The Gangdese metallogenic belt (GMB), spanning nearly 2000 km across central Tibet, represents the primary copper–polymetallic metallogenic belt in Tibet and a world-class porphyry copper province. However, extreme high-altitude conditions, ecological fragility, and limited accessibility in western GMB have significantly constrained the efficacy of conventional exploration methods. Identifying effective mineralogical indicators and rapidly delineating mineralization–hydrothermal centers within this metallogenic system remain critical challenges for exploration geologists. This study integrates multispectral remote sensing (MSRS; Sentinel-2) with short-wave infrared (SWIR) spectral analysis to establish mineral spectroscopic exploration indicators for the periphery of the Zhunuo porphyry copper ore-concentrated area. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and band ratio techniques were employed to delineate remote sensing alteration anomalies, followed by SWIR spectral features to identify mineralization–hydrothermal centers. Hydrothermal alteration in the study area is dominated by sericite, chlorite, and epidote, with subordinate carbonate and sulfate minerals. Multispectral anomalies (Al-OH, ferric contamination, and carbonate alterations) in the Dingyang area exhibit intensity and compositional patterns comparable to those of the Cimabanshuo, Beimulang, and Zhigunong deposits, indicating high mineralization potential. SWIR analysis identified sericite-based exploration indicators (Pos2200 < 2203 nm, Dep2200 > 0.3, SWIR-IC > 1.6). A Spectral Feature-Based Geological Content Method (SFGCM) model was developed to delineate mineralization–hydrothermal centers, revealing new malachite and azurite mineralization in the Dingyang area. The MSRS-SWIR provides a novel perspective for applying spectroscopy to rapidly identify porphyry copper mineralized hydrothermal centers in high-altitude, ecologically fragile areas.

With the deepening of deep mineral exploration, traditional methods face bottlenecks in identifying concealed orebodies, making the establishment of a mineralogical exploration indicator system for collision-type porphyry deposits imperative. This study investigates chlorite from the Cimabanshuo Porphyry Copper Deposit in the Zhunuo Ore Concentration Area of the Western Gangdese via systematic petrographic and in situ geochemical analyses, to elucidate the spatial evolution of its trace element compositions and assess the validity and applicability of different trace elements for hydrothermal center indication. Based on micropetrographic observations, chlorite is classified into three types: biotite-altered (Chl-1), amphibole-altered (Chl-2) and vein-type (Chl-3), with Chl-1 and Chl-2 significantly affected by primary mineral compositions. Trace element results show that spatial variations in Ti, Li, Ni, Co, Mn, and Sr contents and Li/Mn and Ti/Sr ratios in chlorite can clearly indicate the mineralization center—Ti, Li, Ni and Co are systematically enriched in the proximal ore zone by temperature and fluid compositional effects, while Mn and Sr are enriched in the distal ore zone due to elemental redistribution during fluid migration. Fitting analysis of chlorite elemental ratios against the distance from sampling points to the mineralization center indicates the Li/Mn ratio decreases with increasing distance (R² = 0.4665), consistent with elemental distribution and showing a certain correlation; in contrast, the Ti/Sr ratio has a fitting coefficient of determination of only 0.0581, which cannot serve as an effective analysis indicator for this study because the deposit’s plate collision metallogenic setting causes elemental migration to be disturbed by local geological factors. In addition, chlorite in the zones 0–500 m from the Cu I, Cu II, and Cu III orebodies and 1–1.5 km to the north is characterized by significant enrichment of Ti, Li, Ni, and Co, depletion of Mn and Sr and high Li/Mn ratios. Accordingly, a concealed hydrothermal center is inferred in the northern part of the Cimabanshuo Deposit beyond the proven orebodies. Comprehensive studies confirm that the spatial variation characteristics of trace elements in chlorite from the Cimabanshuo Porphyry Copper Deposit have high applicability for indicating hydrothermal mineralization centers.