SEM-based automated mineralogy (SEM-AM) and unsupervised machine learning studying the textural setting and elemental association of gold in the Rajapalot Au-Co area, northern Finland

SEM-based automated mineralogy (SEM-AM) techniques allow fast and effective way of studying the textural settings of gold in hydrothermal deposits. Unsupervised machine learning (e.g. self-organizing maps) is an intuitive way of processing multi-dimensional geochemical datasets in order to reveal hidden patterns potentially represent different mineralization stages. We combined these two methods for studying the relationship of gold and cobalt within different prospects in a Paleoproterozoic gold-cobalt mineralized area known as Rajapalot. Gold is found as a texturally late phase, occurring in fractures of silicates and sulfides. Based on the elemental associations observed from the whole-rock geochemical dataset using self-organizing-maps, Co-only, Au-Co and Au associations can be inferred relating to either different mineralization stages or different fluid-host rock interactions. Also, the dominant mineralization-related alteration in different occurrences within the Rajapalot Au-Co prospects are reflected as elemental associations with gold in the geochemical data. Our study shows the effectiveness SEM-AM methods for studying distribution of valuable minerals. Unsupervised neural networks provide for easy and intuitive processing technique that can be validated with the mineralogical observations.

Characterization of the Heavy Mineral Suite in a Holocene Beach Placer, Barrytown, New Zealand

The placer deposit at Barrytown, New Zealand, has been worked for gold and is known for high levels of ilmenite that has not been exploited. Other heavy minerals are present but have not been well characterized, which is the purpose of this research. Sand grains were separated into the density fractions and the heavier fractions analyzed by laser ablation ICP-MS for elemental composition and by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) EDS in whole grains and polished sections. Grain size distributions were determined from SEM images of polished grain mounts. Elemental associations have been identified with different minerals. A wide range of ore minerals, or potential useful industrial minerals, have been shown to be present largely as individual sand grains. These include gold, ilmenite, garnet, zircon, monazite, allanite, uraninite, thorite, cassiterite, wolframite, scheelite, and columbite. The ilmenite contains many inclusions, consisting of silicates and phosphates and 100–400 ppm Nb. Scandium is found to be present in zircon at 100–600 ppm along with 3000 ppm Y. Monazite is depleted in Eu relative to chondrite and contains Ga and Ge at 1000–3000 ppm. Because the sand grains are mostly individual minerals, it is suggested that separation may be possible using a combination of density, electrostatic and magnetic methods to obtain almost pure mineral fractions. This knowledge should inform decisions on potential exploitation of the resource.

New Data and Evidence on the Mineralogy and Geochemistry of Wulantuga High-Ge Coal Deposit of Shengli Coalfield, Inner Mongolia, China

The mode of occurrence and origin of highly-enriched trace elements, especially Ge, in Wulantuga high-Ge coal deposit have been widely reported. In this study, coal samples and several coalified trunks embedded within the roof strata are collected, which provides a good opportunity to further confirm if Ge is mainly associated with organic matter. Minerals in coal samples are mainly quartz, kaolinite, montmorillonite, pyrite, and gypsum, along with trace albite, barite, chlorite, and Fe-oxide, while those in coalified trunk samples include melanterite, pyrite, and gypsum, with traces of chlorite and magnesiocopiapite. Germanium, As, W, Sb, Hg, Be, and Cs are enriched in coal samples, and these elements are also enriched in the coalified trunks and roof glutenite. The elevated contents of Ge, As, W, Sb, and Hg were almost exclusively derived from the influx of hydrothermal fluids as evidenced by the presence of pyrite veins and chamosite as well as enhanced elemental associations of Ge-W and As-Sb-Hg in the studied lignite samples. The coalified trunks in the study area should be taken into consideration due to the high contents of hazardous elements that cause potential environmental impacts during mining waste disposal and land reclamation.

GEOCHEMICAL ZONING OF THE PESCHANKA PORPHYRYEPITHERMAL SYSTEM, THE WESTERN CHUKCHI PENINSULA

To identify geochemical zoning of the Peschanka porphyry-epithermal system geochemical and mineralogical data for 266 drill holes were used. By means of factor analysis and GIS software 3D geochemical model was developed to map spatial distribution of elemental associations and mineral assemblages. Lateral and longitudinal zoning patterns were described. The ratio AgPbZn:CuAuMo was suggested as an indicator of vertical zoning allowing assessing erosion level of porphyry copper stockworks.

Can synchrotron micro-X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy be used to map the distribution of cadmium in soil particles?

Plants take up cadmium (Cd) from the soil, and the concentration of Cd in some plant products is a health concern. Plant uptake of Cd is poorly predicted by its concentration in soils; consequently, there is interest in the binding and distribution of Cd in soil. Synchrotron micro-X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (micro-XRFS) is the most sensitive method of observing this distribution. We used beam-line 2-ID-D of the Advanced Photon Source (APS), Argonne, to test whether this technique could map the Cd distribution in 5 soils from Greater Sydney that contained 0.3–6.4 mg Cd/kg. A subsample of one soil was spiked to contain ~100 mg Cd/kg. Cadmium was readily mapped in the Cd-enriched subsample, whereas in the unamended soils, only one Cd-rich particle was found; that is, sensitivity generally limited Cd mapping. We also examined a sample of Nauru phosphorite, which was a primary source of much of the Cd in farm soils on the peri-urban fringe of Greater Sydney. The phosphorite contained ~100 mg Cd/kg and the Cd was relatively uniformly distributed, supporting the findings of an earlier study on an apatite from Africa. The micro-XRFS at beam-line 2-ID-D of the APS can be reconfigured to increase the sensitivity at least 10-fold, which may allow the distribution of Cd and its elemental associations to be mapped in particles of most agricultural soils and facilitate other spectroscopic investigations.