Geoelectrical Characteristics of Gold-Ore Deposits of the Upper Priamurye Region

Abstract

The results of measurements of the electrical properties of rocks and induced polarization surveying are analyzed for three gold-ore deposits including the Bamskoe, Berezitovoe, and Pokrovka in the Upper Priamurye region. The spatial correlation is shown between mineralization zones and contrasting resistivity boundaries mapped within the gold-ore fields. The assumption is validated that the blocks of high-resistivity rocks have minimal permeability and therefore they were able to act as screens affecting the hydrodynamic features of the hydrothermal system at the stages of deposit formation and at the stages of mineralization formation. This makes such geoelectrical boundaries an important element for exploration, which should be accounted for when interpreting electric prospecting data. The induced polarization survey establishes a diverse interpretation of the polarizability anomalies within the gold-ore fields and a lack of correlation between ranges of increased induced polarization values and gold-ore mineralization. Methods for evaluating polarizability anomalies are proposed.