Multifractal Analysis of Element Distribution in Skarn‐type Deposits in the Shizishan Orefield, Tongling Area, Anhui Province, China

Abstract

AbstractA series of element concentrations sampled from four drill cores with a length about 1000 m into different skarn‐type deposits were selected from the Shizishan orefield, central Tongling, southeastern part of Anhui Province. Using the multifractal method, the distribution and migration characteristics of the major and trace elements are analyzed. The multifractal spectrum of the major elements is left‐skewed, whereas the spectrum of the trace elements is right‐skewed, which shows that in the process of skarn formation, the trace elements were enriched only locally, and major elements transported within a much larger range. The correlation coefficients of the multifractal parameters Δa (width of the multifractal spectrum) of the four drill cores are relatively low, but the correlation coefficients of the multifractal parameters R (spectrum symmetry parameter) and Δf are relatively higher, indicating that although the non‐homogeneous intensity of the distribution of elements is inconsistent, their spatial accumulation patterns are almost the same during the ore‐forming process. The statistics of the multifractal parameters of various elements in the different locations show that the ore‐forming processes and element migration pattern in the Shizishan orefield are consistent, and that the migrations of trace elements and major elements exhibit some differences.