A multifractal analysis of mineralization characteristics of the Dayingezhuang disseminated-veinlet gold deposit in the Jiaodong gold province of China

The gold concentration distributions along drifts in the Dayingezhuang fault-controlled, disseminated-veinlet gold deposit in the Jiaodong gold province, eastern China has been analyzed using a multifractal technique with the aim of better understanding the ore-forming processes. Some intensely mineralized areas show small gold singularities representing compact concentration distributions, which is resulted from intense stress release and development of abundant microfractures with various sizes. Several intensely and moderately mineralized areas are characterized by isolated distributions of lower concentrations, suggesting that only relatively large microfractures locally develop resulted from less intense stress release. Some barely and moderately mineralized areas show isolated distributions of higher concentrations, due to occurrences of only a few fractures or large microfracture. Most barely mineralized areas are characterized by dense concentrations distributions, because the widespread development of relatively small microfractures caused by weak stress release, thus making the areas unsuitable for gold deposition. These characteristics reflect that variable development of the structures is responsible for different gold mineralization within the deposit. The ratios between the singularity a(q) and its fractal dimension f(a(q)) for the different drifts vary similarly as q ≤ − 0.8 or q ≥ 0.8. Thus, from the multifractal viewpoint, it is suggested that gold enrichment processes are consistent in both mineralized and barely mineralized areas despite their differing mineral intensities.