Geochemical fingerprinting of typical giant deposits in the Central Asian metallogenic domain: case studies of the Muruntau gold deposit and the Almalyk porphyry copper deposit

WANG Xueqiu; XIE Miao; LIU Qingqing; JING Xiuming

doi:10.12090/j.issn.1006-6616.2026134

Volume 32 Issue 5

Oct. 2026

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WANG X Q，XIE M，LIU Q Q，et al.，2026. Geochemical fingerprinting of typical giant deposits in the Central Asian metallogenic domain: case studies of the Muruntau gold deposit and the Almalyk porphyry copper deposit[J]. Journal of Geomechanics，32（5）：1192−1205 doi: 10.12090/j.issn.1006-6616.2026134

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Geochemical fingerprinting of typical giant deposits in the Central Asian metallogenic domain: case studies of the Muruntau gold deposit and the Almalyk porphyry copper deposit

doi: 10.12090/j.issn.1006-6616.2026134

WANG Xueqiu^{1, 2
,
,},
XIE Miao^{1, 2
,},
LIU Qingqing^{1, 2
,},
JING Xiuming^{1, 2
,}

1.
Key Laboratory of Geochemical Exploration, Ministry of Natural Resources, Langfang 065000, Hebei, China
2.
Institute of Geophysical and Geochemical Exploration, Chinese Academy of Geological Sciences (CAGS), Tianjin 300300, China

Funds: This research was financially supported by the Geoscience Joint Fund Project of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. U2244219) and the Geological Survey Project of the China Geological Survey (Grant No. DD20230900901).

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Author Bio:
王学求，中国地质科学院地球物理地球化学勘查研究所研究员、首席科学家，博士生导师。2025年获得第十九次李四光地质科学奖科研奖。主要从事矿产勘查地球化学和全球地球化学基准研究。发展金矿勘查地球化学理论技术，直接用于发现西部覆盖区大型金矿16处；首次制作全国16个稀土元素地球化学图，建立中重稀土矿定量勘查评价标志，发现大型稀土矿4处；发起化学地球国际大科学计划，建立覆盖全球陆地面积三分之一的地球化学基准网，发挥了国际引领作用。获得国家科技进步奖二等奖1项，省部级科技奖4项，发表论文323余篇（SCI论文123篇，引证11000余次），出版著作2部，获发明专利7项。入选“国家百千万人才工程国家级人选”，国务院政府特贴专家，荣获国际应用地球化学家学会（AAG）金奖、全国五一劳动奖章等荣誉。现任国际应用地球化学家协会理事，国际地质科学联合会全球地球化学基准值委员会执行主席，联合国教科文组织全球尺度地球化学国际中心首席科学家
Received: 2026-09-09
Revised: 2026-10-09
Accepted: 2026-10-09

Available Online: 2026-10-09

Published: 2026-10-28

Abstract

Abstract

Objective The Central Asian Metallogenic Domain is rich in mineral resources. Geochemical metal-content surveys conducted during the Soviet era led to the discovery of the Muruntau gold deposit, the world’s second-largest gold deposit, and the Almalyk porphyry copper deposit, the largest porphyry copper deposit in the Central Asian Metallogenic Domain. Research on their geochemical characteristics is of significance for finding similar deposits in China. Methods Geochemical characteristics were investigated at both regional and deposit scales to characterize the distribution and spatial relationships of geochemical anomalies in the two deposits. Results In the Muruntau gold deposit, soil and rock-fragment geochemical surveys in areas covered by residual and colluvial materials, as well as penetrating geochemical surveys in peneplained areas covered by aeolian sand, effectively delineated geochemical anomalies. At the regional scale, Au, As, Sb, Hg, Pt, and Pd anomalies showed strong spatial overlap, with exceptionally high concentrations along the ore-controlling anticline and in carbonaceous wall rocks. At the deposit scale, pronounced Au and As anomalies occurred above the main orebodies. The Almalyk porphyry copper deposit exhibited a distinct geochemical anomaly pattern. At the regional scale, Cu–Mo–Au–Pb–Zn multielement anomalies showed substantial spatial overlap. At the deposit scale, the anomalies displayed a distinct concentric zoning pattern, with Mo forming the inner zone, Cu–Au the intermediate zone, and Pb–Zn the outer zone. Conclusions The two deposits represent distinct types of giant deposits in the Central Asian Metallogenic Domain, each characterized by specific geochemical signatures and prospecting indicators. Significance These findings provide a reference for exploring similar deposits in the Xinjiang region of China, from regional target selection to deposit-scale exploration.
- Central Asian Metallogenic Domain,
- geochemical characteristics,
- Muruntau gold deposit,
- Almalyk porphyry copper deposit,
- penetrative geological survey

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