Statistical analysis of magnetic susceptibility variations in the flotation tailing of the Rudnik Mine, Republic of Serbia

Abstract

Mine tailings are increasingly recognized as potential valuable mineral resources. This study applies magnetic susceptibility analysis to three boreholes in flotation tailings from dumps at the Pb-Zn Rudnik Mine, Serbia. The samples were obtained over a small spatial distance (10 cm), allowing for the application of various statistical methods with the obtained dataset. The results indicate that the mutual similarity among boreholes cannot be established with statistical significance; however, certain zones between boreholes exhibit some similarities. These variations are attributed to anthropogenic deposition, where local materials were intermixed and arbitrarily deposited during mining and processing, preventing clear statistical correlations. The study identifies key zones of interest in all three boreholes for further geochemical and mineralogical investigations.