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Integration of high-quality, multi-disciplinary digital geoscience data using a mineral systems-based mineral potential mapping approach supports: (1) improved understanding of the key processes that have shaped Australia's geology and concentrated its resources; (2) insights into how big data can be transformed into predictive power. Sediment-hosted mineral systems are important to understand as they represent potential opportunities for both the base metals and critical minerals that are vital to delivering Australia's low carbon economy. To support this goal, the mineral potential of six sediment-hosted mineral systems have been evaluated at national scale: sediment-hosted stratiform copper, Mount Isa-type copper, clastic-dominated siliciclastic mafic lead-zinc, clastic-dominated siliciclastic carbonate lead-zinc, Mississippi Valley-type lead-zinc, and Irish-type lead-zinc. The mineral potential maps were derived from mineral systems concepts through the development of mappable spatial proxies of the theoretical mineral system components. These were then combined using a knowledge-driven approach to highlight areas where favourable criteria for these systems are spatially coincident. In addition to the potential for hosting the copper or lead-zinc mineralisation, and critical minerals as potential by- or co-products, the uncertainty related to data availability has been examined. The six mineral potential maps utilise large volumes of precompetitive geoscience data to reduce the exploration search space for sediment-hosted deposits and highlight areas of elevated prospectivity in under-explored regions of Australia., Open-Access Online Publication: May 29, 2023

Australian sediment-hosted mineral systems are important sources of base metals and critical minerals that are vital to delivering Australia’s low-carbon economy. In Australia, sediment-hosted resources account for ~82% and ~86% of the total zinc (Zn) and lead (Pb) resources respectively. Given their significance to the Australian economy, four national-scale mineral potential models for sediment-hosted Zn-Pb mineral systems have been developed: clastic-dominated siliciclastic carbonate, clastic-dominated siliciclastic mafic, Mississippi Valley-type and Irish-type. In addition to the potential for Zn-Pb mineralisation, the uncertainty related to data availability has been examined. The mineral potential models were created using a mineral systems-based approach where mappable criteria have been used to assess the prospectivity of each system. Each model has been derived from a large volume of precompetitive geoscience data. The clastic-dominated siliciclastic carbonate mineral potential model predicts 92% of known deposits and occurrences within 15.5% of the area, the clastic-dominated siliciclastic mafic mineral potential model predicts 85% of deposits and occurrences within 27% of the area, and the Mississippi Valley-type mineral potential model predicts 66% of known deposits and occurrences within 31% of the area. Each model successfully predict the location of major sediment-hosted Zn-Pb deposits while highlighting new areas of elevated prospectivity in under-explored regions of Australia, reducing the exploration search space by up to 85% for sediment-hosted Zn-Pb mineral systems.