Delineation of supergene enrichment, hypogene and oxidation zones utilizing staged factor analysis and fractal modeling in Takht-e-Gonbad porphyry deposit, SE Iran

• Delineation of the different mineralized zones by subsurface data and using SFA and C-V fractal modeling.
• Results obtained by SFA reveal that Cu and Mo were situated in a factor as F1-5.
• The delineated zones via the SFA and C-V fractal model were correlated with geological zonation models.

The aim of this study is to delineate the different mineralized zones consisting of supergene enrichment hypogene and oxidation zones in Takht-e-Gonbad porphyry Cu deposit (SE Iran), subsurface data and using the staged factor analysis (SFA) and concentration–volume (C–V) fractal modeling. Results obtained by SFA reveal that Cu and Mo were situated in a factor as F1–5 which was modeled by C–V fractal modeling for separation of the mineralized zones. The supergene enrichment zone obtained by the SFA and C–V fractal modeling contains 1.16% for Cu and 241 ppm for Mo. Moreover, the hypogene zone derived via the SFA and C–V fractal modeling has Cu and Mo mean values of 0.65% and 109 ppm. These mineralized zones were correlated with geological models utilizing logratio matrix which indicate that the obtained zones based on the SFA and C–V fractal model are consistent with the geological models. The results derived via logratio matrix reveal overlapping between geological and mathematical models. As a result, combination of the C–V fractal modeling and SFA can be used to delineate mineralized zones based on multivariate data.