Fractal Characteristics of Fault Structures and Their Use for Mapping Ore‐prospecting Potential in the Qitianling Area, Southern Hunan Province, China

AbstractQuantitative analyses of the spatial distribution of fault structures can provide a theoretical basis for forecasting prospective ore deposits. Characteristics and complexity of fault structure distribution in the Qitianling area, Southern Hunan Province, China, were quantitatively calculated and appraised by fractal and multifractal methods to evaluate the relation between fault structures and ore‐prospecting potential. The results show that the lengths of faults can be modeled as multifractals. Multifractal spectra evidently reflect the characteristics of the scaling of fault structures. The box‐counting dimension value (D) of fault structures is equal to 1.656, as indicates complexity of the spatial distribution of faults and favorable structural conditions for the formation of ore deposits. Moreover, the D values of sub‐regions were calculated and isopleths of their fractal dimension values were plotted accordingly. Overlay analyses of isopleths of fractal dimension values and distributions of known ore deposits show that areas with the larger fractal dimension values of fault structures have more ore deposits. This spatial coupling relationship between D values and ore deposits can be used to forecast and explore other ore deposits. On the basis of complexity theory for ore‐forming systems, three exploration targets with high D values were delineated as prospective ore deposits.