The Xiaoshan region in western Henan Province is an important Au-Ag-Mo-Cu-Pb-Zn polymetallic ore concentration area in China. The Puzhengou lead-zinc deposit in this region is a hydrothermal type deposit, which is the first lead-zinc deposit discovered on the western margin of the Puzhengou rock mass. This lead-zinc deposit is expected to reach a medium scale, and associated element indium reaches a large scale. The application of multidisciplinary and multi-mean comprehensive prospecting methods can effectively improve the accuracy of geological, geophysical, and geochemical anomaly interpretation. Taking the Puzhengou lead-zinc polymetallic deposit as an example, this work utilized comprehensive geological-geophysical-geochemical information, and first established a prospecting model for hydrothermal vein type lead-zinc polymetallic deposits (associated with rare elements such as indium, thallium, cadmium, etc.) in the east Qinling metallogenic belt. We also summarized the exploration workflow, in an attempt to provide reference and guidance for searching for similar lead-zinc polymetallic deposits in this region. The geochemical characteristics of the deposit are mainly element combination anomalies of lead, zinc and silver, accompanied by anomalies of gold, tungsten, arsenic and molybdenum. The geophysical characteristics of the deposit are weakly polarized and low-to-medium resistivity-dominated IP anomalies. The selection of exploration workflow and method is as follows: first of all, the 1∶200, 000 and 1∶50, 000 stream sediments in the study area were comprehensively studied, in order to narrow the scope of key prospecting targets. Secondly, we selected a combination of soil geochemical exploration and induced polarization gradient profile to verify stream sediment anomalies and further narrow the scope of key target areas. Subsequently, an integrated geological-geochemical method combining rock geochemical profiles and trench sampling was implemented to determine the genesis of soil anomalies and evaluate the mineralization potential within surface fault-related alteration zones. Finally, a geological-geophysical prospecting approach incorporating high-power time-domain induced polarization sounding and drilling was deployed to delineate and confirm the extension of ore bodies at depth.

structural altered zone  /  geophysical-geochemical anomaly  /  ore-prospecting model  /  hydrothermal vein-type Pb-Zn polymetallic deposit  /  Puzhengou  /  Xiaoshan  /  western Henan Province