| Titre | Effective use and interpretation of lithogeochemical data in regional mineral exploration programs: application of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technology |
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| Auteur | Harris, J R; Wilkinson, L; Grunsky, E C |
| Source | Exploration geochemistry: selected papers from "Exploration '97"; par Kyle, J R (éd.); Ore Geology Reviews vol. 16, issue 3-4, 2000 p. 107-143, https://doi.org/10.1016/s0169-1368(99)00027-x |
| Liens | Abstract - Résumé
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| Image |  |
| Année | 2000 |
| Séries alt. | Commission géologique du Canada, Contributions aux publications extérieures 1999154 |
| Éditeur | Elsevier BV |
| Réunion | Exploration '97: Fourth Decennial International Conference on Mineral Exploration; Toronto, ON; CA; Septembre 14-18, 1997 |
| Document | publication en série |
| Lang. | anglais |
| DOI | https://doi.org/10.1016/s0169-1368(99)00027-x |
| Media | papier; en ligne; numérique |
| Formats | pdf |
| Province | Ontario |
| SNRC | 41O/09; 41O/10; 41O/15; 41O/16; 41P/12; 41P/13; 42A/04; 42A/05; 42B/01; 42B/02; 42B/07; 42B/08 |
| Lat/Long OENS | -83.0000 -81.5000 48.5000 47.5000 |
| Sujets | géostatistiques; logiciel; ceintures de roche verte; télédétection; géochimie des roches totales; altération; minéralisation; or; anomalies géochimiques; oxydes; géochimie; pétrologie ignée et
métamorphique; géomathématique; minéraux métalliques |
| Illustrations | cartes de localisation; cartes géologiques généralisées; diagrammes schématiques; formules; graphiques; tableaux |
| Résumé | (disponible en anglais seulement)
A Geographic Information System (GIS), in concert with statistical and geostatistical software, has been used to compile, manipulate, analyze and visualize a
large lithogeochemical dataset collected from the Archean age Swayze greenstone belt (SGB) located in northern Ontario, Canada. Altered samples from this database have been identified using a variety of univariate and multivariate statistical and
visualization techniques. Alteration maps are produced for each method, and compared to known gold mineralization using the weights of evidence (WofE) technique. Major oxide data are interpolated using different sample groups (all, altered,
unaltered, normalized samples), and anomalous concentrations are separated from background using breakpoints on probability plots of the data, as well as statistics generated from WofE analysis. These maps are also evaluated, using WofE analysis,
with respect to locations of known gold prospects. The atypical normative mineral method is more sensitive for identifying alteration in felsic rocks (felsic volcanic rocks, granitoids), whereas the volatile method is more sensitive for detecting
alteration in mafic volcanic rocks and sedimentary rocks. Altered samples are characterized by higher SiO2, K2O and MnO concentrations, and lower MgO and TiO2 concentrations. Areas within the greenstone belt characterized by high concentrations of
CaO, Fe, K2O and Al2O3 were found to the best predictors of the known gold prospects. Anomalously high concentrations of these oxides reflect carbonatization, Fe-carbonate alteration and potassic alteration trends, and indicate that these alteration
styles are spatially related to gold mineralization. The WofE method is a useful technique with which to evaluate the geochemical maps produced in this paper. The WofE technique is useful not only for comparing geochemical anomalies to the location
of known gold prospects, but also for providing a quantitative measure of association between anomalies and gold prospects. Furthermore, the gold potential maps generated using WofE not only highlight (or predict) known areas of gold mineralization,
but also identify high potential areas where no known mineralization occurs. A number of areas within the SGB have been identified as having high gold potential on many of the geochemical maps produced in this paper. Many of these areas coincide with
areas of known gold mineralization; however, others are enigmatic and await follow-up exploration. |
| GEOSCAN ID | 210886 |
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