Application of Optically Stimulated Luminescence Technique in Exploring a Concealed Sandstone-type Uranium Deposit

Identifying ore-induced geochemical anomalies at the surface that indicate concealed deposits in buried areas remains a significant challenge in geochemical exploration. In this study, in order to trace the source of the geochemical anomalies, systematic luminescence intensity analyses were conducted on quartz grains from the Quaternary regolith at the Hadatu sandstone-type uranium deposit in the Erenhot Basin. The optically stimulated luminescence(OSL) ages were much older than the depositional ages of the Quaternary regolith. Moreover, quartz OSL ages were closely related to both borehole grades and sampling depths. Thus, the abnormal mineral OSL ages from near-surface sediments were ultimately controlled by the sandstone-type uranium deposits. This is identical to the rapid changes of quartz OSL ages(0.063 ka/cm) and equivalent doses(0.19 Gy/cm) with depths in a given sampling site. The instantaneous soil radon concentration was positively correlated with the quartz OSL apparent age, indicating their ore-induced origin and, as a result, their effectiveness in the exploration of concealed uranium deposits. Other parameters, including mobile-state uranium and;Po contents, were poorly correlated with quartz OSL ages and therefore should only be used with caution for geochemical exploration. This is the first time an attempt has been made to discriminate the ore-induced sources for different surface anomaly parameters, including instantaneous soil radon, mobile-state uranium and;Po contents for concealed sandstonetype uranium deposits.

A new method of searching for concealed Au deposits by using the spectrum of arid desert plant species

With the increase of exploration depth,it is more and more difficult to find Au deposits.Due to the limitation of time and cost,traditional geological exploration methods are becoming increasingly difficult to be effectively applied.Thus,new methods and ideas are urgently needed.This study assessed the feasibility and effectiveness of using hyperspectral technology to prospect for hidden Au deposits.For this purpose,48 plant(Seriphidium terrae-albae)and soil(aeolian gravel desert soil)samples were first collected along a sampling line that traverses an Au mineralization alteration zone(Aketasi mining region in an arid region of China)and were used to obtain soil Au contents by a chemical analysis method and the reflectance spectra of plants obtained with an Analytical Spectral Device(ASD)FieldSpec3 spectrometer.Then,the corresponding relationship between the soil Au content anomaly and concealed Au deposits was investigated.Additionally,the characteristic bands were selected from plant spectra using four different methods,namely,genetic algorithm(GA),stepwise regression analysis(STE),competitive adaptive reweighted sampling(CARS),and correlation coefficient method(CC),and were then input into the partial least squares(PLS)method to construct a model for estimating the soil Au content.Finally,the quantitative relationship between the soil Au content and the 15 different plant transformation spectra was established using the PLS method.The results were compared with those of a model based on the full spectrum.The results obtained in this study indicate that the location of concealed Au deposits can be predicted based on soil geochemical anomaly information,and it is feasible and effective to use the full plant spectrum and PLS method to estimate the Au content in the soil.The cross-validated coefficient of determination(R2)and the ratio of the performance to deviation(RPD)between the predicted value and the measured value reached the maximum of 0.8218 and 2.37,respectively,with a minimum value of 6.56μg/kg for the root-mean-squared error(RMSE)in the full spectrum model.However,in the process of modeling,it is crucial to select the appropriate transformation spectrum as the input parameter for the PLS method.Compared with the GA,STE,and CC methods,CARS was the superior characteristic band screening method based on the accuracy and complexity of the model.When modeling with characteristic bands,the highest accuracy,R2 of 0.8016,RMSE of 7.07μg/kg,and RPD of 2.20 were obtained when 56 characteristic bands were selected from the transformed spectra(1/lnR)'(where it represents the first derivative of the reciprocal of the logarithmic spectrum)of sampled plants using the CARS method and were input into the PLS method to construct an inversion model of the Au content in the soil.Thus,characteristic bands can replace the full spectrum when constructing a model for estimating the soil Au content.Finally,this study proposes a method of using plant spectra to find concealed Au deposits,which may have promising application prospects because of its simplicity and rapidity.

Metallogenic Prediction of the Peripheral Areas of the Xiyi Concealed Lead-Zinc Deposit in Baoshan City, Yunnan Province

The newly-discovered Xiyi lead-zinc deposit is a large deposit located in the north central Baoshan block of the southern Sanjiang metallogenic belt section, Southwest China.The surface of the deposit is mainly covered by eluvial-deluvial lateritic layer, without any mineralized outcrops. The main concealed orebody V3 is buffed in the depth of 300-500m. The orebodies are controlled by certain stratigraphic horizons, and most are cut by strata with a high angle, while a few occur along the strata. The direct wall rocks are calcisiltite, calclithite, bioclastic calcarenite,

Fuzzy Comprehensive Appraisal of Concealed Ore Deposits

In this paper, the transformation from the fuzzy to the accurate process is exemplified by the Jiaodong gold ore deposits concentrated region where the mathematical analysis is used to appraise and forecast regional concealed gold ore deposits. In this sense, this paper presents a new way to the appraisal of the non traditional mineral resources.

A New Method Searching for Concealed Mineral Resources: Geogas Prospecting Based on Nuclear Analysis and Accumulation Sampling

Geogas prospecting is a new method in the search for deep and/or concealed mineral deposits.The probing depth of the method comes to 300-500 m below the surface. The method, based on nuclear aualysis and accumulation sampling, has matured and become useful method of geogas prospecting, through authors' studies more than 10 years. The study of the mechanism for geogas prospecting has also been progressed. It bas been revealed that the geogas matter is in the form of nano-scale particles of the ores by the observation of scanning electron microscope (SEM). This paper summarizes the feature of the geogas anomaly, and describes its forming mechanism. A new example using geogas prospecting is given.

Analysis of Mineralization System and Prediction of New-Type Ore Deposits

The discovery of new-type ore deposits, an important approach to guarantee the mineral resources supply in the 21st century, often brings about a gigantic increase in the mineral resources reserves. The analysis of mineralization system is of great importance to the discovery of new type ore deposits. ① The understanding of the relationship among various ore deposit types within a mineralization system in a region can help us to locate the unknown ore deposit types from the known ore deposit types, evidence that has been proved in the mineral prospecting history of ore belts in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China. ② The understanding of the spatial structure of a mineralization system, especially of the vertical zonation, is helpful for the discovery of the concealed ore deposit types. ③ Clarifying the temporal structure of a mineralization system, including the iteration relationship between the mineral deposit types in the mineralization, leads to the location of the missing mineralization chains from the known mineralization chains (mineral deposit type), a method often proved to be effective in the magmatic hydrothermal mineralization system.④ Clarifying the factors restraining the diversity of mineral deposit types in mineralization system leads to the discovery of the potential of new type mineral deposits in relevant region. ⑤ Studying new mineralization setting and new ore forming processes leads to discovery of new type mineral deposit. More probabilities of discovery of new type mineral deposits are present in biogenic mineralization system, deep sea mineralization system, low temperature mineralization system, tectonic mineralization system and superimposed mineralization system.

Integrated Exploration Model for Concealed Ore Deposit:A Case Study from Shuitou Fluorite Deposit,Inner Mongolia,North China

The demand for fluorite resource is increasing rapidly as most fluorite deposits on Earth’s surface have been exhausted.The newly discovered fluorite deposits in Inner Mongolia are hosted by Permian metamorphosed sandy slate,intermediate-acid intrusive rocks and Cretaceous volcanic sedimentary rocks.The ore bodies are strictly controlled by faults and buried by cover rocks.The feasibility and effectiveness of multi-techniques for prospecting concealed fluorite ore bodies are evaluated,and 10 anomalies are delineated.On the basis of geological features and effectiveness of different methods,the optimum combinations of ore prospecting techniques are proposed for the exploration of zonal type and burial type concealed fluorite ore bodies.Based on comprehensive researches,an integrated exploration model is proposed:(i)select key prospecting targets based on geological backgrounds,regional geochemical anomalies of F and Ca,and remote sensing images;(ii)identify the spatial distribution of low resistivity anomaly and ore-controlling structure from geophysical survey;(iii)evaluate the mineralization potential in fault zone based on F and Ca anomalies in key sections selected from low resistivity anomaly zones;and(iv)evaluate the mineralization potential and reveal the spatial distribution of fluorite ore bodies and ore-controlling faults based on integrated geophysical and geochemical anomalies.The integrated exploration model is verified to be a powerful tool for prospecting concealed fluorite ore bodies in coverage area.