Mineralogical and geochemical characterization of surface soils and waste piles collected in the Preguiça-Vila Ruiva mining area

Abstract

The Preguiça and Vila Ruiva mines, located in the Ossa Morena Zone, Beja district, were explored for Fe-Zn-Pb in the early and mid-20th century. This study aims to reassess their mining potential by creating geochemical maps using modern exploration techniques combined with petrographic and mineralogical analyses. These maps resulted from field measurements obtained by portable X-ray fluorescence (XRF-P) equipment. The geochemical mapping shows that the Zn, Pb, and Fe anomalies correspond to the waste rock piles presenting, however, variations in their spatial distribution. Spatially concordant anomalies of Fe, Co, Cr, and V were detected in the soil NW of the Preguiça mine.