What is prospecting?
For mining to be feasible, the prospector must find ore deposits - places where geological processes have created higher than average concentrations of useful minerals. Prospecting is the process of looking for mineral deposits. Physical exploration is the process of closely examining a deposit to determine its size, shape, mineral contents, and other characteristics.
The term exploration alone includes both processes because many modern techniques are applicable to both.
Traditional Prospecting.
The old-time prospector used a burro or mule to carry his camping supplies, pick and shovel, a pan for washing stream gravels, two or three pieces of drill steel and a sledgehammer to drive them, and perhaps a keg of blasting powder.
Usually lacking training in geology, the early prospector was looking for simple, easy-to-find mineralization - native gold (free gold) in stream gravels (placer deposits) or in veins outcropping on the rocky sides of mountains or canyons.
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In later decades these methods were successful for finding major deposits of copper, lead, iron, and coal. The era of the traditional prospector began to decline in advanced countries about the beginning of the 20th century.
Modern Prospecting.
The majority of ore deposits remaining to be found are hidden under surface soil or buried deep within rock formations. Such deposits require a new type of prospector and new prospecting methods. The modern prospector is a member of a team of highly trained specialists who use sophisticated equipment in a planned, systematic search. The team generally includes experts in geology, geophysics, geochemistry, computer techniques, drilling, mineral economics, metallurgy, and related fields.
What is involved in modern day exploration?
Modern exploration often starts with literature and field investigation of a region covering up to 100,000 square miles (259,000 sq. km). In a sequence of exploratory stages, the team narrows this region down to relatively small target areas that are considered highly favorable for the occurrence of mineral deposits. The team then physically explores the target area. Exploration techniques include geological inference, geophysical and geochemical methods, remote sensing, drilling, and trenching. Each has numerous variations. Except for drilling, none of these methods tells the prospector exactly what is under the surface. However, they give the prospector information about underground rock structures and the probability of ore mineralization.
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