Study on surficial soil geochemistry in the high-elevation and -frigid mountainous region: A case of Qulong porphyry copper deposit in Tibet

- Study on soil geochemistry in the high elevation-frigid mountainous region.
- A case study on the soil geochemistry of Qulong porphyry copper deposit in Tibet.
- Chemical weathering is obvious in the high elevation-frigid mountainous region.
- From rock to topsoil, pathfinder elements have different degrees of enrichment.
- The pilot study reveals the geochemical zoning feature of the deposit.

In order to understand soil geochemical exploration in the environment of the high-elevation and -frigid mountainous regions, in this paper, a case study was conducted at Qulong porphyry copper deposit that is located in Tibet Plateau, China. The results show that the contents of As, Sb, Bi, Cu, Mo, Pb increased gradually from coarse soil fraction to fine fraction in all soil horizons. The distribution of Au, Hg, Ag, Co, Ni, and Na2O shows an asymmetrical V-shaped pattern. The − 20 mesh fraction is the suitable grain size for the soil geochemical exploration to delineate the copper mineralization. From the weathered bedrock to the surface soil layer, the enrichment variations were observed for elements such as Au, Ag, As, Sb, Hg, Pb, Zn, Bi, Mo and W, whereas Mn, Cu, Co, and Na2O leached, and the K2O was content nearly unchanged.