Abstract:
To determine the optimal prospecting target in the Bishan area, Xianghuang Banner, Inner Mongolia, this study conducted a geochemical survey at 1∶10,000 scale. Using multivariable statistical analysis, this study analyzed 14 elements (i.e., Au, Ag, Cu, Pb, Zn, Mn, Mo, Li, W, Sb, Bi, B, Hg, and As) in soil samples from the study area. The results indicate that six elements, including Au, Ag, Pb, Zn, Li, and As, exhibited high enrichment degrees, suggesting their significant metallogenic potential. The anomalies of high-content elements are principally dictated by the outer contact zone between tuffs/tuffaceous volcanic breccias and granites in the Lower Permian Sanmianjing Formation. The ore-forming elements are primarily controlled by the NW-trending fault zone. Alterations like silicification, binarite, pyrite, galena, and sphalerite alterations serve as principal prospecting markers. Based on the geological conditions for mineralization in the Bishan area, this study delineated three composite anomalies and two prospecting targets, with Ag ore bodies discovered through engineering validation. Soil geochemistry proves crucial for the successful identification of polymetallic ore bodies, thereby providing a significant foundation for subsequent mineral exploration efforts.