Geochemical mapping in stream sediments of the Carajás Mineral Province: Background values for the Itacaiúnas River watershed, Brazil

Abstract Multi-elemental analysis of high-density (regional-scale) geochemical surveys is an important strategy for multi-purpose applications, particularly in addressing geochemical background concentrations in different sampling media. This approach was applied to the Itacaiunas River Watershed (IRW), which is situated in the most prominent mining area of Brazil, the Carajas Mineral Province. Microcatchment-based mapping (~50 km2 each) covering the whole extent of IRW was delimited using remote sensing techniques and targeted for sampling. A total of 788 samples, including 27 duplicates, were collected in 2017. The