Spatial analysis of Fe deposits in Fujian Province, China: Implications for mineral exploration

Abstract

Spatial point pattern statistics, fractal analysis and Fry analysis in support of GIS were applied to explore the spatial distribution characteristics of mineral deposits and the spatial relationships between mineralization and geological features in Fujian Province (China). The results of Ripley’s K(r) revealed a clustered distribution of Fe deposits in space with a fractal dimension of 1.38. Fry analysis showed that Fe deposits distributed mainly along a NNE-NE trend. Buffer analysis showed that most of the known Fe deposits developed within 4 km buffer zones of the NNE-NE-trending faults, Yanshanian intrusions, and Late Paleozoic marine sedimentary rocks and the carbonate formations (C–P Formation), indicating that they possibly control the spatial distribution of Fe mineralization. This is possibly because the NNE-NE-trending faults, Yanshanian intrusions, and C–P Formation provided pathways of fluids, energy and a part of metal, and zones of deposition for the Fe mineralization, respectively. The fractal relation of the number of Fe deposits occurring within the buffer zones of geological features was observed. The fractal dimension suggested that the significance of Yanshanian intrusions and C–P Formation are greater than that of NNE-NE-trending faults in controlling the formation of Fe mineralization. These findings are useful for better understanding the formation of the mineralization and provide significant information for further mineral exploration.

Keywords

Ripley’s K(r) function / fractal dimension / Fry analysis / Fe deposits / Fujian

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