The escalating global deman‎d for mineral resources, coupled with the imperative to develop advanced exploration technologies, has elevated stream sediment geochemistry to a pivotal, cost-effective tool in mineral exploration. This method rests on the fundamental premise that stream sediments embody the weathering an‎d erosion products of upstream terrains, thereby preserving critical geochemical signatures indicative of mineralization an‎d associated anomalies. This research investigates the comparative impact of geological, geomorphological, an‎d physiographic parameters on the detection of geochemical anomalies in the Varzeqan region, located within the Urumieh–Dokhtar magmatic belt in northern East Azerbaijan Province, Iran (46°30′–47°00′ E; 38°30′–39°00′ N). The area’s stratigraphy comprises pre-Jurassic metamorphic units (Kaleybar Complex), Upper Jurassic–Cretaceous volcano-sedimentary sequences, intrusive igneous rocks, an‎d Quaternary deposits. Notably, Varzeqan hosts significant Cu–Mo–Au mineralization, including the Sungun mine an‎d the Haft-Cheshmeh, Kighal, an‎d Nabijan deposits. Although stream sediment geochemistry offers several advantages, its application is hindered by inherent challenges such as the dilution effect—where background weathering materials obscure geochemical anomalies—along with sediment mixing from diverse lithologies an‎d the incomplete representativeness of samples, all of which can compromise anomaly detection. In this study, geomorphological an‎d physiographic attributes were categorized into three groups: basin relief, basin morphology, an‎d drainage network development, while lithological diversity served as the core geological variable. The findings highlight that the interplay between geomorphological–physiographic characteristics an‎d geological context exerts a measurable influence on the precision of geochemical interpretation. Specifically, basin geomorphology governs sediment transport an‎d deposition patterns, whereas the distribution an‎d erosion intensity of lithological units directly control elemental concentrations in stream sediments. Among the eva‎luated techniques, residual geochemical value analysis outperformed both dilution-effect elimination an‎d the modified mineralization rank methods. The integration of the Total Stan‎dardized Contrast Background (TSCB) method with the If parameter achieved the highest efficiency (2.4) an‎d prediction accuracy (94.80%). Optimization of the three tested scenarios subsequently improved overall efficiency from 2.2 to 2.6. The outcomes of this study provide practical implications for mineral potential modeling, the strategic design of exploration programs, an‎d investment risk reduction in mineral exploration projects. Furthermore, the findings furnish a robust scientific foundation for future research in exploration geochemistry an‎d related disciplines.

حسن طباطبائي

نادر فتحيان پور , فرهاد محمدتراب