TEM observation of geogas-carried particles from the Changkeng concealed gold deposit, Guangdong Province, South China

Geogas prospecting is a relatively new technique in exploration for deep-seated and concealed mineral deposits. Now, the technique is to reveal the presence of concealed ore bodies by analyzing the element concentrations of substances that are transported by geogas from concealed ore bodies to the Earth's surface. However, the element concentrations provide us with limited information about the concealed ore bodies. In our work, to investigate the category, size, shape, chemical component of geogas particles, copper grids for transmission electron microscopy measurement were directly used to capture the geogas-carried solid particles in Quaternary sediments overlying the Changkeng concealed gold deposit, Guangdong Province, South China. In the samples, we found Au, PbSO4, WO3, Fe2O3, SiO2, TiO2, and Al2O3 particles, etc. using a transmission electron microscopy. Of which, gold particles, and Hg-, Zn-, Pb-, W-bearing particles may originate from concealed ore bodies and can provide more direct information than those provided by element concentrations.