Application and demonstration of deep-penetrating geochemical exploration techniques in alpine shallow overburden areas

This study aims to address the technical challenges in exploring concealed ore bodies in alpine shallow overburden areas. Hence, it conducted the application test and demonstration of deep-penetrating geochemical exploration techniques in two typical landscape areas: the low-to-middle mountainous desert steppe and the alluvial-proluvial gravelly Gobi along the periphery of the Qaidam Basin. The results show that the proportions of fine-grained (d≤96 μm), micro-fine-grained (d≤20 μm), and ultra-fine-grained (d≤5 μm) materials in the overburden serve as the core basis for evaluating the effectiveness and adaptability of deep-penetrating geochemical exploration techniques. Through the multi-technique effectiveness tests conducted in the Relong and Yuka gold deposits, the differences in application efficiency of various techniques across different landscape areas were clarified. The measurement of micro-fine-grained soils was employed for a large-scale demonstration application, with the delineated anomalies highly coinciding with the known mineralized zones. Moreover, a concealed ore body with a gold grade of up to 3.85 g/t was discovered in the Relong gold deposit. Finally, a three-level technical combination, consisting of regional reconnaissance, anomaly verification, and ore body positioning, was proposed for alpine shallow overburden areas. Overall, the results of this study provide technical support for the exploration of concealed ore bodies in similar areas.