ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Earth Sci.
Sec. Geoinformatics
Precision Classification and Governance of Mining Development Based on Resource Endowment and Spatial Patterns: A Case Study of Northern Xinjiang, China
Provisionally accepted
- 1Xinjiang Institute of Engineering, Urumqi, China
- 2State Grid Xinjiang Electric Power Co Ltd, Urumqi, China
- 3North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Zhengzhou, China
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This study examines Northern Xinjiang in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt to systematically reveal the spatial mismatch between the natural clustering of mineral resources and artificially defined administrative boundaries. By constructing a dual-track analytical framework of "administrative units versus metallogenic belt units", we apply spatial autocorrelation (Global/Anselin Local Moran's I), Getis-Ord General G/Gi*, kernel density estimation, and centroid migration modeling to mine location data (2011-2021). Results indicate mining distribution is random across administrative units but shows significant, persistent clustering within metallogenic belts (Moran's I = 0.205-0.262, p < 0.01). Notably, this clustering remained pronounced even as the total number of mines decreased by approximately 62%, highlighting the enduring control of geological endowment over mining spatial layout—an influence that transcends policy cycles and economic fluctuations. Based on these findings, we further propose a three-tier "endowment-pattern-policy" governance framework, which classifies metallogenic belts into Core Hot Spots, Emerging Potential Zones, and Marginal Scattered Areas, with differentiated management strategies. The study provides a systematic toolkit for spatial governance and supports a shift toward "nature-based precision governance" of mineral resources in China.
Keywords: Central Asian Orogenic Belt, GIS, Metallogenic belt, spatial analysis, Spatial governance, SustainableMining
Received: 12 Dec 2025; Accepted: 13 Feb 2026.
Copyright: © 2026 Li, Tian, Shi, Zhang, Wang and Cui. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Tianhui Li
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