Data-driven based logistic function and prediction-area plot for mineral prospectivity mapping: a case study from the eastern margin of Qinling orogenic belt, central China

he present work combines data-driven based logistic function with prediction-area plot for delineating target areas of orogenic gold deposits in eastern margin of Qinling metallogenic belt, central China. Firstly, the values of geological and geochemical information layer were transformed into a series of fuzzy numbers with a range of 0-1 through a data-driven based logistic function on the basis of mineralization theory of the orogenic gold deposits. Secondly, the prediction-area(P-A) plot was performed on the above evidence layers and their corresponding fuzzy overlay layers to pick out a proper prediction scheme for mineral prospectivity mapping(MPM) based on the known gold occurrences. What’s more, to further prove the advantages of this method, we also used a knowledge-driven approach for comparison purpose. Finally, with the concentration-area(C-A) fractal model, the fractal thresholds were determined and a mineral prospecting map was generated. The result, five of the six known gold deposits are located in high and moderate potential areas (accounts for 18.6 % of the study area), one in low potential area (accounts for 38.4 % of the study area) and none in weak potential area (accounts for 43 % of the study area), confirmed the joint application of data-driven based logistic function and prediction-area plot a simple, effective and low-cost method for mineral prospectivity mapping, which can be a guidance for further work in the research area.