In this volume John Carranza not only offers a comprehensive review of the current state-of-the-art of processing geochemical data, their integration with complementary geodata sets and multivariate data analysis using spatial statistics to create maps enhanced for mineral exploration, but also brings the Handbook series to something of a milestone. This marks the first volume in which the topic of an earlier volume (Vol. 2) is in effect revisited and updated; though the approach and format are – appropriately entirely fresh.
Part I of the volume (chapters 1-2) introduces the concepts and methods of handling spatial data in a geographical information system for the purpose of predictive modeling for mineral exploration. Part II (chapters 3-5) looks in detail at geochemical data and how they are analyzed, classified, synthesized and attributed to catchment basins prior to their application in predictive modeling. Part III (chapters 6-8) begins by emphasising the importance of additional relevant spatial information and culminates in predictive modeling of mineral prospectivity by means of a range of knowledge-driven and data driven methods. Throughout the volume there is a wealth of well-illustrated real-world examples. The author admirably demonstrates modern approaches to data analysis and interpretation in mineral exploration in ways which exploration professionals can appreciate and adapt to their exploration programmes.
The objective of this book is to document, survey and demonstrate various GIS-aided and/or GIS-based techniques for mapping of geochemical anomalies and prospective areas during the target generation phase of mineral exploration. This volume consists of three parts, all centred on the theme predictive modeling or mapping and built upon particular notions and/or methods presented in the aforementioned textbooks and in various papers in exploration-related literature. Built upon the natural link between mapping of exploration targets and GIS,
the chapters in Part I review and couple the concepts of (1) mapping geochemical anomalies and mineral prospectivity and (2) spatial data models, management and operations in a GIS. Built upon the remarks of Reimann (2005, pp. 369) that “Although GIS techniques appear to have simplified geochemical mapping tremendously, most systems do not allow for fast and correct class selection for mapping, the chapters in Part II demonstrate GIS-aided and GIS-based methods for analysis of robust thresholds in mapping of geochemical anomalies. Built upon the notion that locations of mineral deposits of the type sought are intrinsic samples of mineralised landscapes, which are results of interactions of geological processes,
the chapters in Part III explain GIS-aided and GIS-based techniques for spatial data analysis and geo-information synthesis for conceptual modeling and predictive modeling of mineral prospectivity. The essence of this book is, therefore, the prudent (thus, not black box) utilisation of GIS in mapping of geochemical anomalies and prospective areas through the application of understanding of relevant earth systems or processes that led to the formation (and/or alteration) of these geo-objects.
Each chapter in this volume is meant to be self-contained. The chapters in Parts II and III are, however, coherently linked by a common case study. The concepts and methods described here are demonstrated with real exploration data sets. Although the geochemical data used here represent Earth materials most commonly sampled in reconnaissance exploration surveys (i.e., stream sediments) and the geological data sets used here represent ‘data-poor’ situations of mapping exploration targets for epithermal Au deposits, the concepts and methods described here apply equally to geochemical data from different sampling media and to ‘data-rich’ situations of mapping exploration targets for various types of mineral deposits.
In addition, whilst there is neither reference to nor endorsement of any GIS software throughout this volume, the concepts and methods described in every chapter are generic such that they are readily implemented with or in any GIS software. This volume is thus intended to be an instructional textbook and general reference manual for exploration geochemists and/or exploration geologists, who are enthusiastic and already possess skills in applying GIS or who are interested in applying GIS. It is also hoped that geoscience academics and graduate students not only in the knowledge fields of geo-resource exploration but also in the knowledge fields of geo-hazard mapping and/or geo-environmental characterisation would find the concepts and methods described in this volume useful in their work.
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