Identifying geochemical element distribution patterns through multiple-point geostatistical simulation and singularity analysis: A case study of the Wulonggou-Balong Area, Qinghai, China

Abstract

The identification of geochemical element distribution patterns, the extraction of anomalies from geochemical exploration data, and the analysis of deep-level mineralization information are essential to guiding mineral prospectivity mapping. The spatial distribution of geochemical elements mainly arises from complex geological processes, making it challenging for standard deterministic interpolation techniques to capture its complex structure. In singularity analysis of element distribution, the size and geometric configuration of the sliding window significantly impact the geochemical anomaly distribution. Accordingly, this study incorporated the complex patterns extracted from multi-scale exploration geochemical data into a multiple-point geostatistical simulation framework to characterize geochemical element distributions at a fine scale. Fractal topography and singularity analysis were integrated as key analytical tools to identify and extract anisotropic geochemical anomalies. Stream sediment geochemical data from the Wulonggou–Balong area, Qinghai, China, were used as a case study to delineate gold-related geochemical spatial distribution patterns. The proposed multiple-point geostatistical (MPS) method enhanced anomaly intensity in local regions while achieving higher fidelity in reproducing spatial distribution patterns that align with regional geological trends. The spatial distribution patterns of geochemical anomalies, analyzed through diverse fractal topological relationships, highlight anisotropic characteristics in geochemical element distributions governed by ore-controlling factors. Practical application demonstrated that the methods effectively identify undetected weak anomalies associated with mineralization-favorable zones within gold geochemical distribution patterns and minimize uncertainty in anomaly interpretation.