Regional geochemistry of Sanjiang region in Yunnan Province and its copper-polymetallic prospecting significance

Based on the scale of 1 ∶ 200 000 regional geochemical exploration data obtained from Sanjiang region in Yunnan Province, this paper describes geochemical characteristics and the potential of mineral resources in combination with the regional geology and met-allogenic regularity, and discusses the key elements related to copper and copper-polymetallic deposits. The metallogenic elements in the area mainly include Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd, Ag, As, Sb, Hg, Be, W, Sn and Bi, some of which are copper-associated metal elements, such as Cu, Pb, Zn, Cd, Ag, As, Sb and Hg are related to magmatic activities and sedimentary and hydrothermal alteration. Above all, the copper target areas for exploration in near future are delineated, which include five Grade Ⅰ areas, six Grade Ⅱ areas and three Grade Ⅲ areas according to the three typical copper or copper-polymetallic deposit models for filtering and evaluation by GIS technology.