Geothermal resources occurring in the Changbaishan volcanic field are directly or indirectly controlled by volcanic activity and exhibit a close correlation with deep-seated faults. Energy and thermal transfer are generally controlled by groundwater circulation and hot gas emission. This article considers the detectability of hot water and gas by geophysical methods. The controlled source acoustic magnetotelluric (CSAMT) and radon (²²²Rn) gas methods give straightforward information on electrical resistivity and natural radon emissions, respectively, to assess the geothermal condition. The CSAMT method detected five-banded low-apparent resistivity bodies (decreasing from 3,000 to 300 Ωm), indicating that there exists a high degree of water-bearing capacities in the subsurface. The radon (²²²Rn) gas concentrations were monitored in two rapid growth zones: one zone showing values ranging from 3,000 to 23,000 Bq/m³, and the other with values from 4,000 to 24,000 Bq/m³. These changes demonstrate that the heat energies available in these areas were very high and that there is potential for geothermal resources in those zones. Combining with previously published data from geothermometry and geothermal drilling, we argue that there is great potential in Erdaobaihe for geothermal exploitation and that the geothermal resource type should be classified into uplift mountain geothermal system no magma type.

Crustal response induced by the subduction of Paleo-Pacific Plate, is crucial to study the metallogenic law and prediction of Jiaodong type gold deposit. Gold deposits are preferentially hosted in the lithospheric-scale second-order faults, which provide migration channels, mineralization corridors, and the physicochemical conditions. Super-large gold deposits in northwestern Jiaobei Terrane are generally controlled by regional linear faults, such as Sansandao, Jiaojia, Zhaoping and Qixia faults. However, Zhaoping fault is exposed sporadically (in Xiadian and Jiangjiayao gold deposits) beneath a thick cover of Quaternary basalts, which indicating that limited information can be obtained by traditional geological survey. In this study, high-precision geophysical surveys such as gravity and controlled source audio frequency magnetotellurics (CSAMT) are conducted in the Shanhou gold deposit, which hosted in southern part of Zhaoping fault. Three integrated geophysical profiles results further identified the spatial distribution of second-order oblique-slip faults of Zhaoping fault and established the relationships between brittle deformation and mineralization. The spatial variability of stratum (high density 2.82 g/cm³ and intermediate to high specific resistivity 4000 Ω m), brittle-slip faults (intermediate density 2.73 g/cm³ and low specific resistivity 200 Ω m) and magmatite (low density 2.57 g/cm³ high specific resistivity 8000 Ω m) are identified by two inversion techniques, including the man-machine interactive inversion technology and nonlinear conjugate gradient technology. In addition, the geophysical inversion pseudo sections delicately portray a smooth-out waveform low specific resistivity anomaly, which strongly couples with the spatial ore-hosted locations and enrichment places. The gold mineralized alteration zones generally dips to southeast and the angle changing from 45° to 30°, which are strong coupling with the large-scale acid magmatic intrusion and extensional tectonics occurred in the late Mesozoic. Finally, according to the deep prospecting prediction, a gold ore body with 10 m in thickness was revealed by drilling below the depth of 1,015 m, which is hosting in the brittle deformation of Zhaoping fracture zone.

As one of the clean energy sources, geothermal resources have no negative impact in changing the climate. However, the accurate assessment and precise identification of the potential geothermal resource is still complex and dynamic. In this paper, ~2,000 large-scale high-precision gravity survey points are conducted in the north of the Tianchi caldera, Changbaishan. Advanced data processing technologies can provide straightforward information on deep geothermal resources (Hot source, caprock, geothermal reservoir and geothermal migration pathway). Upwards continuation and the technologies decode two dome shaped low and gentle anomalies (−48 × 10⁻⁵ m/s²−65 m/s²) and a positive gravity gradient anomaly (0.4 × 10⁻⁷ m/s²−1.6 × 10⁻⁵ m/s²) in large-scale high-precision gravity planar. According to two point five dimensional man-machine interactive inversion technology and the research on petrophysical parameters, the density of the shied-forming basalts in the two orthogonal gravity sections is 2.58 g/cm³. The relatively intermediate to high density (2.60–2.75 g/cm³) represents geothermal reservoir, and low density (low to 2.58 g/cm³) is the geothermal migration pathway. In addition, large-scale high-precision gravity planar with a solution of about 1/50,000 indicate that the north of the Tianchi caldera exits the sedimentary basin and uplift mountain geothermal system.

The evolution of metamorphic core complexes is closely related to gold formation. Due to the thick cover and orebodies’ lying depth, exploration regularities, and metallogenic prediction have faced challenges. Therefore, new data were obtained through controlled-source audio magnetotelluric (MT) and broadband MT methods to predict the ore-bearing properties at depth and decipher the spatial coupling relationship, respectively. The results of broadband MT surveys allow us to identify the thick cover (apparent resistivity of 3,000 Ω m), the strongly deformed metamorphic rock (apparent resistivity of 18,000 Ω m), and two low-angle detachment faults (apparent resistivity from 5,000 to 8,000 Ω m). The fault-dip value on the left side is roughly 30°, while on the other side, the values significantly change from 30° to 75°, although they are in the same structure. Moreover, the controllable source audio MT method provides more detailed examinations of the right side fault. The proved ore-bearing gold orebodies were all located in the transition zone where the inclination angle changes from steep to gentle or gentle to steep. The discovery of this mineralization pattern allows us to evaluate the mining prospecting potential and predict the deep-seated metallogenic location. Based on the geotectonic environment and the geophysical profiles, we conclude that the coeval exhumation of the metamorphic core complex with non-symmetrical northwest-southeast shear senses may have resulted from a decratonization event during the retreat of the Paleo-Pacific Plate.