿床次生风化作用相互叠加的结果,对于理解胶东金矿省巨量金聚集的地表沉积物响应和指导深部找矿勘查具有重要的参考意义。     

华南钨地球化学块体结构及成因研究

华南存在水系沉积物钨含量大于3×10^-6、面积达50余万平方千米的钨地球化学块体。在长达2000余千米的西秦岭造山带.华夏地块地球化学走廊带以区域尺度(1件样品/1~2km)采样方法系统采集了不同时代不同类型的岩浆岩、地层中岩石与沉积物样品,精确测定了包括钨在内的81种元素(指标)的含量,解析了华南钨地球化学块体的内部结构,探讨了块体内钨的分布与富集规律,并对块体的成因进行了研究。根据走廊带沉积物中钨的中高背景区(W=3×10^-6~4×10^-6)、高背景区(W=4×10^-6~6×10^-6)和异常区(W>6×10^-6)分别将华南钨地球化学块体套合结构解析为外围、次级浓集中心和浓集中心,并对各结构主要地质体的钨含量分布进行了研究。揭示了华南钨地球化学块体的形成过程:地壳演化早期的不均一导致钨初步富集在华南造山带的沉积岩中;华南造山带早古生代到晚中生代发生多次陆内造山运动伴随大规模岩浆活动,使古老地层中的钨进一步浓集于加里东期.燕山早期花岗岩;华南晚中生代发生大规模钨成矿作用,钨进一步浓集于矿体及周边。     

右江盆地中三叠统细碎屑岩地球化学特征及其对物源区、构造背景的指示

右江盆地位于华南板块西南缘与印支板块的结合部位,于中三叠世沉积了一套以细碎屑岩为主的巨厚浊积岩。研究区中三叠统细碎屑岩的主量、微量和稀土元素分析表明,细碎屑岩以杂砂岩和岩屑砂岩为主,其源岩来自大陆上地壳,物源区岩石类型主要为长英质沉积岩和火成岩,岩石风化程度中等偏高,构造背景为大陆岛弧和活动大陆边缘。综合细碎屑岩稀土元素特征及前人对该区中三叠统古流向和碎屑锆石U-Pb年代学研究,认为中三叠统碎屑物来源复杂,云开地区、江南造山带和越北地块是主要的物源区。