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Geophysical Signatures of Mineral Deposits in Tropical and Subtropical Settings

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A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineral Exploration Methods and Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 2317

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Special Issue Editors

Dr. Welitom Rodrigues Borges

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Guest Editor

Institute of Geosciences, Darcy Ribeiro Campus, University of Brasilia (UnB), Brasilia-Federal District, Brasilia 70910-900, Brazil
Interests: geophysical prospecting; gold mineralizations; supergenic deposits; alluvial deposits

Prof. Dr. Marcelo Henrique Leão-Santos

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Guest Editor

College of Planaltina FUP, Graduate Program in Applied Geosciences and Geodynamics, Institute of Geosciences, University of Brasília UnB, Planaltina-Brasília-Federal District, Planaltina 73345-010, Brazil
Interests: mineral prospecting and exploration; 2D and 3D geological and geophysical modelling; geophysical data inversion; petrophysics; machine learning

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Obtaining mineral deposits in tropical regions of our planet is difficult due to the intense action of climatic processes, which disintegrate rocks and produce thick soils. The discovery of new mineral deposits in these areas in the last decade has shown the necessity of using geophysical methodologies in the mineral exploration stages. Advances in geophysical and petrophysical data acquisition systems have led them to become faster and more efficient, which has enabled the recording of physical properties and anomalies with high resolution and excellent quality, improving the 2D and 3D images of mineralized geological bodies. The correlation of geophysical results with multipoint data analysis allows for a complexity determination of mineral deposit facies. This Special Issue invites the submission of articles that present original scientific research related to geophysical results or mineral deposits that occur in tropical regions.

This Special Issue focuses on the following topics:

1) The presentation of geophysical responses of mineral deposits with thick weathered and oxidized zones;
2) Geophysical footprints of supergenic mineral deposits;
3) The application of new geophysical techniques in mineral exploration.

Dr. Welitom Rodrigues Borges
Prof. Dr. Marcelo Henrique Leão-Santos
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

geophysical prospecting
mineral exploration
secondary mineral deposits
oxidized mineral deposits

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

19 pages, 8127 KiB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Key Technologies for Surface-Borehole Transient Electromagnetic Systems and Applications

by Qingming Guo, Yurong Mao, Liangjun Yan, Wenhui Chen, Jupeng Yang, Xingbing Xie, Lei Zhou and Haojin Li

Minerals 2024, 14(8), 793; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14080793 - 31 Jul 2024

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Abstract

The nonferrous metal mines in China are rapidly depleting due to years of mining, and it has become difficult to identify new mineral resources in the periphery of the old mining area. In order to deal with this situation, advanced technologies and equipment must be deployed. The borehole transient electromagnetic method (TEM) has become a key technology due to its deep investigative capabilities within conductive geological structures. In the present study, in order to meet the exploration needs at depths of less than 3000 m, surface-borehole TEM exploration was used to analyze the characteristics of electromagnetic signals generated by a long wire source and a large loop source, providing essential data for the development of key technologies, such as sensor parameter design and signal gain optimization of the TEM system in the borehole. This study discussed in detail two key technical problems as follows: firstly, the efficient synchronization mechanism between the ground transmitter system and the borehole electromagnetic signal acquisition system ensured the accuracy and timeliness of data acquisition; and secondly, the realization of mass storage technology, which effectively solved the problem of mass storage and real-time transmission of data in a deep borehole environment. The effectiveness of the surface-borehole TEM systems with a long wire source and a large loop source was verified by tests in real mines. The surface-borehole electromagnetic signal acquisition system developed in this study effectively collected electromagnetic signals in the borehole, and the results accurately reflected the stratigraphic information of mineral resources in the study area. This study can pave a new technical path for the exploration of deep and peripheral areas of non-ferrous metal mines and provide valuable experience and insights for mineral resource exploration in similarly complex geological environments. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geophysical Signatures of Mineral Deposits in Tropical and Subtropical Settings)

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23 pages, 19232 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Application of Geophysical Methods in the Identification of Mineralized Structures and Ranking of Areas for Drilling as Exemplified by Alto Guaporé Orogenic Gold Province

by Jorge Echague, Marcelo Leão-Santos, Rodrigo Melo, Thiago Mendes and Welitom Borges

Minerals 2024, 14(8), 788; https://doi.org/10.3390/min14080788 - 31 Jul 2024

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Abstract

Mineral exploration works conducted in the Alto Guaporé Gold Province (AGGP), situated in the southwest region of the Amazon Craton in Brazil, faces the challenges of many gold provinces around the world, i.e., declines in the discoveries of new economic deposits and increases in exploration costs. Ground geophysical methods, combined with structural analyses and geological mapping, are valuable tools that have potential to improve accuracy in selecting exploration targets and in determining drilling locations. AGGP deposits are primarily associated with regional N20°–W50° inverse faulting and sheared geologic contacts between Meso-Neoproterozoic siliciclastic metasedimentary rocks and Mesoproterozoic basement (granite and volcano–sedimentary sequences). Mining currently occurring in the central portion of the province drives exploration works towards the many existing targets at the area. Among them, the ABP target is one of the most promising for being located few kilometers north of the Pau-a-Pique mine. At the ABP target, gold is associated with hydrothermal alteration located in the sheared contacts and in the hinge zone of folded metasedimentary sequence. Hydrothermal phases include Fe-oxides, sulfide (py), muscovite and quartz veins. In this study, we use magnetic and geoelectric (induced polarization) surveys coupled with structural and geological mapping to identify potential footprints within the ABP target. The results from induced polarization (IP) profiles successfully mapped the shape and orientation of the main structures down to approximately 350 m at the ABP target, indicating potential locations for hydrothermal alteration hosting gold. Additionally, 3D magnetic data inversions illustrated the distribution of magnetic susceptibilities and magnetization vectors associated with shear zone structures and isolated magnetic bodies. Magnetic data highlighted fault zones along the contacts between metamorphic rocks and granites, while IP data identified areas with high chargeability, correlating with sulfidation zones mineralized with gold. These findings suggest a metallogenic model where gold deposits are transported through deep structures connected to regional faults, implying significant tectonic and structural control over gold deposition. The results underscore the potential of multiparameter geophysics in identifying and characterizing deposits in both deep and strike, thereby advancing our understanding of mineral occurrences in the region and enhancing the search for new mineralized zones. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Geophysical Signatures of Mineral Deposits in Tropical and Subtropical Settings)

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Planned Papers

The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.

1. Borges et al Electrical prospection applied in the detection of diamond gravels along the Araguaia River, Amazon Basin, Brazil

2. Santos et al Mineralization discovery of rare-earth elements at the Fazenda Buriti Alkaline Complex, Goiás Alkaline Province, Brazil

3. Echague et al Application of geophysical methods (terrestrial magnetometry and IP) in the identification of mineralized structures and ranking of areas for drilling in Brownfield exploration of orogenic gold deposits

4. Borges et al Mapping of the geometry of iron mining body in Carajas with multiple electrical arrangements