Abstract

The Boumaadine mineralized field has long been known as a principal mining area in the Jbel Skindis, Eastern High Atlas, Morocco. The present work focuses on the interpretation of high-resolution gravity and magnetic data, along with geological field data, for polymetallic mineralization prospecting in the Boumaadine area. The goal is to unravel the complex subsurface structures, identify potentially mineralized locations, and establish mining exploration guides at a regional scale. The calculated pole-reduced magnetic map and the residual gravity map highlight several anomalies mainly located in the Lower Liassic dolostones and the Triassic basalts, clay, and conglomerates. Enhancement techniques such as horizontal and vertical derivatives, analytic signal, and Euler deconvolution were applied to both maps. The results indicate that the anomalies follow the ENE-WSW and NNW-SSE directions, with depths ranging from 3 to 72 meters. Integration of geophysical data with geological field data improves the understanding of the relationships between gravity and magnetic anomalies and geological structures in the Boumaadine region. Detailed analysis suggests that the anomalies are primarily caused by sulfides and oxides orebodies clusters, supporting the genetic model proposed in previous studies. The findings have enabled us to draw up a map of the potentially mineralized areas in the study area which can be used in the tactical exploration phase. This approach can effectively identify promising areas within the entire Jbel Skindis and similar geological regions, reducing both time and exploration costs.

Keywords gravity and magnetic methods, Fe-Mn-Pb deposits, mining exploration, Jbel Skindis, Eastern High Atlas