Fractional Behavior in Element Grade Series: An Application of Detrended Fluctuation Analysis

The spatial-temporal power-law distributions are found in many natural systems, which have self-similarity and fractal behavior. By analyzing the time series of such systems, we could expect to explore and understand the underlying mechanisms. In this paper, the Detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA) is used to analyze the long-range correlations and the fractal scaling behavior of element grade series in Jiaodong, Shandong province, China. The results show that the detrended fluctuation function F(n) has a good power-law relation with scale n, and all the values of H are less than 1 but greater than 0.5, which indicates the long-range correlation and fractal behavior, and means the development of the orebodies is relatively stable under the specific geologic background and consistent with the facts in Dayinggezhuang gold ore deposit.