Combining 3D Geological Modeling and 3D Spectral Modeling for Deep Mineral Exploration in the Zhaoxian Gold Deposit, Shandong Province, China

Abstract

The Jiaodong Peninsula hosts the main large gold deposits and was the first gold production area in China; multisource and multiscale geoscience datasets are available. The area is the biggest drilling mineral-exploration zone in China. This study used three-dimensional (3D) modeling, geology, and ore body and alteration datasets to extract and synthesize mineralization information and analyze the exploration targeting in the Zhaoxian gold deposit in the northwestern Jiaodong Peninsula. The methodology and results are summarized as follows: The regional Jiaojia fault is the key exploration criterion of the gold deposit. The compression torsion characteristics and concave–convex section zones in the 3D deep environment are the main indicators of mineral exploration using 3D geological and ore-body modeling in the Zhaoxian gold deposit. The hyperspectral detailed measurement, interpretation, and data mining used drill-hole data (>1000 m) to analyze the vectors and trends of the ore body and ore-forming fault and the alteration-zone rocks in the Zhaoxian gold deposit. The short-wave infrared Pos2200 values and illite crystallinity in the alteration zone can be used to identify 3D deep gold mineralization and potential targets for mineral exploration. This research methodology can be globally used for other deep mineral explorations.