Developing the tools for geological shape analysis,with regional‐ to local‐scale examples from the Kalgoorlie Terrane of Western Australia

Geological map data are often underused in mineral‐exploration programs, which rely increasingly on regolith geochemistry and geophysical and other remotely sensed data to generate exploration targets. However, solid geology maps, which are progressively being upgraded due to improved interpretations of superior, remotely sensed images and airborne geophysical data, can be useful in targeting specific types of mineral deposits, which formed late in the evolutionary history of the host terrane. In such terranes, the present map geometry is essentially the same as that at the time of deposit formation. This is the case for orogenic lode‐gold deposits, which commonly show predictable structural controls and/or structural geometry. Thus, the shape of a rock body, or combinations of structures and rock bodies, may provide an important guide to the exploration potential for orogenic lode‐gold deposits. However, until recently, there has been a dearth of techniques to quantify the various properties of shape, and hence test the potential of the two‐dimensional shape of geological bodies in map view as an exploration tool. Integrating techniques from the field of pattern recognition with a modern Geographical Information System (GIS) can provide the shape‐analysis tools required to investigate the geometries of geological shapes. Two‐dimensional shape analysis is now possible through the calculation of several shape metrics including, but not restricted to, aspect ratio, blockiness, elongation, compactness, complexity, roundness, spreadness and squareness. Methods are developed for describing the geometries of rock units about mineral deposits, or any geological features, at any scale, which for the first time makes it possible to compare shapes. These shape‐analysis techniques are tested using orogenic lode‐gold deposits, particularly those in the Kalgoorlie Terrane of the highly auriferous Late Archaean Norseman‐Wiluna Belt of Western Australia. On a global scale, shape analysis indicates that those greenstone belts whose volcanic rock sequences have high elongation and relative low roundness, complexity and aspect ratio (e.g. Kalgoorlie Terrane) are likely to be the most richly endowed in gold. On a more local scale, characteristics of the shape of geological features around the Golden Mile deposit are calculated and used to test the likelihood of occurrence of gold deposits with similar geometry elsewhere in the Kalgoorlie Terrane. The area with the most closely matching shape, on the basis of a 2 km clipping‐circle radius, chosen on the basis of available proximity‐analysis data, corresponds to the recently discovered Ghost Crab deposit, illustrating the potential of the shape analysis methodology in mineral exploration. Shape analysis is, at least in part, scale dependent, due to the inherent problem of being able to define rock boundaries more precisely in units that have strong geophysical signatures than those with weak signatures in poorly exposed terranes. Overcoming this problem is a challenge to the application of this methodology.     

Geological investigations at a high altitude, remote coal mine on the Northwest Pakistan and Afghanistan frontier, Karakoram Himalaya

The Northwest Pakistan and Afghanistan frontier is located one of the most remote, inaccessible, and inhospitable part of the Himalayan orogenic belt. In this region, two of the world's largest and most distinct mountain belts intersect; the Karakoram Himalaya (mainly in Pakistan) and the Hindu Kush (mainly in Afghanistan). Located at high altitude, in a remote part of Northwest Pakistan, close to the border with Afghanistan, tribal villagers began excavating a series of adits into the steep mountain slopes, beneath glaciers, to extract valuable coal and carbonaceous shale resources. These were discovered in 1996, by the villagers, whilst hunting, and may represent some of the highest mine workings in the world. Small-scale mining operations subsequently developed using rudimentary mining methods and the mine became known as the Reshit or Pamir Coal Mine.The coal deposits are sedimentary, highly disturbed and tectonised, having been subjected to multiple phases of orogenic crustal deformation. The coal occurs as discrete lenses, several tens of metres in their lateral dimension, between steeply dipping, overturned and thrusted limestone beds of Jurassic age. The coal provided a vital, alternative source of fuel for the villagers since the local, traditional fuel supply was wood, which had become severely depleted, and imports of kerosene from neighbouring China and Afghanistan were too expensive.The mining operations experienced severe problems. These included several collapses of mine entrances, the failure of the adits to intersect the coal-bearing zones, the potential threat of geological hazards, mining-induced hazards and harsh high-altitude operating conditions, particularly during the winter months. International aid was provided to assist the villagers and a geological investigation was commissioned to investigate the problems at the mine.The geology of Karakoram Himalaya is relatively poorly understood. Until recently the region was restricted to foreign visitors and large areas of this mountain belt are virtually unmapped. Existing geological and topographic maps are difficult to obtain or are unavailable due to the close proximity of political frontiers, national borders and security reasons. The mineral resource potential of this region is virtually unknown. Few western geologists have visited this area due to its inaccessibility and political constraints, being situated close the frontiers with China, Afghanistan, and the disputed Pakistan and India territory of Kashmir.The Pakistan and Afghanistan border, is once again, now closed to foreign visitors. The objectives of this paper are to document the occurrence of coal and carbonaceous shale, at high altitude, in the Karakoram Himalaya and to provide details on the geology, geological hazards, reserves and labour-intensive mining operations. These observations and information may provide the basis for future mineral exploration, mining-geology, mining-engineering, feasibility studies and engineering geological investigation in the Karakoram Himalaya.     

南京汤山葫芦洞地质雷达勘探洞穴堆积研究

通过对南京汤山葫芦洞内部东侧地质雷达勘探资料的分析,根据经验值计算,东部洞穴基岩埋深在10m左右,可能为水平状的红色岩系。特殊的地质基础导致葫芦洞成为汤山地区已知规模最大的洞穴。其上的洞穴埋藏堆积可以分为上、中、下三个角砾层,可能反映了该洞穴曾经历过三次较大的崩塌堆积过程。上角砾层可能含有动物化石,是今后古人类考古值得关注的堆积层。     

中国海相探矿权区块定量评价方法

在研究了我国海相油气探矿权区块基本油气地质条件、勘探程度、技术经济条件等要素和特点的基础上,给出了48个评价参数和归一化取值参照表,建立了探矿权区块评价工作流程、评分参数及计算公式。提出对我国海相勘探层探矿权区块评价应该注意:与国外海相碳酸盐岩评价的差别;与国内陆相碎屑岩评价的差别;成藏组合的划分;评价内容的有效性、不确定性和评价参数的可信度;成败经验的总结和勘探程度的研究。     

石英的结构和化学组成对矿床成因和找矿勘查的指示及应用

石英作为多种矿床类型中的常见矿物之一,一直是矿床学家和勘查学家重点关注的对象。随着近年来高空间分辨率观测手段和微区分析技术的飞速发展,石英的结构和化学组成研究在揭示矿床成因和指导找矿勘查工作中发挥出越来越重要的作用。鉴于此,文章对近年来不同类型矿床中的石英结构和化学组成特征及其在成矿研究和找矿勘查中的应用进行了综述,重点介绍了热液矿床中石英的结构特征和世代关系的详细厘定,继而结合石英及其包裹体中的元素和同位素体系特征,阐述了石英化学组成对成矿物质来源的示踪、成矿作用过程的反演、成矿物质富集机制的揭示和成矿时代的约束,探讨了石英化学组成及矢量变化在成矿潜力分析、成矿类型判别和矿化位置圈定等方面的指示意义。文章还提出了当前该研究领域存在的主要问题,并对未来的研究方向进行了分析与展望。     

祁连山冻土区三露天天然气水合物矿藏勘查模型

祁连山三露天天然气水合物矿藏不同于海域,需要研究冻土区天然气水合物地质模型和勘查模型.根据天然气水合物地质、物化探和钻探成果,应用含油气系统理论建立了三露天天然气水合物矿藏的“五位一体”地质模型.在总结了近几年祁连山木里物化探勘查成果的基础上,建立了冻土区天然气水合物勘查模型.不同地球化学指标分别发育顶部异常、环状异常和负异常;冻土层音频大地电磁测深出现连续分布的高阻,探地雷达的特征是电磁波速度快、衰减慢,在冻土底界处有明显的反射信号;控矿断裂的地震标志主要是反射波同向轴发生错断、终止、扭曲、突变或分叉合并等,AMT的主要特点是电性不连续;天然气水合物矿层形成的反射波组呈现低速、高频、弱振幅的特征,测井响应特征为高电阻率、低声波时差、低自然伽马、低密度.     

Reappraisal of the structure of the Western Iron Ore Group, Singhbhum craton, eastern India: Implications for the exploration of BIF-hosted iron ore deposits

The middle to late Archean Iron Ore Group rocks occurring along the western margin (the Western Iron Ore basin) of the Singhbhum Granite massif in the Singhbhum craton were deformed during Iron Ore orogeny and are disposed in a horseshoe-shaped synclinal structure in the eastern part of the Indian shield. The Western Iron Ore basin hosts almost all the major high-grade iron ore deposits of eastern India. Contrary to the established view, present analysis emphasizes that the horseshoe fold in reality is a synclinorium consisting of a syncline–anticline fold pair which were later cross-folded along an east–west axis.

Structural analysis in the eastern anticline of the ‘horseshoe synclinorium’ suggests that the BIF hosting the high-grade iron ore bodies are disposed in three linear NNE–SSW trending belts, each showing an open synclinal geometry. Later cross folding produced development of widespread dome and basin pattern at the sub-horizontal hinge zones of these synclinal fold belts. The major iron ore deposits in the eastern anticline at the present level of erosion are preferentially localized within shallow elongated basinal structures only. The axis of the adjoining western syncline was similarly uplifted as partial culminations where cross-folded against E–W anticlinal axes. But here, the BIF-iron ore bodies are preferentially localized within elongated domal structures in contrast to the basinal sites in the adjacent eastern anticline. Such an inference based on structural analysis could probably be utilized as a potential tool for all future explorations, reserve estimation and recovery of the iron ore deposits in the terrain.     

全球地质矿产数据库质量控制体系建立与应用

全球地质矿产建库数据资料涉及众多来源、多种存储格式、不同语种和多级尺度,保证建库数据质量是提供优质信息服务能力的关键。在全面分析国外地质矿产数据与资料特点的基础上,系统阐述了全球地质矿产数据库建设流程、建库标准规范、质量控制机制和质量检查方法。通过应用表明,全球地质矿产数据库建设的质量控制体系具有较强的实用性和广泛的推广性,在国外地质矿产数据库建设中具有一定的借鉴意义和推广价值。     

四川盆地碳酸盐岩油气勘探实践与认识

四川盆地烃源十分丰富。但油气演化程度高,大多已进入高成熟和过成熟阶段,至今只在侏罗系发现有油藏,三叠系及其更老地层皆为气藏。储层主要为碳酸盐岩,其特点是低孔低渗,平均孔隙度仅1.7%,平均渗透率小于1×10~(-3)μm~2,但其中的“孔洞发育层段”平均孔隙度可达3%～6%。根据四十年的勘探经验,加强预探并争取新发现是四川盆地油气勘探发展的关键。预探中,按构造带规划大中型气田勘探目标,将成藏条件相似、地域上相邻的局部圈闭群作为一个整体勘探对象,实行稀井广探,少井高效。“八五”以来,在高陡构造带勘探技术、储层横向预探技术等方面有长足的进步,勘探成效不断提高,实现了资源序列的良性循环。