Geochemical and mineralogical pattern recognition and modeling with a Bayesian approach to hydrothermal gold deposits

The Bayesian approach is an effective method of identifying the probability of mineralogical and geochemical type (MGT) mineralization of trace elements in galena, pyrite and other distributions in ore mineralization. Monomineralic samples have been identified using a computer-based Bayesian method and exploration geochemical techniques of Au deposits for MGT. In order to employ the method, a data bank was used consisting of the results of analysis of more than 12,000 monomineralic samples collected from the main hydrothermal Au deposits in Tajikistan (a territory of CIS). The Bayesian approach applied to geochemical data, such as posterior probabilities and discriminant analysis, provide numerical and graphical means through which the relationships between the trace elements and samples can be studied. The method used here, along with GIS, to find MGT can be used as geochemical indicators of regions with Au mineralization. The results of analyzing 100 monomineralic samples of pyrite from the Au–Ag Shkolnoe deposit (Tajikistan) show a multi-MGT anomaly superposition which is a combination of three MGT: (1) Au–Ag type (85% and more), (2) Au–sulfide-polymetallic type (46%), and (3) Au–sulfide type (40%). Mineralogical and geochemical maps (MGM) can be drawn based on results of MGT anomalies in a GIS environment. These maps can replace traditional metallogenic maps. The advantage of MGM substitutions is that a qualitative tool is replaced by a quantitative one. This helps one to make optimal managerial and more economical decisions.