Ashish Kumar(19GG20007)

Geophysical Exploration of Gold

Introduction

▪ It is almost impossible to get a direct geophysical

response from gold because of the low grads in deposits, except
when electromagnetic detectors are used for individual shallow nuggets.

▪ indirect geophysical indications may occur through association of gold,

with particular host rocks, marker beds, or structures which are, for
example, of unusual magnetization, density, electric polarization, or
conductivity/resistivity. Useful markers may be magnetic dolerites, banded
iron formations, shales with magnetite, conductive and/or polarizable
pyrites, or other sulfide (detectable by IP methods) and silicified zones
more resistive than surrounding rocks. Mapping of faults and shear zones,
with which gold may be associated, is also valuable.
 Types of Gold deposits
❖ Main types of Gold deposits are as fallows -:
1) Deposits in Archean greenstone belts ,mailnly in mafic-ultramafic rocks or
(

in banded iron formation(BIF)

(2)Paleozoic-Tertiary volcanic-subvolcanic granitoid-related deposits; as at
Kidston, Charters Towers and Mt Morgan, Queensland, Australia.

(3) Proterozoic deposits of variable type such as those in Australia at Tennant Creek,
Northern Territory; Olympic Dam, South Australia; and Telfer, WA.
(4) Palaeozoic turbidite-hosted deposits; for example, Ballarat and Bendigo,
Victoria, Australia.
(5) Mesozoic-Quaternary epithermal deposits such as those of the western USA
(e.g., Round Mountain Nevada), eastern USSR, and the Pacific rim (e.g., Mount
Muro, Kalimanton, Indonesia, and Waiotapu, New Zealand).
(6) Tertiary-Quaternary alluvial-deep leads; as in Victoria and NSW, Australia, and
California, Alaska, New Zealand, and Indonesia.
Geophysical Techniques
Magnetic Survey Method
▪ Commonly, there are many magnetic anomalies in an igneous or metamorphic area, and
the geologic controls of mineralization must be understood to make reasonably clear
which magnetic rocks may be related to the gold mineralization (Boyd, 1984).
▪ Magnetite is by no means always a marker for gold. In fact, magnetite depletion is
characteristic of some deposits in Canada and Australia. Ferromagnetic minerals in mafic
volcanics (e.g., basalts) are destroyed by carbonatization resulting in areas of low
magnetic values (Middleton and Campbell, 1979; Middleton et al., 1984). On the other
hand, magnetic halos may occur around silicic intrusions.
▪ The magnetic survey is the most commonly used geophysical tool in gold exploration,
as it is in exploration for other metals. Aeromagnetic surveys are particularly useful in
the early stages of exploration, providing information about the broad geology and
structure of the area quickly and cheaply. Of course magnetic maps are essential where
outcrops are sparse.
Gravity
▪ Gravity surveys are not as common in gold exploration as are
magnetic surveys and are about three times as expensive. Gravity (as
well as magnetic) work has played an important role in the discovery
of new mines in the Witwatersrand basin. Examples are the Free State
gold field, extensions of the West Wits Line and the Klerksdorp gold
field and, as well, the Evander gold field in the Kinross basin
Electrical Method
Resistivity-
▪ It is well known that areas of low resistivity are usually produced by sulfides,
graphite, and salty over burden.Occasionally small sulfide or even graphite
concentrations correspond to very valuable gold or uranium orebodies, such as
the Detour Lake gold discovery in Ontario.
▪ Resistivity measurements are usually made today as part of
induced polarization surveys.
Scintrex developed the magnetometric resistivity method (MMR) specifically for
areas of conductive overburden common in Australia. This technique has been
used in gold exploration. It is rapid and Window does not respond to
uniform horizontal overburden layers but does detect horizontal changes
in resistivity.

▪ A high resistivity zone may be a distinctive signature of a near surface zone of

silicification associated with gold concentrations . The resistivity map is then a
guide to alteration-silicification patterns and the high-resistivity areas to the near-
surface drill targets, at least in North America.
▪ An example is the discovery of the Broulan-Porcupine prospect in
Ontario . The orebodies were found in the silicified zones underlying
the high-resistivity bands, but in Australia such silicification may be
rare .Resistivity surveys were used by the Western Mining
Corporation (1979, Gold, a review of the technology of exploration
and mining) in Victoria to determine
basalt thicknesses overlying prospective ground.
Electromagnetic Method-
▪ EM methods are used where massive sulfides, conductive faults or
fracture zones, or more resistive silicified rocks may be associated
with gold. Some Archaean deposits in Australia are associated with
semimassive to massive sulfides, and in these cases EM surveys are
an obvious choice
▪ In Australia, in the areas of low surface resistivity,
the magnetometric resistivity method (MMR) is better than VLF and is
also rapid. In such areas there is no airborne EM technique which is
generally effective. In ground EM. transient EM methods (TEM) have
largely replaced other EM methods (Doyle and Lindeman,
▪ At Wiluna(WA), early EM surveys were carried out by the North
Australia Survey (AGGSNA) in 1937, Frequencies of 300 and 600 Hz
were used with long grounded transmitter cables (Blazey et al., 1940).
This pioneering work helped to locate important fault zones offsetting
volcanics related to gold mineralization. The VLF method is quite
commonly used in North America as a rapid conductivity mapper but
has not been used much in Australia because of the
conductive overburden and comparatively high frequency of VLF
systems (20 kHz) and so small depth of penetration.
Seismic and Radar reflection method
➢Seismic reflection surveys have been used in the Witwatersrand basin
in South Africa to map deep horizons associated with gold.
Encouraging results have been obtained, especially in resolving
structures.
➢Seismic refraction surveys have been conducted in a few areas of
North America and Australia to map buried river channels for placer
gold deposits. More recently seis mic reflection and even radar
techniques have been at tempted (e.g., Davis et al., 1984). Radar
transmitter antennas were placed on the ground for maximum
ground coupling, and penetration of up to 30 m through sands and
gravel was achieved.