Utilising geochemical data for the identification and characterisation of mineral exploration sample media within cover sequence materials.

A first pass workflow for placing cover sequence materials into four broad lithological groups using A-CNK-FM (Al₂O₃-CaOþNa₂OþK₂O-Fe₂O₃þMgO) and A-CN-K (Al₂O₃-CaOþNa₂O-K₂O) ternary diagrams in conjunction with the SiO₂ vs Al₂O₃, Fe₂O₃ and CaO plus the Ca versus Sr XY diagrams has been derived from lithological logging and laboratory whole-rock geochemistry of 2346 samples. These lithological groups include siliciclastics (quartz sands and clays), weathered material, carbonate lithologies (marine limestone, pedogenic carbonate and compositions intermediate between the two end members) and ferruginous lithologies (including ferricrete and ferruginous sediments). Depositional, weathering and groundwater processes influence sample geochemistry during or after the formation of the material and will influence where the sample will plot on the geochemical diagrams used in this study. Geochemical data for discrete lithologies targeted during sampling (e.g. carbonate lithologies) clusters on diagrams used in the geochemical workflow, whereas data from targeted stratigraphic horizons (e.g. basement-cover interface) are more variable. The ability to characterise rock types that are texturally defined using the geochemical workflow is limited. For instance, the geochemistry of diamictite/conglomerate samples is dependent on the matrix versus clast content and composition as well as the source rock and catchment area. This workflow has the potential to be applied in a mineral exploration environment for rapid interpretation of real-time geochemical (e.g. portable XRF) data to gain an understanding of background geochemistry and geochemical signatures that may be related to underlying mineralisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]