Application of remote sensing geology in mineral prospecting in the Ke’eryin rare metal ore concentration area in the western Sichuan Basin
SHI Junbo1(), ZHANG Jie1(), HOU Na2, ZHANG Huishan3, DING Xiaoping1, DU Jianjun1, ZHU Haiyang1
1. The 9th Geological Brigade of Sichuan Province, Deyang 618000, China 2. Gansu Corps of China Construction Materials Industry Geological Survey Center, Tianshui 741000, China 3. Xi’an Center of Geological Survey, China Geological Survey, Xi’an 710054, China
The Ke’eryin rare metal ore concentration area in the western Sichuan Basin (also referred to as the Ke’eryin ore concentration area), located in the eastern segment of the Songpan-Ganzi metallogenic belt, boasts abundant granitic pegmatite-hosted rare metal resources like lithium, niobium, beryllium, and tantalum. It stands as one of the most concentrated areas for hard-rock rare metal deposits in China, following the granitic pegmatite-type rare metal ore concentration areas in the Koktokay area in Altay in Xinjiang, and the Jiajika and Jiulong areas in the western Sichuan Basin. The Ke’eryin ore concentration area is characterized by tectonic denudation and deeply cut high mountains, resulting in inconvenient transportation, dense vegetation, and steep terrains. Consequently, most parts of the area are inaccessible to humans, hindering the implementation of traditional geological surveys. Based on the features and interpretation keys of high-resolution remote sensing images for ore-bearing granitic pegmatite veins in known deposits within the Ke’eryin ore concentration area, this study performed laboratory interpretation and partial field verification of these veins, revealing the distribution patterns and characteristics of granitic pegmatite veins in the area. Rare metal deposits hosted by granitic pegmatite veins intruded into weak structures such as fault zones and surrounding rock fractures within a range of 0 km to 5 km on the margin of the Ke’eryin complex rock mass. The exposed granitic pegmatite veins and boulders were identified as the most direct indicators for locating rare metal deposits. A prospecting method based on remote sensing geology was developed for highly vegetation-covered areas in the Ke’eryin ore concentration area, effectively addressing the limitations of traditional geological prospecting methods. Using the developed method, this study determined three critical prospecting areas in the northern and northwestern portions of the Ke’eryin complex rock mass, establishing them as the targets for subsequent strategic prospecting breakthroughs.
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SHI Junbo, ZHANG Jie, HOU Na, ZHANG Huishan, DING Xiaoping, DU Jianjun, ZHU Haiyang. Application of remote sensing geology in mineral prospecting in the Ke’eryin rare metal ore concentration area in the western Sichuan Basin. Remote Sensing for Natural Resources, 2025, 37(2): 117-127.
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