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A Predictive Geospatial Exploration Model for Mississippi Valley Type Pb–Zn Mineralization in the Southeast Missouri Lead District

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Abstract

The Pb–Zn sulfide concentrations hosted by dolomitized Cambrian carbonates in Southeast Missouri are world-class Mississippi Valley Type (MVT) deposits. These deposits commonly are in sites where local Precambrian basement highs resulted in depositional pinchouts of the basal Cambrian sandstones that served as a regional aquifer for basinal fluid migration driven by late Paleozoic Ouachita deformation. Mineralization also appears to be spatially related to regional faults that probably served as local fluid conduits. Understanding spatial associations between sites of known mineralization and regional geology, geochemistry, and geophysics in Southeast Missouri will be a useful guide in future exploration efforts in this region and for similar geologic settings globally. The weights-of-evidence method is used to evaluate regional geology, geochemistry, and geophysical datasets and produce favorability maps for MVT deposits in Southeast Missouri. Host rock characteristics, regional structural controls, stream sediment geochemistry, and proximity to basement highs appear to be the most useful data for predicting the location of the major deposits. This work illustrates the potential utility of mineral potential modeling to prioritize areas for exploration and identify permissive areas for undiscovered MVT mineralization.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by funding from student research grants from the Society of Economic Geologists McKinstry Fund and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists Donald F. Towse Memorial Grant. Additional support was provided by the III C. E. Yager Professorship of the Jackson School of Geosciences and by the State of Texas Advanced Resource Recovery Program through the Bureau of Economic Geology, Mineral Resources Program.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Geological Sciences, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, 2275 Speedway, C9000, EPS 1.130, Austin, TX, 78712, USA

    Nathan D. Williams & J. Richard Kyle

  2. The Bureau of Economic Geology, Jackson School of Geosciences, The University of Texas at Austin, University Station, Box X, Austin, TX, 78713-8924, USA

    Brent A. Elliott & J. Richard Kyle

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  1. Nathan D. Williams
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Correspondence to Nathan D. Williams.

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Williams, N.D., Elliott, B.A. & Kyle, J.R. A Predictive Geospatial Exploration Model for Mississippi Valley Type Pb–Zn Mineralization in the Southeast Missouri Lead District. Nat Resour Res 29, 285–310 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11053-020-09618-2

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