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To make better exploration tools, we first need to better understand ore deposits

conference contribution
posted on 2023-05-23, 14:35 authored by Timothy Ireland, Sievwright, R, Bath, A, Stefanova, E, Godfroid, J, Terence HoschkeTerence Hoschke

In an era of industry-funded research, there is an imperative that research yields outcomes that can be applied directly, at the expense of improving fundamental understanding. Reality often proves more complex than our simplistic experiments anticipated. A summary of common experimental behaviour might be framed thus:

  1. observe something of possible use
  2. collect limited orientation samples
  3. become enthused by early results
  4. roll out the tool to genuine unknowns
  5. generate abundant data with ambiguous results
  6. analyse using a machine learning algorithm hoping for a miracle.

This paper documents some of our recent trials and errors, mostly through application of SEM-based Tescan Integrated Mineral Analyser (TIMA) quantitative mineralogy and rock mapping, and attempts to apply mineral chemistry and chronology analysis to detrital sediment samples. We've learned that to improve our new tools we must:

  1. expand or customise our characterisation of natural background
  2. observe mineral appearance, assemblage and morphology before microanalysis
  3. accept that detailed observation may demand revisions to existing models of hydrothermal mineral stabilities, and hence provoke more fundamental research
  4. accept that machine learning classifications tend to be successful only when trained against local or specifically relevant orientation data.

History

Publication title

Proceedings of the 15th SGA Biennial Meeting: Life with Ore Deposits on Earth, volume 3

Pagination

1306-1309

ISBN

9780852619643

Department/School

School of Natural Sciences

Publisher

University of Glasgow Publicity Services

Place of publication

Glasgow, Scotland

Event title

15th SGA Biennial Meeting

Event Venue

Glasgow, Scotland

Date of Event (Start Date)

2019-08-27

Date of Event (End Date)

2019-08-30

Rights statement

Copyright 2019 Society for Geology Applied to Mineral Deposits (SGA)

Repository Status

  • Restricted

Socio-economic Objectives

Other mineral resources (excl. energy resources) not elsewhere classified

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