Comparison of vegetation and stream sediment geochemical patterns in northeastern New South Wales

This study compares the geochemical response of stream sediments and adjacent vegetation samples, with variations in drainage catchment lithology and the occurrence of mineralisation, within a 14,000-km² block of the northeastern region of New South Wales, Australia. The area contains a range of lithologies within a Devonian–Permian accretionary complex and Mesozoic sedimentary basin, as well as a wide range of mineral deposits. Sampling was designed to confine each sub-catchment to a single lithological group (mafic and ultramafic rocks, acid intrusives, volcanics, metasedimentary and sedimentary rocks or alluvium). Leaves of over 20 genera, dominated by (Allo-)Casuarina, Eucalyptus, Acacia, Callistemon and Melaleuca, and the <250-μm fraction of the stream sediments were analysed by INAA. The uptake of most trace elements varied between genera, with Callistemon displaying the highest median As and La contents and Eucalyptus the highest Co contents. The stream sediment and vegetation geochemistry reflect both hydromorphic and mechanical dispersion within sub-catchments, with regional patterns dominant over local influences. The vegetation appears to be influenced to a greater extent by hydromorphic dispersion, as indicated by differences in the ratio of leaf to sediment Cr concentrations in sub-catchments draining serpentinites and basalts. Although most known mineral deposits in the region produced anomalies in at least one medium, there was little correlation between the trace element concentrations of the vegetation and stream sediments on a site-by-site basis. A number of Au targets were only detected on the basis of the biogeochemistry and others were only reflected in the stream sediment geochemistry. In general, vegetation displayed more extensive dispersion trains away from mineralisation than did the stream sediments. Differences in the response of the two sampling media suggest their joint use in exploration or environmental surveys to maximise the probability of detecting mineralisation.