The Yilgarn Craton, Western Australia is endowed with significant gold, nickel‑copper, Cu-Pb-Zn volcanic-hosted massive sulphide (VHMS) and iron ore deposits. Detailed knowledge of the spatial relationships between mineral systems and the crustal framework of the Yilgarn Craton may be powerful tools in the predictive exploration of undiscovered mineral systems. Both Nd and Hf isotopes have the potential to image crustal residence, mantle tapping structures, and juvenile input over both space and time. This study uses a recent compilation of Hf (1236 zircon analyses) and Nd (462 whole rock analyses) isotopes to image the architecture of the crust and compare this to the distribution of gold, nickel‑copper-platinum group elements (Ni-Cu-PGEs), Cu-Pb-Zn VHMS and iron ore deposits. Spatial correlation plots reveal a statistically significant relationship between Nd and Hf isotopic domains and the occurrence of gold, Ni-Cu-PGE, base metals, and iron confirmed by the coefficient of determination (R²) which measures how differences in metal occurrences can be explained by differences in the isotopic signature. Nickel occurrences show the strongest antithetic spatial correlation (R² = 0.80) with Hf model ages, followed by gold (R² = 0.58) and base metals (R² = 0.35), which implies higher metal endowment in areas of more juvenile crust. In contrast, there is a significant positive spatial correlation (R² = 0.49) between iron ore occurrence and older model ages. Isotopic data can also be plotted as Hf or Nd time-slices, where the strongest spatial correlation between gold, nickel, and base metal occurrence and juvenile input occurs at ca. 2700–2550 Ma. Generally, a model can be proposed where (1) base metals are more prevalent in juvenile crust because of its thinner nature, greater mantle input, high-heat flow, increased water-magma interaction; (2) iron ore is concentrated in regions of old, mature, and stable crust; (3) komatiite-hosted Ni-Cu-PGE systems are focused in juvenile rift zones at the edge of old crustal blocks; and (4) gold is also localised in juvenile crust at craton edges where several factors are localised, including orogenesis, occurrence of previously fertilised crust (i.e. Fe-rich lithologies, sanukitoids), favourable structures (potential inversion of rift structures), and ‘late’ alkaline magmatism. In gold, Ni-Cu-PGE, and base metal mineral systems, the ability of magmas to access higher crustal levels unimpeded appears vital in regional prospectivity and is itself a function of crustal configuration.

西澳大利亚州的伊尔加恩克雷顿（Yilgarn Craton）拥有大量的金，镍铜，Cu-Pb-Zn火山岩质块状硫化物（VHMS）和铁矿石矿床。对矿物系统与Yilgarn Craton地壳框架之间空间关系的详细了解可能是对未发现的矿物系统进行预测性勘探的有力工具。Nd和Hf同位素都可能在空间和时间上成像地壳驻留，地幔拍击结构和少年输入。这项研究使用了最新的Hf（1236锆石分析）和Nd（462整个岩石分析）同位素来成像地壳的结构，并将其与金，镍-铜-铂族元素（Ni-Cu- PGEs），Cu-Pb-Zn VHMS和铁矿石矿床。²）测量了如何通过同位素特征的差异来解释金属出现的差异。镍的出现显示出 与Hf模型年龄最强的对立空间相关性（R ² = 0.80），其次是金（R ²  = 0.58）和贱金属（R ²  = 0.35），这意味着在较幼硬的地壳中金属higher赋较高。相反，存在显着的正空间相关性（R ² = 0.49），介于铁矿石的出现和较旧的模型年龄之间。同位素数据也可以绘制为Hf或Nd时间片，其中金，镍和贱金属的发生与少年输入之间最强的空间相关性发生在大约。2700–2550马。通常，可以提出一个模型，其中（1）由于其较薄的性质，更大的地幔输入，高热流，增加的水与岩浆相互作用，贱金属在幼年地壳中更为普遍。（2）铁矿石集中在老，成熟，稳定的地壳区域；（3）以科马蒂岩为主的Ni-Cu-PGE系统集中在旧地壳边缘的少年裂谷带中。（4）金还存在于克拉通边缘的幼年地壳中，那里存在着几个因素，包括造山作用，先前受精的地壳的发生（即富铁岩性，薄壳岩），有利的构造（裂谷构造的潜在反转）和“晚期”碱性岩浆作用。在金，Ni-Cu-PGE和贱金属矿物系统中，岩浆不受阻地进入更高地壳水平的能力在区域性前景中显得至关重要，它本身就是地壳构造的函数。