Prospecting and Exploration Flashcards
A solid, naturally occurring mineral aggregate of economic interest from which or more valuable constituents may be recovered.
Ore
It is a geologic incongruity that has the possibility of being an ore deposit.
Anomaly
The intensity of anomaly is __________ to the grade of mineralization
Proportional
A multiplier by which the elemental concentration must be increased on average for it to be mineable at a profit.
Enrichment Factor
The minimum percentage by mass in an economic deposit.
Cut-off Grade
The natural concentration of one or more metallic, non-metallic, and a combination of minerals within the host rock.
Ore Deposit
An ore deposit is defined by the following:
Average Quantity (tonnes) and Average Quality (Grade)
The principal ore mineral recovered.
Prime Commodity
It is recovered as by-products along with the main mineral.
Associated Commodity
These are elements that aid in indicating a certain mineral commodity.
Trace Elements/ Pathfinder Elements
The altered rock mass or primary mineral deposit having an uneconomic concentration of minerals. It is formed in low-grade residuals due to various processes
Protore
These are associated minerals with no significant or of little commercial value.
Gangue Minerals
These are rejects made of gangue minerals and other processing substances coming from a beneficiation plant.
Tailings
These are undesired minerals/elements that create issues in processing and pose penalties due to equipment damage.
Deleterious Substances
Deleterious Substance found in a uranium concentrate
Calcite
Deleterious Substance found in a zinc concentrate
Mercury
The grassroots exploration program where activities are done in new locales.
Greenfield Discovery
It is assigned where discovery is made by enhancing the reserve in strike and dip continuity of a known orebody or an existing mine.
Brownfield Discovery
It is the first stage of the mine cycle where it involves the search for ores and other valuable mineral resources.
Propsecting
A good mineral potential index and political policy index results to:
Investment Attractiveness Index
The mineral deposit is not limited to its grade and quantity but also the factors surrounding and associated with the deposit.
Modifying Factors
These refer to methods that employs actual excavation through probing, test pitting, or drilling methods which is proven successful in coal and non-metallics
Direct Techniques
These refers to techniques that taps the physical properties of deposits such as sounding and penetration tests. This is almost always required for metallic deposits
Indirect Techniques
The second stage where delineation of the deposit happens to determine its size, shape, grade, and profitability.
Exploration
The following parameters differentiates Exploration and Prospecting:
Locales, Data, and Physical Samples
It is the derivation of geological information from the interpretation of aerial photographs.
Photogeology
The apparent displacement or difference in the orientation of an object viewed at 2 different locations in vertical photography.
Parallax
It is snapped at a low or higher angle; this provide permanent records of inaccessible features.
Oblique Photographs
These are snapped with camera pointing vertically downward with camera axis perpendicular to the ground.
Vertical Photographs
This type of photograph uses a film emulsion where the lightness of the object as the original depiction
True Color
This type of photograph uses a film emulsion where it uses the complementary color of an object instead of its original color.
False Color Composite
It is a comprehensive process of collecting information about an object, area, and phenomenon without physical and direct contact.
Remote Sensing
Traditional procedures are often combined with remote sensing data to guide the search process.
(True/ False)
True
The data obtained from remote sensing rely on the chemical reaction on light-sensitive film
Obtained Photographically
It administers electromagnetic signals to objects then the signals are fed back to sensors with broader spectral range and capable of storing and transmitting.
Obtained Electronically
The one that travels in waves and spans a broad spectrum from very long radio waves to very short gamma rays. There are two types of electromagnetic energy.
Electromagnetic Energy
The phenomenon that takes the form of self-propagating energy waves as it travels through space.
Electromagnetic Radiation
The longer wavelength (λ) involved, the ______ would be the frequency (f) and energy.
(higher/ lower)
Lower
Electromagnetic radiation travels the length in the given medium it passes.
(twice/ thrice)
Twice
It is a theoretical radiator that works by absorbing 100% of electromagnetic radiation that hits it.
Black Body
The collective term of range and scope of frequencies of electromagnetic radiation.
Electromagnetic Spectrum
The difference between the intensity of electromagnetic radiation reflected or emitted by an object at different wavelengths.
Spectral Response/ Signature
These are devices such as cameras, scanners, and radiometers to detect and record the intensities of electromagnetic.
Sensors
It uses naturally occurring energy sources such as heat and sunlight.
Passive Sensors
It uses its own illumination as energy source where sensors emit radiation to the target object.
Active Sensors
A type of sensor with a resolution focused on the geometric properties of the ground covered.
Spatial Resolution
A type of sensor with a resolution focused on the span of the wavelength over which a spectral channel operates by the sensor
Spectral Resolution
A type of sensor with a resolution focused on the degree of intensities of radiation the sensor can detect.
Radiometric Resolution
A type of sensor with a resolution focused on the repetitive coverage over an area by the sensor.
Temporal Resolution
Upgrading the exploration data by improving the image quality and information content before processing.
Image Enhancement
This improves object depth by enhancing brightness between objects and backgrounds.
Contrast Enhancement
An image enhancement feature that works by improving linear features and surface discontinuities.
Spatial Filtering
In information extraction tool used to differentiate by dividing the gray level of a pixel in one band with another. This is effective in recognizing ferruginous and limonitic capping
Ratioing
This generates small pixels of different reflectance marked by colors or symbols to represent the surface signature.
Multispectral Classification
It enhances and distinguish the difference in geological features (elevation, land cover, rock types, vegetation, flood, and etc.) by improving the spread of reflectance by redistributing it.
Principal Component Analysis
It is a universal satellite-based navigation system created by the US Department of Defense originally for military applications.
Global Positioning System (GPS)
It is composed of 24 satellites orbiting in each of 6 circular orbital planes and are centered on Earth with 55º inclination to the equator.
Space Segment
This tracks the flight path of satellites and examines deviations with master control stations to recalibrate the flight path
Ground Control Segment
This refers to the various receivers to compute the coordinates, elevation, velocity, and time estimates.
User Segment
The easiest unit with a single receiver which are found within mobile devices. These show direction and receive antenna from local antenna.
Handheld GPS
This works on simultaneous measurements by receivers at a reference station with precisely known location, time, and number of roving receivers moving from points.
Differential Code Phase GPS
This is mainly used in land surveying, tracking, and geologic mapping.
Carrier Phase Tracking GPS
It is an electronic theodolite integrated with an electronic distance meter to read slope distanced from the instrument to the target entity. This is currently used in modern surveying.
Electronic Total Station
It deals with the enrichment or depletion of certain chemical elements in the vicinity of mineral deposits.
Geochemical Prospecting
It is the natural process of outward movement of elements from a source.
Dispersion
It illustrates the abundance and distribution as well as the stability of a chemical in the local environment.
Dispersion Model
It is a geochemical envelope synchronous to mineralization identical to the geochemistry of the main deposit. The elements are dispersed by aqueous fluids and it exhibits alteration and zoning.
Primary Dispersion Halo
These are zones with chemical composition different in one or various elements from adjacent zones or from average crustal values.
Geochemical Province
It is produced along paths of hydrothermal mineralizing solutions resulting to dissemination on wall rocks and halos.
Aqueous Fluid Dispersions
It is produced by high-temperature gaseous fluids (pneumatolytic gases) that invade adjacent ground.
Gaseous Dispersions
These are dispersed remnants of mineralization long after deposit formation by surface processes such as weathering (chemical and physical).
Secondary Dispersion Halo
It is the normal range of concentration of elements in regional perspective.
Background Value
The probable upper and lower limit of the background value at a precise confidence level.
Threshold Values
Anomaly enhancement where it is done by panning, magnetic, and heavy media separation
Physical Means
Anomaly enhancement where the selective leaching of iron and manganese is done.
Chemical Means
This is done by finding ratio between background and trace elements and the additive and multiplicative halo concept.
Statistical Means
This will reveal mean, median, and mode to identify and distinguish background, threshold, and anomalous values.
Frequency Distribution Diagram
It uses the soil to track mineral deposits. The samples are obtained from the B-horizon of the soil profile.
Pedogeochemical Survey
The weathered crust in arid and semi-arid regions composed of sand and silt cemented by calcite, dolomite, gypsum, halite, and ferric oxide.
Calcrete
The surface crust of residual weathering where sand and silt are cemented by silica and are formed in stable groundwater conditions.
Silcrete
It is a hard, erosion-resistant layer of sedimentary rock cemented by iron oxides derived from the oxidation of percolating solutions of iron salts.
Ferricrete
It is a surficial product of humid tropical weathering and supergene enrichment on various rocks, mainly igneous.
Laterite
Laterite Layers:
► Nodular iron-oxide rich zone at surface (red limonite)
► Clay-rich yellow transition (yellow limonite)
► Partially altered rock unit (saprolite)
► Unaltered ultramafic peridotite unit
The ferruginous rock which is a product of oxidation by weathering and leaching of sulfides or depending on the mineralogy of iron hydroxides and oxides.
Gossans
Gossan Layers:
► First layer: composed of limonite with malachite and azurite
► Second layer: composed of secondary enriched sulfide enrichment (covellite, bornite, chalcocite, and chalcopyrite)
► The Primary Sulfide Ore
It is the search for favorable host rocks since these and the surrounding area make the primary dispersion.
Lithogeochemical Survey
It is ratio between products of economic elements and impurity elements.
Multiplicative Halo Concept
The product of anomaly width and percent content of economic element
Linear Productivity
The ratio between anomalous and the background value.
Anomaly Ratio
It uses till, moraine, or (glaciofluvial deposits) to find heavy and ore minerals.
Drill/Till Geochemical Survey
This is done by obtaining samples from an active stream which reflects the bedrock geology, overburden cover profile, and contained metal mineralization.
Stream Sediment Survey
It is primarily used in groundwater environments where acidic water dissolves the elements at 4-7 pH. Also used in surveying surface waters and meltwaters
Hydrogeochemical Survey
This refers to a survey used to recognize the presence or the absence of specific plant populations as a visual and analytical guide for mineralization.
Geobotany
It is the collection and chemical analysis of whole plants, organic structures of soil (humus).
Biogeochemical Survey
It aids in locating buried deposits through detection of halos of mercury, helium, nitrogen, sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, methane, hydrocarbons, and other volatile elements.
Vapor Survey/ Atmogeochemical Survey
It is found over structurally controlled mineralization in arid terrain and associated with deep-seated geothermals, Zn-Pb sulfide assemblages, hydrocarbon gas, and oil fields
Mercury Vapor Anomaly
It is produced by radioactive decay and are found in oil reservoirs, hot springs, porphyry copper, and uranium deposits.
Helium Vapor Anomaly
It is found among hydrocarbon bearing basins such as tar pits and coal fields which contain methane, nitrogen, natural gases, and asphalt.
Nitrogen Vapor Anomaly
It uses isotopes of known elements with its abundance measured by an isotope ratio mass spectrometer which aids in determining age of rocks
Radiogenic Isotope Geochemistry
It is where sampling is done along coasts by collecting vertical columns of layered placer deposits at intervals
Heavy Mineral Geochemistry
These are rock concretions indicating deep sea volcanism containing layers of iron, manganese, and other economic metals.
Polymetalic Nodules/ Manganese Modules
This survey is suitable for oil and gas surface explorations at oil and gas fields where volatile hydrocarbons are found.
Hydrocarbon Geochemical Survey
A method where hydrocarbon seepage from reservoir to cap rock moves to surface.
Micro-seepage Survey Method
The petroleum seepage is intense to allow macroscopic quantity to be obtained.
Macro-seepage Survey Method
It is the natural science that studies the physical properties and processes of the whole Earth.
Geophysics
It is the process of using geophysical instruments for the purpose of identifying anomalies in the physical properties that may indicate the presence of ore deposits.
Geophysical Prospecting
The part of the waveform that relates to the messages sought from geological features under investigation.
Signal
The part of the waveform due to extraneous effects that can causes errors in the data
Noise
It is something that deviates the pattern of background values.
Anomaly
This begins with the reconnaissance and large area prospecting for drill testing. Usually performed in Greenfield explorations.
Airborne Methods
It continues airborne methods and detailed prospecting stages to delineate probable shape size to prioritize anomalies.
Ground Surveys
This establishes orebody continuity in all directions during prefeasibility and mining operations.
Advanced Geophysical Borehole Logging
The velocity of propagation of a body wave in a homogeneous, isotropic material is determined by the ___________ and _____ through which it passes.
Elastic Moduli and Density
The device used to detect and receive seismic ground motion.
Seismometer
It states that the angle of incidence is equal to the angle of reflection.
Law of Reflection
It states that a ray will refract at an interface where its velocity changes.
Law of Refraction
This investigates variations in the Earth’s gravitational field generated by differences in density between rocks.
Gravity Survey
It the measuring instrument of the gravitational field of Earth at specific locations.
Gravimeter
It measures local gravity in absolute units (Gal) and are used in the field.
Absolute Gravimeter
It refers to the gravity in a given body.
Absolute Gravity
It refers to the change in gravity from a place to the other.
Relative Gravity
This instruments is extremely sensitive, specially assembled, spring-based instruments carrying a fixed mass.
Relative Gravimeter
It refers to the routine correction of field gravity contrast data between an arbitrary reference point and a series of ground stations influenced by extraneous effects not related to the subsurface geology.
Gravity Reduction
This is due to the poor quality of spring and change of temperature during the recording.
Drift Correction
This is due to increase in gravity in the equator to the poles.
Latitude Correction
These refers to methods of correcting gravity data due to elevation.
Elevation Correction
This adjusts the measurements of gravity to what would have been measured if it was done on mean sea level.
Free Air Correction
This removes the effect of gravitational pull as a function of change in elevation.
Bouguer Correction
This accounts for the topographic relief in the vicinity of the gravity station
Terrain Correction
This measures the effect of the tides caused by the gravitational pull of both the moon and the sun
Tidal Correction
A passive survey method where it measures existing magnetic field strength and does not amplify or modify it.
Magnetic Method
It uses a “bird” as a magnetic sensor fixed to a string in the aircraft tail.
Airborne Magnetic Method
A “fish” is used to tow a sensor behind a ship to remove magnetic effect of the vessel. This is used to search for polymetallics
Marine Magnetic Method
This is prospecting smaller areas previously defined by airborne magnetic methods
Ground Magnetic Surveys
It is the most common magnetic material found in iron ores, banded iron formations (BIFs), metamorphic and igneous rocks, and in small concentrations of sedimentary rocks. Next in rank is Ilmenite (FeTiO3).
Magnetite (Fe3O4)
These exhibit parallel alignment resulting in large magnetization even without a magnetic field (Fe, Ni, and Co).
Ferromagnetic Material
These exhibit complex alignment but same magnetic characteristic (as seen in magnetite and pyrrhotite) as ferromagnetic.
Ferrimagnetic Material
It refers to the one that remains in the absence of an induced magnetic field.
(Normal) Remanent Magnetization
The magnetism remains after sample has been cooled to a temperature below Curie point in a field.
Thermo-remanent Magnetization
Magnetism remains after when a magnetic substance is chemically formed or crystallized in a field temperature below the Curie Point
Chemical Remanent Magnetization
It is acquired in sediments where magnetic minerals are aligned by magnetic field
Detritus Remanent Magnetization
Magnetism remains after the application and removal of magnetic field.
Isothermal Remanent Magnetization
It is acquired under the application of stress; evident when strain proceeds from elastic to plastic.
Piezo-remanent Magnetization
It is the instrument that measures magnetic field strength.
Magnetometer
It refers to the pattern that recurs every 24 hours as a result of one full rotation of the planet around its axis.
Diurnal Cycle
The horizontal extent and location of orebodies can be determined by the ___________________ produced by a graph.
curves (minima and maxima)
Electrical survey works by measuring the natural or induced electrical fields which depends on the _______ and ______ of subsurface rock mass to a passing electric current.
conductivity and resistivity
It refers to the fundamental property of a mineral that measures how hard it is to resist electric current.
Resistivity
It is an imaging technique that identifies electrical chargeability of subsurface materials.
Induced Polarization
It refers to the rate of decay of the current induced.
Chargeability
High resistivity areas denote __________ while low resistivity areas denote _________
Rock and Minerals; Water and Soil
As conductivity increases, it decreases ________
Resistivity
Resistivity increases as porosity _______________
decreases
It retains electrode configurations at a fixed point presuming that current penetrates continuously deeper with increasing separation of current electrodes.
Vertical Electrical Sounding/ Electrical Drilling
Electrode configuration where 4 electrodes are in a straight line and in equal spaces.
Wenner Array
Electrode configuration where potential electrodes are closer than current electrodes
Schlumberger Array
The potential electrodes are kept outside the current electrodes each having a constant mutual separation.
Dipole Array
It is obtained by progressively moving an electrode spread with fixed electrode separation along a traverse line.
Constant Separation Traversing
It is the process of taking small portion of an object which shall represent the entire property or an adjacent portion of the object under assessment.
Sampling
It is determined by the nature and geometry of mineralization (i.e. size, shape, orientation, and distribution)
Sampling Patterns
It is performed by collecting soil at designated (relatively closely spaced) grid patterns.
Soil Sampling/ Talus Sampling
It is carried out by excavating a 1x1m2 pit in a grid (rectangular or square) covering the entire target area.
Test Pitting
Materials obtained from each meter of excavation are placed as _____________ where it becomes the sample to determine grade variation and other distinctive features.
stacks
It is performed by creating trenches that cut across the orebody after outline has made by either pitting or rock/soil sampling 10 m long and 3-5 meter deep.
Trenching
It is the collection of representative broken material generated by pitting, trenching, or any mine production.
Stack
It is performed by scooping using sluice boxes or by auger drills to collect wet or dry loose sandy samples at regular grid intervals at certain depth.
Alluvial Placer Sampling
Sample collection is done by inserting a cylinder/ auger drill down the base of stack or by buckets full of sample where collection points are selected.
Stack Sampling
It is performed by cutting channels across the mineralized body (uniformly mineralized structures- veins, stringers, and disseminations)
Channel Sampling
It is performed by collecting small rock fragments from a grid interval which is previously cleaned before cutting begins. This is suitable for irregularly distributed/ disseminated mineralization.
Chip Sampling
This utilizes the core obtained from diamond drilling activities then splits the core (using a core splitter) along its length into two identical halves as observed during logging.
Diamond Drill Core Sampling
This serves as an alternative in case of poor core recovery especially during drilling in fractured zones.
Sludge Sampling
This refers to the finer co-product particles in diamond drilling generated by cutting of rocks between core and outer-hole diameter.
Sludge
It refers to the collection of rock cuttings obtained from RC drills with respect to drill depth.
RC Drill Sampling
It is usually performed at mine production for quick approximation of run-of-mine ore where samples are picked at random.
Grab Sampling
It is composed of samples of handheld spades or mechanized shovels full of mineralized fragment and fines collected from mine face or stope drawpoints.
Muck Sampling
It is performed by obtaining samples from every mine car (5th and 10th) of an underground mine, dump truck for surface mines, or aerial transport tubs that transport ore to plants.
Car Sampling
A method where large quantities of samples (100-1000tonnes) are collected from different parts of stockpiles generated from mining activities
Bulk Sampling
