General Procedures of Geochemical Exploration
General Procedures of Geochemical Exploration
General Procedures of
Geochemical Exploration
John Carranza
Adjunct Associate Professor, James Cook University, QLD, Australia
Visiting Professor, State University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
Usefulness of exploration geochemistry
1
Conceptual model of formation of geochemical
anomalies in the weathering environment
2
Patterns of residual anomalies in soil
3
Other factors that could distort soil anomalies
4
Soil anomalies formed by ice movement (in Finland)
5
Stream sediment anomalies
clastic dispersion
6
Stream sediment anomalies
hydromorphic dispersion
7
Stream sediment anomalies
hydromorphic dispersion
8
Steps in a geochemical exploration survey
10
General assessment stage
Things to consider:
Mineral potential of the area
Type of mineral deposit(s)
Earlier exploration work
Mining licenses in the area
Type(s) of exploration survey
Specific local circumstances
such as access, seasonal
aspects but also political issues
Costs, etc. ….
General Procedures of Geochemical Exploration 11
General assessment stage
Data to consider:
Topo maps, road maps
Geological maps
Airborne radiometrics
Satellite images
Aerial photographs
Etc. etc.
14
General assessment stage
database
structure
19
Pilot study or orientation survey
From Huang Ghengzhi, Regional geochemical exploration in karst regions, example from Beishan-Dushan area, China
21
Pilot study or orientation survey
Systematic or non-systematic sample collection?
“Road” Sampling
pathfinder elements
26
Pilot study or orientation survey
Lithologic indicator elements
1.General assessment of
the area
2.Pilot study or
orientation survey
3.Regional
reconnaissance
4.Preliminary follow-up
5.Systematic –detailed-
sampling
6.Trenching, pitting,
augering
7.Drilling
General Procedures of Geochemical Exploration 29
Stream sediment sampling requires few tools
In most drainage geochemical surveys, ~250 gram of silt material is collected from active or recently
transported stream sediments and placed in a Kraft paper bag. The material is collected in six to ten
grabs by hand over a few meters of the streambed.
General Procedures of Geochemical Exploration 30
At end of reconnaissance regional-scale sampling
33
Next step: soil sampling
mineralized belt
FIG. 1. Relation of a sample grid spacing to the detection of individual mineral deposits.
0.3 to 2 m
∅: 10 cm 37
From: Smith et al. (1976)
In-situ collection of radon in soil gas
Static system
Fast methods for sample collection in areas that are too large or difficult for regular grid
sampling. Easy to plot on maps or enlarged aerial photographs. 41
Ridge-and-spur soil sampling
42
Ridge-and-spur soil sampling results
43
Systematic sampling grid patterns
44
Systematic soil sampling in a grid
Picture from Pablo Andrada de Palomera of soil sampling in Argentina
45
Simple soil sampling pit
Picture from Pablo Andrada de Palomera, sample pits in Argentinean in an area with thick soil cover.
46
Deep regolith sampling
47
Mechanized soil sampling
Picture from Pablo Andrada de Palomera of mechanical soil pitting
48
Soil sampling over a 100 x 20 meter grid
49
Integration of geochemistry and geophysics
Magnetometry
Geophysical data collection on a soil grid
50
In-fill soil sampling over a 20x5 meter grid
54
Follow-up of soil anomaly: trenching
55
Follow-up of trench observation: drilling
56
Sampling from greater depth with RAB or RAC drills
58
Supplement to geochemical analysis of drillcores
59
Supplement to geochemical analysis of drillcores
60
End of an geochemical exploration survey
62
Possible scores in an exploration survey
64