Predicting the preservation of buried ore deposits using deep-time landscape evolution modeling.

ABSTRACT: Porphyry copper discoveries are declining despite rising demand to meet net-zero targets, highlighting the need for innovative exploration strategies. While many advances have focused on ore formation at depth, a major challenge remains in understanding how erosion and uplift over millions of years affect deposit preservation. These postmineralization processes determine whether porphyry systems are exposed, buried, or eroded entirely. We present a physically based landscape evolution model that incorporates spatially variable erodibility, dynamic uplift histories, climate and sea level change, and evolving topography over geological timescales. This richer input data, combined with tighter calibration, enables quantification of preservation potential and marks a step beyond prior conceptu

SUBMITTER: Tu A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12652321 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature