Gold Mineral Potential Evaluation Using Integrated Aeromagnetic and Aeroradiometric Datasets in the Nong Son – Da Nang Area, Vietnam

The Nong Son – Da Nang area, located in the Central Region of Vietnam, is geologically diverse and rich in various types of mineral resources, with gold mineralization being the most prominent. In this study, magnetic anomaly data and radiometric data (including gamma radiation intensity, the concentrations of potassium, thorium, and uranium) were integrated with the distribution of surface exposed gold occurrences to construct a prospectivity map of gold mineralization zones in the study area. The horizontal gradient method applied to the vertical derivative of the residual magnetic anomaly field at a depth of h = -2600 m, combined with magnetic anomaly field inversion, was employed to identify structural features associated with gold mineralization zones. The fault system in the area is characterized by sub-latitudinal faults (Tam Ky-Phuoc Son fault, Tra Bong-Tra My fault), sub-longitudinal faults (Poko fault), as well as secondary faults trending in the northwest-southeast and northeast-southwest directions. Based on the correlation coefficients between thorium and potassium (ranging from 0.4 to 0.6), in combination with data on surface-exposed gold mineralization points, the author has delineated 11 potential gold mineralization zones. These zones are primarily confined within the influence of major fault systems, including the Tam Ky-Phuoc Son fault in the north, the Tra Bong-Tra My fault in the south, the Poko fault in the west, and along or near the boundaries of secondary fault systems. Results from inverse magnetic anomaly field analysis along profile AB indicate that these prospective zones are predominantly located within Proterozoic metamorphic rocks, which exhibit low magnetic susceptibility values ranging from (7 ÷ 21) × 10⁻³ (SI).