Spatial statistical analysis of the distribution of komatiite-hosted nickel sulfide deposits in the kalgoorlie terrane, western Australia: clustered or not?

The spatial distribution of mineral deposits is a critical component of predictive estimation of undiscovered mineral resources. Nickel sulfide deposits in the Kalgoorlie terrane of Western Australia, the world’s premier province for komatiite-hosted nickel sulfide deposits, are generally perceive...

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Main Authors: Mamuse, Antony, Porwal, Alok, Kreuzer, Oliver, Beresford, Steve
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Society of Economic Geologists 2016
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Online Access:http://espace.library.curtin.edu.au/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=147762&local_base
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author Mamuse, Antony
Porwal, Alok
Kreuzer, Oliver
Beresford, Steve
author_facet Mamuse, Antony
Porwal, Alok
Kreuzer, Oliver
Beresford, Steve
author_sort Mamuse, Antony
collection DSpace
description The spatial distribution of mineral deposits is a critical component of predictive estimation of undiscovered mineral resources. Nickel sulfide deposits in the Kalgoorlie terrane of Western Australia, the world’s premier province for komatiite-hosted nickel sulfide deposits, are generally perceived to be clustered. We apply distance-based spatial analysis methods (nearest neighbor and K function) to determine the spatial distribution pattern of nickel sulfide deposits in the Kalgoorlie terrane. Results of these spatial analyses indicate the komatiite bodies that contain the nickel sulfide deposits in the terrane are clustered. In contrast, nickel sulfide deposits within komatiite bodies are either randomly distributed or dispersed and not clustered. Therefore, the apparent clustering of nickel sulfide deposits within the Kalgoorlie terrane may be a mere expression of the underlying clustering of the host komatiite bodies. These findings have two main implications: (1) nickel exploration models implemented through area selection based on localization controls of favorable komatiite bodies, followed by direct detection of deposits within komatiite bodies have spatio-statistical validity, and (2) a Poisson distribution could be a plausible initial model for predicting the number of nickel sulfide deposits within a komatiite body.
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spelling ir-11408-9222022-06-27T13:49:06Z Spatial statistical analysis of the distribution of komatiite-hosted nickel sulfide deposits in the kalgoorlie terrane, western Australia: clustered or not? Mamuse, Antony Porwal, Alok Kreuzer, Oliver Beresford, Steve Spatial distribution Mineral resources The spatial distribution of mineral deposits is a critical component of predictive estimation of undiscovered mineral resources. Nickel sulfide deposits in the Kalgoorlie terrane of Western Australia, the world’s premier province for komatiite-hosted nickel sulfide deposits, are generally perceived to be clustered. We apply distance-based spatial analysis methods (nearest neighbor and K function) to determine the spatial distribution pattern of nickel sulfide deposits in the Kalgoorlie terrane. Results of these spatial analyses indicate the komatiite bodies that contain the nickel sulfide deposits in the terrane are clustered. In contrast, nickel sulfide deposits within komatiite bodies are either randomly distributed or dispersed and not clustered. Therefore, the apparent clustering of nickel sulfide deposits within the Kalgoorlie terrane may be a mere expression of the underlying clustering of the host komatiite bodies. These findings have two main implications: (1) nickel exploration models implemented through area selection based on localization controls of favorable komatiite bodies, followed by direct detection of deposits within komatiite bodies have spatio-statistical validity, and (2) a Poisson distribution could be a plausible initial model for predicting the number of nickel sulfide deposits within a komatiite body. 2016-04-20T11:39:08Z 2016-04-20T11:39:08Z 2010 Article 0361-0128 http://espace.library.curtin.edu.au/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=147762&local_base en Economic Geology;Vol. 105, p. 229–242 none Society of Economic Geologists
spellingShingle Spatial distribution
Mineral resources
Mamuse, Antony
Porwal, Alok
Kreuzer, Oliver
Beresford, Steve
Spatial statistical analysis of the distribution of komatiite-hosted nickel sulfide deposits in the kalgoorlie terrane, western Australia: clustered or not?
title Spatial statistical analysis of the distribution of komatiite-hosted nickel sulfide deposits in the kalgoorlie terrane, western Australia: clustered or not?
title_full Spatial statistical analysis of the distribution of komatiite-hosted nickel sulfide deposits in the kalgoorlie terrane, western Australia: clustered or not?
title_fullStr Spatial statistical analysis of the distribution of komatiite-hosted nickel sulfide deposits in the kalgoorlie terrane, western Australia: clustered or not?
title_full_unstemmed Spatial statistical analysis of the distribution of komatiite-hosted nickel sulfide deposits in the kalgoorlie terrane, western Australia: clustered or not?
title_short Spatial statistical analysis of the distribution of komatiite-hosted nickel sulfide deposits in the kalgoorlie terrane, western Australia: clustered or not?
title_sort spatial statistical analysis of the distribution of komatiite-hosted nickel sulfide deposits in the kalgoorlie terrane, western australia: clustered or not?
topic Spatial distribution
Mineral resources
url http://espace.library.curtin.edu.au/R/?func=dbin-jump-full&object_id=147762&local_base
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