Application of advanced methods of interpreting gravity and seismic data in the exploration of Permian copper ore deposits of the Lower Silesian Basin, Poland

Abstract

The application of modern tools for processing and interpreting geophysical data allows for reinterpretation of geophysical measurements performed in the 20th century. A number of gravity maps drawn with modern frequency filters and extensions of Linsser’s method, along with the conversion of amplitude-based seismic sections into the form of reflection coefficients, enabled investigation of the sub-Zechstein substrate down to a depth of ~10 km. Analysis of the deep geological structure resulted in the identification of a “pseudo-batholith”, which was probably critical in the formation of copper and silver deposits in the Lower Silesian Basin. Comprehensive processing of effective reflection coefficient sections, transformed gravity maps and vertical gravimetric cross-sections identified the arrangement of sub-Zechstein rocks and the hypothetical morphology of the “pseudo-batholith”. A combination of new geophysical information, with knowledge of the Nowa Sól deposit and geochemical analyses, was used to demarcate new exploration areas, narrowed down to a ~10–15 km wide zone extending parallel to the southwestern slope of the “pseudo-batholith”.