Macro-scale ore-controlling faults revealed by micro-geochemical anomalies

Abstract

Whereas the mechanism of fluid flow, and thus structural control, linked with mineral deposit formation is quite understood, the specific structures that likely provided controls on mineralization at certain geographic scales are not readily known for a given region unless it is well-explored. This contributes uncertainty in mineral prospectivity analysis in poorly-explored regions (or greenfields). Here, because the spatial distribution of mineral deposits has been postulated to be fractals (i.e., the patterns of these features are self-similar across a range of spatial scales), we show for the first time that micro-geochemical anomalies (as proxies of micro-scale patterns of ore minerals), from few discrete parts of the Sossego iron-oxide copper-gold (IOCG) deposit in the Carajás Mineral Province (CMP) of Brazil, exhibit trends of macro-scale faults that are known to have controlled IOCG mineralization in the CMP. The methodology described here, which led to this novel finding, would help towards detecting mineral exploration targets as well as help towards understanding structural controls on mineralization in greenfields.