A PIXE/PIGE study of gold mineralisation in lateritic terrain, Tanami Desert, Australia

Proton induced X-ray and γ-ray emission (PIXE/PIGE) have been used to analyze major and trace elements in a suite of 140 core samples from around of the Jim's Find South gold anomaly in the Tanami desert, located in heavily weathered terrain. Simultaneous analyses were obtained for 30 elements, ranging in atomic number from 3Li to 90Th. The method was chosen because of its speed and the wide range of determination, its flexibility, precision and low detection limits. The regolith powder samples were treated by hot aqua regia before making them into pills. The PIXE/PIGE data of the acid insoluble residue give three factor analysis clusters. The first cluster comprises the elements F, Al, K, V, Mn, Fe, Ga, Rb, W and Au and is essentially related to sericitic wallrock alteration. The second cluster consists of Ti, As, Y, Zr, and Nb and is largely related to resistant minerals. The third cluster consists of Na, Ca and Sr and is interpreted to comprise elements in weatherable minerals such as feldspar and thus represents weathering intensity. While the Rb/K ratio and the product of As x Cu x Ni provide the best surface expression of the gold mineralisation, the Rb/AI ratio provides the best expression of the sericitic alteration around the ore body