Application of Number-Size (N-S) Fractal Model to Quantify of the Vertical Distributions of Cu and Mo in Nowchun Porphyry Deposit (Kerman, Se Iran) / Zastosowanie modelu fraktalnego n-s (liczba-rozmiar) do ilościowego określenia pionowego rozkładu Cu i Mo w złożu porfirowym (Kerman, Iran)

Abstract

Determination of the vertical distribution of geochemical elemental concentrations is of fundamental importance in mineral exploration. In this paper, eight mineralized boreholes from the Nowchun Cu-Mo porphyry deposit, SE Iran, were used to identify of the vertical distribution directional properties of Cu and Mo values using number-size (N-S) fractal model. The vertical distributions of Cu and Mo in the mineralized boreholes show a positively skewed distribution in the former and a multimodal distribution in the latter types. Elemental threshold values for the mineralized boreholes were computed by fractal model and compared with the statistical methods based on the data obtained from chemical analysis of samples. Elemental distributions are not normal in these boreholes and their median equal to Cu and Mo thresholds. The results of N-S fractal analysis reveal that Cu and Mo values in mineralized boreholes are multifractals in nature. There are at least three geochemical populations for Cu and Mo in the boreholes and Cu and Mo thresholds have ranges between 0.07%-0.3% and 50-200 ppm, respectively. The results obtained by N-S fractal model were compared with geological observations in the boreholes. Major Cu and Mo enrichment correlated by monzonitic rocks and high amounts of observed Cu and Mo ores (Chalcopyrite and molybdenite) in the boreholes.