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Spatial Analysis of Airborne Geophysical Data Applied to Geological Mapping and Mineral Prospecting in the Serra Leste Region, Carajás Mineral Province, Brazil

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Abstract

The Serra Leste region, located in the northeast portion of Carajás Mineral Province (PA), hosts important chrome-PGE, Au–Pd–Pt, Cu–Mo–Au, iron, and manganese deposits and occurrences related to different geological settings. We present a regional prospective model with focus on PGE mineralizations based on airborne geophysics (magnetometry, gamma-ray spectrometry and time domain electromagnetometry) and geological data. Geological and geophysics data analysis indicate a plausible correspondence between areas with meta-mafic–ultramafic rocks and low values in gamma spectrometry, mainly for the thorium channel. The meta-ultramafic units of the complexes, the main host rock of the PGE mineralization, are well defined by analytic signal from the anomalous magnetic field and by the apparent conductance anomalies derived from the GEOTEM system. The combination of the derivative products with updated geological data of the Serra Leste region and PGE-Luanga deposit enable to establish a regional prospective model for PGE and the identification of new targets within the studied area.

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Acknowledgments

We are grateful to VALE (formerly CVRD) for providing the airborne geophysical data, access to the area and logistical support. C.R Souza Filho and R.P Xavier acknowledge FAPESP for financial support (Proc. 02/09038-6; Proc. 03/01996-6)) and CNPq for the Research Grants (301.227/94; 300579/92-6). E.P Leite acknowledges FAPESP for the post-doctoral grant (Proc. No. 05/04453-3). A.M. Silva (University of Brasilia) is acknowledged for supporting A.R. Nunes in the early work on geophysical data processing and interpretation.

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  1. Instituto de Geociências, Universidade Estadual de Campinas, P.O. Box 6152, 13083-970, Campinas, SP, Brazil

    Carlos Roberto de Souza Filho, Alfredo Rossetto Nunes, Emilson Pereira Leite, Lena Virgínia Soares Monteiro & Roberto Perez Xavier

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  1. Carlos Roberto de Souza Filho
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Correspondence to Carlos Roberto de Souza Filho.

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de Souza Filho, C.R., Nunes, A.R., Leite, E.P. et al. Spatial Analysis of Airborne Geophysical Data Applied to Geological Mapping and Mineral Prospecting in the Serra Leste Region, Carajás Mineral Province, Brazil. Surv Geophys 28, 377–405 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10712-008-9031-5

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