4. Application Case 1: Quantitative Prediction of Copper Resources in the Southern Margin of the North China Craton

The southern margin of the North China craton, characterized by a platform-type double-layer crust structure with a complex geological evolution history, represents a typical northern craton land block and is an important area for copper resource in China. Based on the systematical summary of the Precambrian geological evolution in the region, this chapter categorizes the main types and metallogenic periods of copper deposits, and analyzes and summarizes the accumulation process and post-mineralization preservation conditions. A prospecting model for copper deposits on the southern margin of the North China craton is established and The GIS platform is utilized to quantitatively extract favorable metallogenic information which is kept by the metallogenic process including the material source, the mi gration channel, the accumulation space, the ore-induced anomaly, etc., as well as to analyze post-mineralization preservation conditions quantitatively in this chapter. Based on quantitative analysis results of the metallogenic process, two Grade A_s (A_2-1, A_2-2) and two Grade B_s (B_2-1, B_2-2) prospective areas are proposed. Subsequently, mineral resources are predicted by using the Deposit Model method resulting in the delineation of five prospective areas (three Grade A_s: A_3-1, A_3-2, A_3-3; two Grade B_s: B_2-1, B_2-2). The prospective areas identified through both prediction methods exhibit significant overlap or adjacency with known deposits indicating favorable metallogenic conditions and great potential for the prospecting of copper resource.