Review of the use of magnetic concentrates in geochemical exploration
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Abstract
Magnetic concentrates recovered readily by hand magnet from alluvial sediments or panned concentrates have been used successfully in exploration as a geochemical sample medium for Cu, Zn, Co, Cr, Mo, Ni, V, Sn, and Be, particularly in arid environments where alluvial sediments may be contaminated by aeolian debris. Opportunity for this use arose recently as chemical and spectrographic techniques were developed to determine the abundances of a variety of trace elements in Fe-rich media. The use of analytical data from magnetic concentrates was introduced as one of several anomaly-enhancement techniques based on heavy minerals and intended to identify blind ore deposits. An extensive literature, reviewed here, on the relation of the chemical composition of the mineral magnetite, a main component of magnetic concentrates, to geologic conditions of origin, facilitates the interpretation of trace-element data in the context of association with ore deposits.
| Publication type | Report |
|---|---|
| Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Title | Review of the use of magnetic concentrates in geochemical exploration |
| Series title | Open-File Report |
| Series number | 85-541 |
| DOI | 10.3133/ofr85541 |
| Year Published | 1985 |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | U.S. Geological Survey |
| Publisher location | Reston, VA |
| Description | i, 38 p. ;28 cm. |
| Online Only (Y/N) | N |
| Additional Online Files (Y/N) | N |
| Google Analytic Metrics | Metrics page |