“Classification modeling and outcome integration”comprehensive quantitative mineral exploration prediction technology and application: A case study of the Jinchuan ultralarge Cu-Ni ore deposit and its periphery
1 Geoscience Big Data Engineering Research Center of Gansu Province, Geological Survey of Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730000, China
2 Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources Exploration in Gansu Province, Lanzhou 730000, China
3 Gold Mine Resource Exploration and Utilization Technology Innovation Center of Gansu Province, The Third Institute of Geology and Minerals Exploration, Gansu Provincial Bureau of Geology and Minerals Exploration and Development, Lanzhou 730050, China
4 School of Earth Sciences and Ministry of Natural Resources, Lanzhou University, Key Laboratory of Mineral Resources in Western China, Lanzhou 730000, China
5 School of Earth Sciences and Resources/ State Key Laboratory of Geological Process and Mineral Resources, China University of Geosciences (Beijing), Beijing 100083, China
With the progression of geological prospecting, a distinct shift has emerged: a transition from shallow to deep-seated exploration targets and from singular methods to integrated technical systems. Over nearly seven decades of geological practice, China has established critical energy and mineral resource supply bases through systematic, multi-phase geological surveys. Yet, persistent declines in prospecting efficiency demand innovative solutions. This study leverages big data frameworks to advance quantitative prospecting target prediction, overcoming limitations of traditional approaches by pioneering a shift from integrated to classification-based modeling. Focusing on target accuracy, we employ statistical correlation analysis to integrate multi-source heterogeneous data (geological, geophysical, geochemical, and mining-related), constructing association models between multivariate parameters and known deposits to reveal latent correlations. Applied to the Jinchuan Cu-Ni deposit and its periphery, our integrated model delineated 37 targets (0.11-21 km2, 91.89% of which are <2 km2), drastically narrowing the search scope. Field validation of five high-priority targets confirmed that: (1) there was an 86% overlap between Jinchuan’s mineralization and predicted Cu-Ni zones; (2) four targets fully coincided with tailings ponds and ash storage sites; and (3) three were validated as high-confidence exploration zones. Conversely, the M-15 magnetic anomaly (Area IV’s eastern extension) showed negligible Cu-Ni potential. This research demonstrates big data’s capacity to transform geological prospecting through empirical validation and iterative refinement, thereby setting a benchmark for analogous resource exploration.
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