Abstract Soil samples collected at 50–70 cm depth at 8 km-spaced sample sites over 40,000 km2 of southern New Zealand were analysed for their chemical composition. Nine pathfinder elements (Ag, As, Au, Bi, Mo, Sb, Sn, Te, W), which are useful in exploration for orogenic-style mineralisation, were z-score normalised using two different matrices to account for both lithology and metamorphic grade, which vary significantly across the survey area. Interrogation of interpolated plots of the normalised data, relative to known orogenic-style deposits (Au ± Sb ± W), highlights chemical associations that varied between deposit types, and between similar deposit types mineralised under varying pressure-temperature-time conditions. Active mining for orogenic-style Au along the Hyde-Macraes Shear Zone is coincident with a regionally-significant, multi-element soil anomaly (Ag, As, Au, Mo, Sn, Te, Sb, W). The chemical associations vary along strike of the mined-portion of the shear, such that the northwest has high Ag, Au, Mo, Sn, and Te relative to the southeast which has high Sb, W in soil anomalies, hinting at chemical complexity along the shear. The chemical footprint of this deposit is readily identified in the 8 km-spaced grid, considerably expanding the chemical footprint previously inferred from hard-rock studies. Historic orogenic W mines are associated with high As, Au, Bi, W in soil anomalies, and historic Sb mining with high Bi in soil anomalies. Chemical soil anomalies are likely related to the progressive metamorphic breakdown of minerals, especially rutile and pyrite. Several multi-element soil anomalies that are coincident with known orogenic mineralisation, also occur in areas that have not been mined, and explored only at a reconnaissance level. This study demonstrates the importance of normalisation of chemical data in complex geological settings and highlights the value that can be extracted beyond only plotting raw-concentration, single-element maps, and the significant opportunity in multielement studies of soil in mineral exploration for orogenic-style mineralisation.

中文翻译：

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新西兰南部与造山型矿化相关的土壤中标准化和转化探路者元素的区域模式

摘要 对新西兰南部超过 40,000 平方公里的 8 公里间隔样本点收集的 50-70 厘米深度的土壤样品的化学成分进行了分析。九个探路元素（Ag、As、Au、Bi、Mo、Sb、Sn、Te、W）在造山型矿化勘探中非常有用，使用两种不同的矩阵对 z 值进行归一化，以说明岩性和变质等级，在调查区域内差异很大。对相对于已知造山型矿床 (Au ± Sb ± W) 的归一化数据的插值图的询问，突出了不同矿床类型之间以及在不同压力-温度-时间条件下矿化的类似矿床类型之间的化学关联。沿海德-麦克雷斯剪切带积极开采造山型金矿与具有区域意义的、多元素土壤异常（Ag、As、Au、Mo、Sn、Te、Sb、W）。化学组合随着剪切的开采部分的走向而变化，因此西北具有高 Ag、Au、Mo、Sn 和 Te 相对于东南具有高 Sb、W 的土壤异常，暗示沿线的化学复杂性剪切。该矿床的化学足迹在 8 公里间隔的网格中很容易识别，大大扩展了先前从硬岩研究中推断出的化学足迹。历史造山带 W 矿与土壤异常中的高 As、Au、Bi、W 和历史性 Sb 开采与土壤异常中的高 Bi 相关。化学土壤异常可能与矿物的逐渐变质分解有关，尤其是金红石和黄铁矿。几种与已知造山带矿化相一致的多元素土壤异常，也发生在尚未开采的地区，仅在侦察级别进行探索。这项研究证明了在复杂地质环境中化学数据标准化的重要性，并强调了可以提取的价值，而不仅仅是绘制原始浓度、单元素图，以及在造山型矿物勘探中土壤多元素研究的重要机会矿化。