Portable X-ray fluorescence and clustering methods applied to mineral exploration: the significance and nature of Batigelas anomaly (Ossa-Morena Zone - Cabeço de Vide, Portugal)

Abstract

Batigelas is a mineral occurrence in the Alter do Chão-Elvas Sector of the Ossa-Morena Zone that was studied by the Serviço de Fomento Mineiro, including soil geochemistry and terrestrial geophysics, revealing anomalous metal contents combined with contrasting magnetic values. The results obtained justified the execution of a cored drill hole. New soil geochemistry campaign, using a portable X-ray fluorescence, has yielded new detailed results, with a set of elemental analysis for the region. The application of clustering methods (hierarchical and k-means clustering) to the analyses allowed to detail not only the initial anomaly identified, but also to discriminate the outcropping lithological units in the region. The obtained results highlight the presence of a cryptic Zn-Pb anomalous occurrence, thus emphasizing the importance of these techniques in mineral exploration campaigns, providing new exploration pathfinders.