Applied Geochemistry: Advances in Mineral Exploration Techniques

✍ Scribed by Athanas S. Macheyeki, Dalaly Peter Kafumu, Xiaohui Li, Feng Yuan

• Publisher: Elsevier Science Ltd
• Year: 2020
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 211
• Edition: 1
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

Applied Geochemistry: Advances in Mineral Exploration Techniques is a book targeting all levels of exploration geologists, geology students and geoscientists working in the mining industry. This reference book covers mineral exploration techniques from multiple dimensions, including the application of statistics – both principal component analysis and factor analysis - to multifractal modeling. The book explains these approaches step-by-step and gives their limitations. In addition to techniques and applications in mineral exploration, Applied Geochemistry describes mineral deposits and the theories underpinning their formation through worldwide case studies.

• Includes both conventional and nonconventional techniques for mineral exploration, including lithogeochemical methods
• Highlights the importance and applications of multifractal models, 3D - mineral prospectivity modeling
• Features case studies from mines and mineral exploration ventures around the world

✦ Table of Contents

Cover
APPLIED
GEOCHEMISTRY:
Advances in Mineral Exploration
Techniques
Copyright
Dedication
Contents
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgments
1 Elements of exploration geochemistry
1.1 Introduction
1.1.1 Rocks and their types
1.1.1.1 Igneous rocks
1.1.1.1.1 Intrusive rocks
1.1.1.1.2 Extrusive rocks
1.1.1.1.3 Hypabyssal rocks
1.1.1.2 Sedimentary rocks
1.1.1.2.1 Clastic sedimentary rocks
1.1.1.2.2 Chemical and biological sedimentary rocks
1.1.1.2.3 Volcanogenic sedimentary rocks
1.1.1.3 Metamorphic rocks
1.1.2 Soils and regolith
1.1.2.1 Weathering and erosion
1.1.2.1.1 Physical weathering
1.1.2.1.2 Chemical weathering
1.1.2.2 Soil profiles
1.1.3 Soil classification
1.1.3.1 Regolith profiles
1.1.3.2 Sediments
1.1.3.3 Termite mounds
1.1.3.4 Botanic materials
1.1.4 Geochemical elements
1.1.4.1 The periodic table
1.1.4.2 Abundance of elements in the planet earth and in the solar system
1.1.4.3 Classification of elements
1.1.4.3.1 Major elements
1.1.4.3.2 Significance of major elements in geology
1.1.4.3.3 Trace elements
1.1.4.3.3.1 Lithophiles, siderophiles, chalcophiles, atmophiles, biophiles
1.1.4.3.3.2 Platinum-group elements
1.1.4.3.3.3 Rare-earth elements
1.1.4.3.3.4 Compatible and incompatible elements
1.1.4.4 Elements dispersion in primary and secondary environments
1.1.5 Stages in mineral exploration
1.1.5.1 Reconnaissance survey (target generation)
1.1.5.2 Mineral exploration—target evaluation
1.1.5.3 Detailed exploration (target definition)
1.1.5.4 Feasibility or scoping study (resource viability determination)
References
Further reading
2 Types of ore deposits and their origin
2.1 Introduction
2.1.1 Occurrence of ore deposits
2.1.2 Genesis and classification of ore deposits
2.1.2.1 Syngenetic and epigenetic genesis of ore deposits
2.1.2.2 Origin and classification
2.1.2.3 Deposits due to internal processes
2.1.2.4 Deposits due to external surface processes
2.1.3 The role of global tectonics and geological time in the formation of ore deposits
2.1.4 Source of metals in ore deposits: principles
2.1.4.1 Pressure, temperature, chemical composition, and oxygen fugacity
2.1.4.2 Fluid inclusions
2.1.4.3 Radiogenic and nonradiogenic (stable) isotopes
2.1.4.4 Rare earth elements
2.1.4.4.1 Geochemistry and classification
References
Further reading
3 Conventional and nonconventional exploration techniques–principles
3.1 Conventional techniques
3.1.1 Geochemical anomaly
3.2 Nonconventional techniques
3.2.1 Mineral prospectivity mapping
3.2.1.1 Limitation of mineral predictivity mapping
3.2.2 Lithogeochemistry
3.2.2.1 Principal component analysis and lithogeochemical vectors
3.2.2.2 Limitation of lithogeochemistry
3.2.3 Mineral zoning
3.2.3.1 The role of Factor Analysis in obtaining mineral zonations
3.2.3.2 Limitations of factor analysis and comparison with PCA
3.2.3.3 Staged factor analysis
3.2.4 Concentration gradient modeling
3.2.5 Fractal models
3.2.5.1 Concentration area (C–A)
3.2.5.1.1 Limitation of C–A model
3.2.5.1.2 Concentration number (C–N)
3.2.5.2 Spectrum area model (S–A)
3.2.5.2.1 Limitation of S–A model
3.2.5.3 Local singularity analysis model (L–SA)
3.2.5.3.1 Limitation of local singularity analysis model
3.2.5.4 Concentration perimenter (C–P), concentration volume (C–V), concentration distance (C–D), and number size (N–S)
3.2.6 Remote sensing geochemistry
3.2.6.1 Basic principles
3.2.6.2 Application in mineral exploration: alteration minerals
3.2.6.2.1 Limitation of remote sensing
3.2.7 The use of handheld/portable XRF (pXRF)
3.2.8 The use of mineral prospectivity modeling
3.2.8.1 3D—prospectivity modeling
3.2.9 Whole-rock analysis for incompatible elements Sr and Y
3.2.10 Determination of number of geochemical samples
3.2.10.1 How to obtain probability of occurrence, p
3.3 Concluding remarks
References
Further reading
4 Application of nonconventional mineral exploration techniques: case studies
Subchapter 4.1 In Africa
Subchapter 4.1.1 The use of lithogeochemical vectors in the Kabanga Nickel Project, Tanzania
4.1.1.1 Geology and mineralization
4.1.1.2 Methodology and results
4.1.1.3 Limitations of vectors
References
Further reading
Subchapter 4.2 In Asia
Subchapter 4.2.1 The use of mineral prospectivity modeling at orefield scale and prospect scale, Yangtze Metallogenic Belt,...
4.2.1.1 Regional geological setting
4.2.1.2 At orefield scale
4.2.1.3 At prospect scale
Acknowledgments
Subchapter 4.3.1 Multifractal modeling of geochemical anomalies associated with Cu and Au mineralization in the NW Junggar ...
4.3.1.1 Geological setting
4.3.1.2 Method
4.3.1.3 Data
4.3.1.4 Identification of geochemical anomalies
Acknowledgments
References
Index
Back Cover