Electrical structure analysis and metallogenic prediction of the Chiwawu Cu-Mo deposit in the northern Taihang Mountains metallogenic belt

The Chiwawu Cu-Mo deposit is an important porphyry-hosted Cu-Mo mining area in the northern Taihang Mountains metallogenic belt. However, the prospecting work in this area has encountered bottlenecks in recent years. The geophysical exploration in the past was dominated by the induced polarization surveys, barely reaching the deep strata. Given this, this study conducted an audio magnetotelluric sounding, obtaining the electrical structure of the mining area. Electrical structures combining geological and drilling data can lead to the following conclusions: The low-resistivity anomalies beneath high-resistivity rock masses represent play fairways, while the shallow fault damage zones had a disruptive effect on ore bodies. Additionally, by setting the electrical principal axis orientation as an independent parameter, this paper analyzed the distribution characteristics of electrical principal axes along two profiles and their relationships with mineralization using the statistical imaging technique based on multi-site multi-frequency impedance tensor decomposition. The statistical results indicate continuous variations in the electrical principal axis orientation within a greater depth range along the Profile L3, suggesting the probable presence of deep-seated concealed small rock masses. This finding provides new insights for the application of the Audio-frequency Magnetotelluric (AMT) method in mineral exploration and offers guidance for the next phase of mineral search in the mining area. This study provides new insights into the application of the AMT method in mineral exploration and offers guidance for future prospecting in this mining area.