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Minerals
Special Issues
Mining and Mineral Exploration Geophysics
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Mining and Mineral Exploration Geophysics

A special issue of Minerals (ISSN 2075-163X). This special issue belongs to the section "Mineral Exploration Methods and Applications".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2018) | Viewed by 35169

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Jonathan Chambers

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Natural Environment Research Council, British Geological Survey, Nottingham NG12 5GG, UK
Interests: mining geophysics; geoelectrical methods; engineering geology; geohazards; hydrogeophysics; groundwater monitoring and remediation; resource exploration
Mr. Sebastian Uhlemann

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Natural Environment Research Council, British Geological Survey, Nottingham, NG12 5GG, UK
Interests: mining geophysics; hydrogeophysics; geohazards; geophysical modelling and inversion; near surface geophysics; resource exploration

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Emerging developments in the field of near surface geophysics are increasingly benefiting a wide range of mining and mineral exploration activities. Geophysical methods provide a means of spatially characterizing and monitoring the subsurface, which is particularly valuable in settings with complex ground conditions where intrusive methods alone can be inadequate. This Special Issue aims to highlight novel geophysical techniques, modelling approaches, and applications to address mining related issues—including mineral exploration, mine planning, tailings and mine waste characterisation and monitoring, slope stability assessment and groundwater management. We welcome studies relating to all geophysical techniques, including airborne, ground-based and borehole methods.

Dr. Jonathan Chambers
Mr. Sebastian Uhlemann
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Minerals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • geophysics
  • characterization
  • exploration
  • minerals
  • mining
  • monitoring
  • tailings
  • mine waste
  • slope stability
  • mine planning
  • groundwater monitoring
  • wireline logging
  • airborne
  • geoelectrical
  • seismic
  • potential field
  • ground penetrating radar
  • electromagnetic

Published Papers (5 papers)

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Research

12 pages, 4435 KiB  
Article
Geophysical Field Data Interpolation Using Stochastic Partial Differential Equations for Gold Exploration in Dayaoshan, Guangxi, China
by Zhenwei Guo, Xiangping Hu, Jianxin Liu, Chunming Liu and Jianping Xiao
Minerals 2019, 9(1), 14; https://doi.org/10.3390/min9010014 - 26 Dec 2018
Cited by 5 | Viewed by 3623
Abstract
In a geophysical survey, one of the main challenges is to estimate the physical parameter using limited geophysical field data with noise. Geophysical datasets are measured with sparse sampling in a survey. However, the limited data constrain the geophysical interpretation. Traditionally, the field [...] Read more.
In a geophysical survey, one of the main challenges is to estimate the physical parameter using limited geophysical field data with noise. Geophysical datasets are measured with sparse sampling in a survey. However, the limited data constrain the geophysical interpretation. Traditionally, the field data has been interpolated using mathematical algorithm. In many cases, the estimated field data uncertainties are required to determine which earth models are consistent with the observations. A model-based data-estimation method can provide precise information for imaging and interpretation. The approach used in this paper is based on a stochastic partial differential equation, and it is employed to predict the geophysical data. With this statistical model-based approach, the sparse sample from a survey is used to estimate the underlying spatial surface, and it is assumed that the predicted geophysical data have the same probability density function as the observed data. Furthermore, this method can return the uncertainties of the prediction. Both the synthetic data and the gold mineral exploration field data cases illustrate that this approach leads to better results than traditional methods. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mining and Mineral Exploration Geophysics)
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17 pages, 19366 KiB  
Article
Applying Electrical Resistivity Tomography in Ornamental Stone Mining: Challenges and Solutions
by Sebastian Uhlemann, Jonathan Chambers, W. Eberhard Falck, Avelino Tirado Alonso, José Luis Fernández González and Antonio Espín de Gea
Minerals 2018, 8(11), 491; https://doi.org/10.3390/min8110491 - 27 Oct 2018
Cited by 22 | Viewed by 5230
Abstract
In this study, the use of electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) as a tool to guide ornamental stone extraction is investigated. ERT is not conventionally used in highly resistive environments, such as on rock faces, due to the high contact resistances that can impede [...] Read more.
In this study, the use of electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) as a tool to guide ornamental stone extraction is investigated. ERT is not conventionally used in highly resistive environments, such as on rock faces, due to the high contact resistances that can impede current injection. Here, the challenges of conducting ERT in such environments are discussed and possible solutions suggested. For this, an example of the application of ERT in a deep and narrow marble quarry is used. The marble deposit is affected by fracturing and karstification. Due to the nature of these features, they present a significant resistivity contrast to the background resistivity of the marble and thus excellent targets to test the application of ERT. Their location was mapped using field observations and complementary ground penetrating radar data. By using an appropriate sensor deployment, a suitable resistivity meter, and advanced data processing routines, the derived 3D resistivity model is in good agreement with the independent observations. This shows that despite the challenges, ERT can be used as a non-invasive tool to obtain information on the stone properties prior to extraction. This will help in guiding quarry operations and will allow for a targeted, safe, and efficient extraction of high quality stone, thereby increasing sustainability and economical competitiveness. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mining and Mineral Exploration Geophysics)
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20 pages, 16172 KiB  
Article
Large-Scale 3D Modeling and Inversion of Multiphysics Airborne Geophysical Data: A Case Study from the Arabian Shield, Saudi Arabia
by Michael S. Zhdanov, Fouzan A. Alfouzan, Leif Cox, Abdulrahman Alotaibi, Mazen Alyousif, David Sunwall and Masashi Endo
Minerals 2018, 8(7), 271; https://doi.org/10.3390/min8070271 - 27 Jun 2018
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 7645
Abstract
Recent developments in large-scale geophysical inversions made it possible to invert the results of entire airborne geophysical surveys over large areas into 3D models of the subsurface. This paper presents the methods for and results of the interpretation of the data acquired by [...] Read more.
Recent developments in large-scale geophysical inversions made it possible to invert the results of entire airborne geophysical surveys over large areas into 3D models of the subsurface. This paper presents the methods for and results of the interpretation of the data acquired by a multiphysics airborne geophysical survey in Saudi Arabia. The project involved the acquisition, processing, and interpretation of airborne electromagnetic, gravity, and magnetic geophysical data over an 8000 square kilometer area. All the collected data were carefully analyzed and inverted in 3D models of the corresponding physical properties of the subsurface, including 3D density, magnetization vector, and conductivity models. This paper summarizes the interpretation of all geophysical data sets collected during the field airborne survey. The goal of the paper is to demonstrate how the advanced 3D modeling and inversion methods can be effectively used for interpretation of multiphysics airborne survey data and to study and analyze the potential of the survey area for natural resource exploration in Saudi Arabia. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mining and Mineral Exploration Geophysics)
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22 pages, 9523 KiB  
Article
Geophysical Investigation of the Pb–Zn Deposit of Lontzen–Poppelsberg, Belgium
by Maxime Evrard, Gaël Dumont, Thomas Hermans, Michel Chouteau, Olivier Francis, Eric Pirard and Frédéric Nguyen
Minerals 2018, 8(6), 233; https://doi.org/10.3390/min8060233 - 29 May 2018
Cited by 19 | Viewed by 9275
Abstract
The drillhole information from the Lontzen–Poppelsberg site has demonstrated three orebodies and has allowed the estimation of the extension of the lodes, their dip, and the location at the ground surface. The localisation of the lodes makes them excellent targets for further exploration [...] Read more.
The drillhole information from the Lontzen–Poppelsberg site has demonstrated three orebodies and has allowed the estimation of the extension of the lodes, their dip, and the location at the ground surface. The localisation of the lodes makes them excellent targets for further exploration with geophysics. This deposit is classified as a Mississippi Valley Type (MVT) deposit. It consists mainly of Pb–Zn–Fe sulphides that display contrasting values in resistivity, chargeability, density, and magnetic susceptibility, with regards to the sedimentary host rocks. The dipole–dipole direct current (DC) resistivity and induce polarization (IP) profiles have been collected and inverted to successfully delineate the Pb–Zn mineralization and the geological structures. Short-spacing EM34 electromagnetic conductivity data were collected mainly on the top of Poppelsberg East lode and have revealed a conductive body matching with the geologically modelled mineralization. Gravity profiles have been carried out perpendicularly to the lode orientation; they show a strong structural anomaly. High resolution ground magnetic data were collected over the study area, but they showed no anomaly over the ore deposits. The geophysical inversion results are complementary to the model based on drill information, and allow us to refine the delineation of the mineralization. The identification of the geophysical signatures of this deposit permits targeting new possible mineralization in the area. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mining and Mineral Exploration Geophysics)
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22 pages, 25034 KiB  
Article
Effective-Medium Inversion of Induced Polarization Data for Mineral Exploration and Mineral Discrimination: Case Study for the Copper Deposit in Mongolia
by Michael Zhdanov, Masashi Endo, Leif Cox and David Sunwall
Minerals 2018, 8(2), 68; https://doi.org/10.3390/min8020068 - 14 Feb 2018
Cited by 15 | Viewed by 7245
Abstract
This paper develops a novel method of 3D inversion of induced polarization (IP) survey data, based on a generalized effective-medium model of the IP effect (GEMTIP). The electrical parameters of the effective-conductivity model are determined by the intrinsic petrophysical and geometrical characteristics of [...] Read more.
This paper develops a novel method of 3D inversion of induced polarization (IP) survey data, based on a generalized effective-medium model of the IP effect (GEMTIP). The electrical parameters of the effective-conductivity model are determined by the intrinsic petrophysical and geometrical characteristics of composite media, such as the mineralization and/or fluid content of rocks and the matrix composition, porosity, anisotropy, and polarizability of formations. The GEMTIP model of multiphase conductive media provides a quantitative tool for evaluation of the type of mineralization, and the volume content of different minerals using electromagnetic (EM) data. The developed method takes into account the nonlinear nature of both electromagnetic induction and IP phenomena and inverts the EM data in the parameters of the GEMTIP model. The goal of the inversion is to determine the electrical conductivity and the intrinsic chargeability distributions, as well as the other parameters of the relaxation model simultaneously. The recovered parameters of the relaxation model can be used for the discrimination of different rocks, and in this way may provide an ability to distinguish between uneconomic mineral deposits and zones of economic mineralization using geophysical remote sensing technology. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Mining and Mineral Exploration Geophysics)
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