Method for locating the hydrothermal center of porphyry-type ore deposits based on variations in epidote trace elements

Abstract

The invention discloses a method for locating the hydrothermal center of porphyry- type ore deposits based on variations in epidote trace elements, belonging to the technical field of mineral exploration. Aiming at the problems of long exploration cycles and high costs in existing prospecting methods, the invention achieves rapid location through the following steps: delineating favorable metallogenic areas and systematically collecting rock samples containing epidote, recording lithology, alteration type, and sampling coordinates; conducting major element (Fe, Al) and trace element (As, Sb, B, Mn, Pb, Sr) analyses of epidote in the samples; plotting box plots based on the content data; and determining the location of the hydrothermal center based on the spatial distribution patterns of element contents in the box plots.