A New Discovery of Cu Mineralization in the North Qaidam, Tibet via Log-Ratio, Robust Factor Analysis, and Spectrum–Area Modeling

Abstract

The Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, abundant in mineral resources, is a treasure trove for geological explorers. However, exploration has been hindered by the presence of dense vegetation, weathering layers, and desert cover, particularly in the North Qaidam region. As a result, there is an urgent need to develop efficient geochemical composition methods. In a study of stream sediment geochemical data from the Lüliangshan area of the North Qaidam, the log-ratio transformation was used for data processing, Robust Factor Analysis (RFA) was used for model construction, and the spectrum–area (S-A) model was used for anomaly separation. The outcomes identified two distinct groups of element combinations associated with mineralization. The first group consisted of Au + Ag + Pb + Sb + Hg linked to tectonic-altered rock-type Au (antimony) deposits, while the second group consisted of Cu + Zn + Co and was closely associated with Cu-Ni sulfide deposits. The S-A fractal filtering technique amplified weak anomalies and minimized the area of anomalies against strong backgrounds. The study successfully detected substantial Cu mineralization in the source areas of geochemical anomalies in the Lüliangshan region. Consequently, the log-ratio–RFA–S-A fractal model has been proven to be an effective combination of methods for identifying and extracting geochemical anomalies from stream sediment samples and for mineral exploration in covered areas.