Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) has attracted increasing attention in geology and related fields because it enables minimal sample preparation, real-time in situ analysis, remote detection, simultaneous multi-element measurement, and surface imaging. To date, geological applications of LIBS have focused mainly on pegmatite-type deposits, whereas its use in hydrothermal systems remains exploratory. In particular, no mature application framework has been developed for cryptoexplosive breccia pipe-type hydrothermal deposits, which commonly exhibit complex ore-forming processes and diverse mineral assemblages. Here, we use the Huangtun Au–Cu deposit in Anhui Province as a case study. LIBS scanning was performed on drill-core samples from different alteration zones, and the results were validated using scanning electron microscopy–energy-dispersive spectroscopy (SEM–EDS). This study evaluates the accuracy of LIBS-based mineral identification, characterizes the spatial distribution of elements and minerals, and further constrains the evolution of ore-forming fluids. The results show that LIBS can efficiently identify major alteration and ore minerals, including albite, K-feldspar, quartz, and pyrite. LIBS shows high identification accuracy for minerals with simple elemental compositions and relatively coarse grain sizes. However, it may misclassify fine-grained biotite as chlorite and cannot reliably distinguish illite from montmorillonite or calcite from dolomite. Integrating LIBS-derived elemental and mineral spatial distributions with previous studies suggests that the ore-forming fluids in the Huangtun deposit evolved from a deep Na-rich stage through an intermediate K-rich stage to a shallow, water-rich stage. Cu enrichment is mainly associated with the K-feldspar–biotite alteration stage and breccia clast–cement interfaces, where fluid cooling and fluid–rock interaction likely promoted local precipitation of ore-forming elements. This study establishes an integrated workflow combining rapid LIBS scanning with targeted SEM–EDS validation. It extends the application of LIBS to cryptoexplosive breccia pipe-type deposits and provides a technical framework for the efficient investigation of similar hydrothermal systems.
Fang et al. (2026) studied this question.