wAbstract
@This paper discusses the spatial distribution of gold, uranium,
and base metal (copper, lead and zinc) endowment of mineralized
regions. Cumulative frequency curves (called endowment curves)
are used to characterize metal endowment of cratons, of terrains
within cratons and of districts within terranes. The analysis
shows that the endowment curves of cratons, terranes and districts
which contain super-giant deposits differ from those which do
not host such deposits. On size (tonnage of metal, x-axis) vs.
quantile (, y-axis) plots the endowment curves of cratons, terranes
and districts with high endowment (hosting giant or super-giant
deposits) display a uniform shift in the direction of larger deposits.
The shift is generally uniform indicating the even smaller deposits
in cratons, terranes and districts with high endowment are larger
than those in cratons, regions and districts with relatively low
endowment. This supports the conclusion that craton- and terrane-scale
features most probably determine the metal endowment of both high-
and low-endowment regions. The difference in the metal endowment
of cratons, terranes and districts reflect the difference in the
intensity and duration of metal accumulation caused by a much
larger system of energy and mass flux (i.e., mineral system).
Mineral districts with a single giant or super-giant deposit represent
areas where the mineral system was not only fertile but highly
focused or concentrated. Head/total and head/tail metal ratios
in mineral districts provide an estimate of how focused the mineral
system was in a particular area.
Keywords: Metal endowment; mineral deposits; World-class deposit;
Giant deposit; Super-giant depositx
1. Introduction
2. Source of global resource data
3. Endowment curves
4. Comparing endowment of cratons and provinces
5. Comparing endowment of terranes and belts within cratons and
provinces
6. Comparing endowment of mineral districts and fields within
terranes and belts
7. Discussion
8. Conclusions
Acknowledgments
References