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https://www.youtube.com/@valls_geoconsultant?sub_confirmation=1 For more videos about geology, geochemistry, AI, and much more, please visit and subscribe for free here: Golden droplets- https://shorturl.at/fetV1 Geovoices- https://tinyurl.com/m23pp4pb News about geology- https://tinyurl.com/3979urhy This deep dive into major element oxides explores how geochemical trends on Harker diagrams and AFM diagrams reveal hidden signals for mineral exploration targeting of porphyry Cu-Mo mineralization and VMS systems. By utilizing principal component analysis (PCA), logratio transformations, and machine learning (AI), geologists can validate compositional data analysis to enhance predictive geological mapping and ore prospecting. Effective data quality control begins with evaluating the sum of major components, where totals ideally fall between 99% and 101% after accounting for loss on ignition (LOI) and volatile constituents like CO2 and H2O (Scheibe, 2021; Smith, n.d.). Normalization to an anhydrous 100 wt.% is a critical preparation step to avoid spurious trends in TAS diagrams and alumina saturation indices (Scheibe, 2021; "Major Oxide Geochemistry," n.d.). To differentiate between tholeiitic and calc-alkaline suites, practitioners use AFM ternary diagrams and FeOt/MgO ratios which reflect the stoichiometry and fractional crystallization history of the parent magma (Kohn, n.d.; "Harker Diagram," n.d.; "Igneous Petrology," n.d.). Furthermore, the intensity of hydrothermal alteration and chemical weathering can be quantified through specialized indices such as the Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA), Plagioclase Index of Alteration (PIA), and mass balance calculations that rely on identified immobile elements like Zr, Ti, and Al (Mathieu, 2018; Price & Velbel, 2003; Tiwari & Prajapati, 2025). Advanced workflows like GeoCoDA integrate these chemical proxies with supervised learning and cluster analysis to define distinct magmatic series and prioritize targets within complex tectonic settings (Grunsky et al., 2023; Halley, n.d.; Shewchuk et al., 2020). The bridge between Academy and Industry! P. Geo. Ricardo A Valls, M. Sc. and Geo Gadfly Valls Geoconsultant ORCID ID- https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5421-0914 Scopus Author ID: 7003369619/35335510700 ResearcherID: S-6604-2018 If you like this content, please "buy me a coffee" https://www.buymeacoffee.com/goldendroplets #valls_geoconsultant #Geochemistry #MajorOxides #MineralExploration Some references geohug. (n.d.). Scott Halley - Identifying rock types and geological processes from whole rock analyses [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNoA8Vj8T9Y Geology Concepts. (n.d.). Harker Diagram- Igneous Petrology | GATE/NET IIT-JAM | GeologyConcepts.com [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J3-QpI4B9i0 GEO GIRL. (n.d.). Modal vs Norm Mineralogy, Major vs Trace Elements, & Indices- Igneous Petrology #7 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3Y9N6e3E0E Grunsky, E., Greenacre, M., & Kjarsgaard, B. (2023). GeoCoDA: Recognizing and validating structural processes in geochemical data. A workflow on compositional data analysis in lithogeochemistry. arXiv. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.2311.18501 Janoušek, V., Erban, V., & Farrow, C. M. (n.d.). GCDkit classification and geotectonic plots manual. GCDkit. http://www.gcdkit.org/doc/Diagrams.pdf Kohn, M. [Matt Kohn]. (n.d.). AFM and sediments [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mYdO_p_BfHk Shewchuk, C., Ferbey, T., & Lian, O. B. (2020). Detecting porphyry Cu-Mo mineralization using major oxides and pathfinder elements in subglacial till, Highland Valley mine area, south-central British Columbia. In Geological Fieldwork 2019, British Columbia Geological Survey Paper 2020-01, pp. 169-187.