Multivariant statistical analysis for diagenetic information of chert from southern Tibet, China

There are large scale chert formations of different ages exposed widely in southern Tibet, along Yarlung-Zangbo suture zone. The typical chert specimens were sampled from Pengcuolin, Xialu and Zongzhuo profiles. Multivariate statistical analysis is applied for effectively extracting the geochemical information of the chert, and the raw data are processed by R-factor analysis. The first, second and third factors representing terrigenous, authigenic and hydrothermal constituents are extracted from the analysis results. From Pengcuolin, Xialu to Zongzhuo chert profiles, the variance ratios of continental and authigenetic factors become higher （ 51. 1% →62.9 % →91.6 % ）, while hydrothermal factor rapidly decrease （ 40. 9 % →32.2 % →0 ）. This tend- eney also present in the analysis for traee elements, indicating that Pengeuolin chert is hydrothermal origin, The Zongzhuo chert belong to normal sedimentation and the Xialu chert exhibit normal deposition interacted with hydrothermal sedimentation. The facts provide significant implications for understanding the diagenetic and palaeomineralization information of southern Tibet.