Xueqiu Wang

• PhD
• Senior Researcher at Institute of Geophysical and Geochemical Exploration

Ion-adsorption rare-earth deposits supply over 90% of the global market’s heavy rare-earth elements (HREEs). The genesis of these deposits, particularly HREE deposits, has garnered significant attention. To elucidate the metallogenic mechanisms of HREE deposits, a comprehensive study of the weathering profile of granite was conducted in Jiangxi Pro...

Spatial–temporal variation in soil organic carbon is an important factor for national targets to mitigate climate change and land degradation impacts. In this research, we took Guangdong Province of China as the study area, evaluated the spatial–temporal distributions of soil organic carbon using data from three China Geochemical Baseline projects...

Geogas-carried metal prospecting, an integral part of deep-penetrating geochemistry, is potentially effective in the geochemical exploration of concealed ore deposits. However, its principles and applicability remain controversial. This study summarizes and discusses the progress in geogas-carried metal prospecting in China. The method comprises th...

Understanding the temporal–spatial distribution and influencing factors of heavy metals on a regional scale is crucial for assessing the anthropogenic impacts and natural variations in elemental geochemical behavior. This study evaluated the spatial distributions of the heavy metals As, Cd, Pb, and Zn as well as the driving mechanisms over the past...

Understanding the impact of different industrial activities on heavy metals and conducting scientific ecological risk assessments are critical to the management of heavy metal pollution. The present study compared soils affected by different industrial activities in three types of industrial cities (coal city, oil-gas city, and economic city) to co...

In this study, the regional spatial-temporal variability of cadmium (Cd) in the topsoil of Guangxi, China from 2010 to 2016 was studied from data obtained from the China Geochemical Baseline Project (CGB Ⅰ and CGB Ⅱ). The driving forces of natural and anthropogenic variables were quantitatively analyzed using a geographically and temporally weighte...

The environmental quality of the sediments in karst areas is a common concern, and it is of great significance to analyze the sources of the sediments. This study investigates the sources and its temporal variations of catchment sediments in a typical small karst watershed area. Toxic metal concentrations in the catchment area were monitored via th...

Niobium (Nb) and tantalum (Ta), which are chemical twins with very similar geochemical properties, are critical mineral resources for emerging global industries. Owing to increasing demands, understanding their concentrations and distributions in the pedosphere is essential for assessing potential Nb and Ta resources in China. To address this, we u...

There has been an increasing demand for manganese (Mn) in modern industries for the production of steel and power batteries in China. However, the lack of Mn reserves and poor quality of Mn resources in China have increased dependence on imported Mn. Therefore, it is essential to understand the concentration and distribution of Mn throughout China....

Geochemical baselines are crucial to explore mineral resources and monitor environmental changes. This study presents the first Laos geochemical baseline values of 69 elements. The National-scale Geochemical Mapping Project of Lao People’s Democratic Republic conducted comprehensive stream sediment sampling across Laos, yielding 2079 samples collec...

The gold particles induced geochemical anomaly shows good potential for the prospecting of gold deposits all around world. Most of the discovered gold resources are located at geochemical related anomaly area in Jiaodong, which are associated with Micro-to nanoscale particle matter. However, it has been known little about the relationship between t...

Geochemical background is the basis of anomaly evaluation in mineral exploration and environmental investigation. However, the background value obtained from secondary media is inevitably affected by weathering, transportation, and sorting, which leads to secondary depletion or enrichment of chemical elements. This problem can be avoided by the geo...

With the acceleration of urbanization and industrialization, soil heavy metal pollution has become a serious problem threatening ecological security. Identification of influencing factors on the variations and distribution of heavy metals in soils becomes a critical problem to be solved. Here, the geographical detector (geodetector) method was appl...

The China Geochemical Baselines (CGB) project obtained harmonious geochemical baseline data covering all of China and provided reliable data for 76 elements, including chlorine, from 3382 top (0–25 cm) and 3380 deep (>100 cm) sediment or alluvial soil samples. Chlorine concentrations were determined by X-ray fluorescence spectrometry under strict q...

There is a growing demand for sensitive penetrating geochemical techniques for prospecting transported covered terrains. However, it is difficult to determine whether geochemical anomalies are the result of deep-seated orebodies or lateral transportation. It remains unclear how metal elements migrate through the concealed layer to the surface, whic...

Loess-covered landscapes occupy a large area of the globe and have substantially high potential for mineral exploration; however, as mineral information is obscured by loess cover, suitable prospecting techniques need to be applied. The fine-grained soil prospecting method—a deep-penetrating geochemical technology that can be used to identify conce...

Phase separation is a crucial controlling factor of gold deposition in shallow and low-medium temperature orogenic gold systems in the Jiaodong gold province. In this study, spatial distributions by three-dimensional (3D) modeling and correlation analysis of Au, S, Cl, Hg, Fe2O3, Cu, Pb, and Bi were conducted to demonstrate the occurrence of phase...

Geochemical gene is a new technique presented recently and its history is described and classified into three stages up to the present. To construct a geochemical gene, five steps are suggested as selection of elements, determination of reference values, spectral line and codes, calculation of similarity, and sequence of elements. The essence of th...

Geochemical map is a kind of hierarchical color contour map that can be expressed visually. The commonly used mapping methods are limited to a fixed area with fixed quantity of data and unfavorable for comparative study in different areas. A new method with fixed values to contour Cr geochemical map is presented here with case studies in China. The...

In many developing regions, the rapid development in industrialization and urbanization has caused adverse impact on the aqueous ecology and environment. However, there is limited information available on the tissue-specific burden and biomagnification of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in biota. In the present study, the tissue concentratio...

Geochemical map is a kind of hierarchical color contour map that can be expressed visually. The commonly used mapping methods are limited to a fixed area with fixed quantity of data and unfavorable for comparative study in different areas. A new method with fixed values to contour Cr geochemical map is presented here with case studies in China. The...

In recent years, mineral resources near the surface are becoming scarce, causing focused mineral exploration on concealed deposits in covered terrains. In northern China, covered terrains are widespread and conceal bedrock sequences and mineralization. These represent geochemical challenges for mineral exploration in China. As a deep-penetrating ge...

The China Geochemical Baselines (CGB) project provides geochemical baselines for nearly all chemical elements, including Ca, by sampling transported soils at a density of 1 sample per approximately 3000 km² across nearly all of China. A total of 3382 top samples (TS) were collected at depths of 0–25 cm and 3380 deep samples (DS) at depths >100 cm....

Based on the data of China Geochemical Baselines project, geostatistical analysis was used to investigate the spatial variations in soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) contents across the "Three Rivers" regions of southwest China, and the factors affecting them were analyzed by the redundancy analysis (RDA) and...

The Jiaodong gold (Au) province is the largest gold ore cluster in China and is an important world-class Au cluster area. Due to the exploitation of shallow Au deposits, prospecting for deep-seated Au deposits (> 500 m) become increasingly important. This study uses the Qujia Au deposit to illustrate how to target deep-seated Au deposits by integra...

With the continuous development of geochemical mapping, especially with the proposal of the “Chemical Earth” big science project, low-density geochemical mapping technology has received increasing attention due to “low cost and high efficiency”. Due to the special geochemical properties of Au, the distribution of Au in water sediments is so complic...

With the increasing demands for Cr following China's new infrastructure projects, ascertaining the concentration and distribution of Cr is urgent and meaningful for prospecting Cr deposit and relieving Cr shortage in China. The China Geochemical Baselines (CGB) project provides continental-scale Cr data from 3382 top and 3380 deep catchment sedimen...

The migration, accumulation and dispersion of elements under tectonic dynamics have always been the focus of attention, and become the basis of the tectono‐geochemistry. However, the effects of faulting, especially the strike‐slip faulting, on the adjustment of geochemical element distribution, are still not clear. In this paper, we select the West...

The research on geochemical exploration for deep-seated ore deposits in covered terrains is centralized on understanding of long-distance vertical migration of mineralization and associated elements and 3D geochemical patterns. This paper provides an insight into 3D metal dispersion patterns of the buried gold ore deposits by sampling drill core ro...

In China, selenium (Se) deficiency and exceeded Se in soils has resulted in serious endemic Se-related diseases. A nationwide dataset of Se is critically needed for prevention and response of Se-related diseases. The China Geochemical Baselines (CGB) project applied standardized methods to create a geochemical dataset that recorded the concentratio...

The China Geochemical Baseline (CGB) project (2008–2013) obtained harmonious geochemical baseline data covering all of China, and provided reliable data for 76 elements including F from 3382 top and 3380 deep soil samples. This paper described the statistical and spatial distribution of fluorine (F) throughout China. F concentration ranged from 63...

A hydrothermal experiment study on the morphological evolution of pyrite has been conducted to simulate the pyrite behaviors during the gold precipitation conditions (180–220 °C, S/Fe molar ratio is 4/1 to 1/1). The experiment products mainly consist of pyrrhotite and pyrite through X-ray powder diffraction and transmission electron microscopy anal...

The Erlian basin is a very important uranium-bearing basin in China; that is located in the famous Central Asian Mobile Belt. It contains several concealed sandstone-type uranium deposits in sandstone and mudstone of Mesozoic-Cenozoic strata. Sampling of soil profiles over the Nuheting concealed U deposit in this basin shows that fine-grained soil...

There is a critical need to establish a global geochemical observation network to provide data for monitoring the chemical changes of the Earth's near-surface environment. The International Centre on Global-scale Geochemistry, under auspices of UNESCO and Government of China, has initiated an International Scientific Cooperation Project called Mapp...

Auriferous pyrite is one of the most important sulfides minerals on Earth because it can host huge quantities of gold in many of the world-class gold deposits. Here we conduct The focused ion beam-scanning electron microscope (FIB-SEM) method and present the in-situ transmission electron microscopy (TEM) high resolution images to study dislocation...

With the ever-increasing demand for lithium (Li), understanding its concentration and distribution in the pedosphere is essential for alleviating the Li shortage in China. The China Geochemical Baselines (CGB) project, which commenced in 2008, provided comparable global-scale geochemical Li data. A total of 3394 top (0–25 cm) and 3394 deep (below 1...

The concentrations, variations and distribution of molybdenum (Mo) in catchment outlet sediments from China were studied in this contribution based on the results of recently-finished, continental-scale, China Geochemical Baselines (CGB) project. The data from CGB were combined with other published data-sets with the purpose of understanding the sp...

The China Geochemical Baseline (CGB) project (2008–2012) obtained comparable, continental-scale, geochemical data including lead (Pb) concentrations in the pedosphere. Some 3382 topsoil samples were collected at depths of 0–25 cm. Lead concentrations in soil were determined by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) using 4-acid extra...

The 1:1, 000, 000 geochemical mapping across the boundary area of China and Mongolia has acquired high-quality basic geochemical data, yielding more than 9000 stream sediment samples and over 400 rock samples. Each stream sediment and rock sample site was assigned to the regional tectonic unit, geological background and geomorphic landscape maps, r...

Forty-four alluvial samples were collected at 22locations in the Pearl River Delta to study the distribution and sources of 8heavy metals with factor analysis, enrichment factor and lead isotopic tracing methods. The study showed that the concentrations of all heavy metals were enriched relative to the background value of soil of China and Guangdon...

The Proposal for the establishment of the International Centre on Global-Scale Geochemistry (ICGG) in Langfang, P.R. Chi- na, under the auspices of UNESCO as a Category II Centre, was ap- proved at the 37th session of UNESCO in Paris on the 13th of Novem- ber 2013. Following its formal approval by the Chinese Government, the agreement between UNESC...

Along the geochemical transect across the Xingmeng Orogenic Belt and the North China Craton, 14 sediments indicators, i.e., SiO2, Al2O3, CaO, MgO, Na2O, K2O, TFe2O3, FeO, TiO2, MnO, P2O5, CO2, H2O⁺ and pH, were chosen and, on such a basis, statistical analysis was conducted for different secondary tectonic units, geographical landscape units, soil...

In the past twenty years, more and more mineral deposits were discovered in basins. The traditional geochemical exploration methods are not effective in mineral exploration of conccalcd deposits in basins. Deep-penetrating geochemistry provides a new approach for exploration in basins. The case history studies from the concealed sandstone-Type uran...

In recent years, nano-geochemistry has become a potentially vital part of the research field of geochemistry. The generation of nano-geochemistry, the discovery and the progress of research on migration mechanism of nanometer crystals have been briefly summarized in this paper. Some cases for applying nano-gechemistry into the mineral exploration i...

In recent years mineral exploration has concentrated on concealed deposits in regolith-covered terrains. In China, the regolith-covered landscapes mainly include desert windblown sand basins, desert peneplains, semi-arid grassland, loess plateaus, forestry land, alluvial plains and laterite terrains. These diverse regolith-covered areas represent g...

Catchment/floodplain sediment geochemical datasets from three continental-scale geochemical projects in Australia (AU), China (CH) and Europe (EU) were studied by comparing sample media, sample preparation, elements determined, analytical methods, detection limits and proportions of reportable values, and certified reference materials used. Twenty...

Desert terrains are widespread in northwestern and northern China, and these areas present particular challenges for exploration. In recent years, partial extraction techniques have been proven to be effective in the search for concealed deposits in arid desert terrains in some cases. However, we still lack an understanding of the dispersion patter...

The China Geochemical Baselines (CGB) project provides nation-wide catchment sediment/alluvial soil geochemical baseline data for 76 elements including Hg from 3382 top (0-25 cm) and 3380 deep sediment/alluvial soil samples (under a depth of 100 cm) at 3382 sampling sites, corresponding to a sampling density of about 1 site per 3000 km2. Mercury wa...

The West Junggar strike-slip faulting tectonic system (WJTS) in northwestern China, is an eastward extending of the Balkhash orocline in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) , truncated by the right-lateral strike-slip Chingiz-Junggar fault during the Mesozoic. It is a domino-type tectonic system composed of the NE-extending left-lateral strike-s...

Delineation of vertical distribution patterns of elements in overburden over a concealed deposit is essential for determining potential upward migration mechanism of elements and for predicting undiscovered mineral deposits. The aim of this study is to identify the vertical distribution features of elements in the regolith over the Jinwozi gold fie...

Gold geochemical provinces in China were delineated through stream sediment or catchment sediment sampling in this study. Each gold geochemical province delineated by a threshold value of 2.5 ng/g covers an area of thousands of kilometers. It is a dilemma that geochemists traditionally thought that gold could not migrate for a long distance in rive...

The China Geochemical Baselines Project (CGB) was launched in 2008, and sampling was completed in 2012. Its purpose is to document the abundance and spatial distribution of chemical elements covering all of China. The database and accompanying element distribution maps represent a geochemical baseline against which future human-induced or natural c...

Three kinds of methods for geochemical exploration were carried out in the Shaquanzi Cu - Ni deposit of Xinjiang. The pilot study of three methods were fine particle total measurement, selective leaching of mobile metals (MOMEO) and the electro-geochemistry. The results show that geochemical anomalies delineated by these methods are located over th...

In recent years, the researches in nano-geochemistry are providing direct microscopic evidence for the migration mechanism of ore-forming elements in the overburden. Meanwhile, nano-geochemistry takes a new ray of hope to use it in the prospecting for concealed deposits. This paper introduced the methods to collect and observer the nano-scale metal...

Catchment/floodplain sediment geochemical data sets from three continental-scale geochemical projects in Australia (AU), China (CH) and Europe (EU) were studied by comparing sample media, sample preparation, elements determined, analytical methods, detection limits and proportions of reportable values, and certified reference materials used. Twenty...

The SinoProbe is a multidisciplinary earth science research program, of unprecedented scope and scientific ambition on geosciences. The overall aim of the SinoProbe is to reveal the composition, structure and evolution of the continental lithosphere in China. The SinoProbe (2008-2012) have successfully conducted researches and experiments on crust...

The West Junggar tectonic system (WJTS) in northwestern China is an eastward extending of the Balkhash orocline in central Asia truncated by the right-lateral strike-slip Chingiz-Junggar fault during the Mesozoic. It is a domino-type tectonic system composed of the NE-extending left-lateral strike-slip Darabut, Mayile, and Baerleike faults and tect...

The SinoProbe - Deep Exploration in China is a multidisciplinary earth science research program on geosciences with unprecedented scope and scientific ambition. The overall aim of the SinoProbe is to reveal the composition, structure and evolution of the continental lithosphere underneath China. SinoProbe 2008-2012, the initial phase of the SinoPro...

Recent years, a great progress on exploration geochemistry has been made in findings of evidences of nanoparticles of metals and metals in vegetable cells. The findings have provided nanoscale and molecular-level understanding of metal transportation from the concealed ore bodies through the overburden covers. The case history studies from conceale...

The Task Group on Global Geochemical Baselines, operating under the auspices of both the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS) and the International Association of Geochemistry (IAGC), has the long-term goal of establishing a global geochemical database to document the concentration and distribution of chemical elements in the Earth’s s...