Research on Location and Prediction Technology of Fluorite Deposits in Shallow Desert Coverage Area

The Beishan region, located in the northwest of China, is a significant fluorite metallogenic belt. Despite favorable metallogenic geological conditions in the area, the Gobi Desert's shallow cover layers result in minimal outcrops at the surface. Therefore, comprehensive geophysical studies are necessary to explore the regional metallogenetic potentiality and locate mineral veins beneath the cover layers. An example of this exploration is the Huashitou area in the eastern segment of the Beishan metallogenic belt. A combination of high-precision magnetic, induced polarization-resistivity, ground gamma-ray spectrometry, portable X-ray fluorescence analysis, and audio-magnetotelluric (AMT) survey was used for comprehensive exploration. The area-based induced polarization and magnetic methods effectively identified the distribution of hidden mineral-bearing spaces, while ground gamma-ray spectrometry and portable X-ray fluorescence analysis constrained the mineralization anomalies of deposit spaces. The AMT survey established a deep structure model of the occurrence of concealed fluorite deposits, and its validity was evaluated through engineering verification methods. This study establishes a comprehensive geological-geophysical location prediction technique and method combination that can provide theoretical and technical support for the positioning and prediction of fluorite deposits in the Beishan metallogenic belt and shallow cover areas in the Gobi Desert.