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We identify and understand the diverse nature of Ni mineralisation across the Australian continent using Self-Organising Maps, an unsupervised clustering algorithm. We integrate remotely sensed, continental-scale multivariate geophysical/mineralogical data and combine the outputs of our machine learning analysis with Ni mineral occurrence data. The resulting Ni prospectivity map identifies the location of Ni mines with an accuracy 92.58%. We divide areas of prospective Ni mineralisation into five clusters. These clusters indicate subtle but significant differences in regolith and bedrock geophysical/mineralogical footprints of Ni sulphide and Ni laterite deposits. This information is used to identify and understand the nature of potential Ni targets in regions where prospective bedrock mineralisation is concealed by regolith materials. Our machine learning approach can be applied to the analysis of other mineral commodities and at local-/prospect scales.

Item Type:	Refereed Conference Paper
Keywords:	self-organising maps, geophysics, regolith
Research Division:	Earth Sciences
Research Group:	Geophysics
Research Field:	Geophysics not elsewhere classified
Objective Division:	Mineral Resources (Excl. Energy Resources)
Objective Group:	Mineral exploration
Objective Field:	Mineral exploration not elsewhere classified
UTAS Author:	Cracknell, MJ (Dr Matthew Cracknell)
UTAS Author:	Reading, AM (Professor Anya Reading)
ID Code:	100298
Year Published:	2015
Deposited By:	Earth Sciences
Deposited On:	2015-05-10
Last Modified:	2017-11-02
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