GEOLOGY 3500 - Exploration Methods III
General Course Information
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Course Details
| Course Code | GEOLOGY 3500 |
| Course | Exploration Methods III |
| Coordinating Unit | School of Earth & Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Sciences |
| Term | Semester 1 2013 |
| Mode | Internal |
| Level | Undergraduate |
| Location/s | North Terrace |
| Units | 3 |
| Contact | Up to 7 hours per week, plus field trip |
| Prerequisites | Not applicable |
| Corequisites | Not applicable |
| Incompatible | GEOLOGY 3017 and GEOLOGY 3018 |
| Assumed Knowledge | Not applicable |
| Restrictions | Not applicable |
| Quota | Not applicable |
| Course Description | This course will introduce a series of geological, geochemical and geophysical techniques that can be applied to determine the physical and chemical characteristics of the Earth¿s lithosphere, with direct application to the detection and mapping of mineral and energy resources in three dimensions. We will take a generic view, that economic concentrations of mineral and energy resources are geological anomalies that are defined by extreme localised enrichments (of specific elements, minerals, liquids, gases or heat) and are recognisable by steep gradients in a range of measurable geological, geophysical and geochemical properties. The course will be divided into modules covering exploration techniques commonly used in minerals and energy exploration, both geophysical (gravity, magnetic, electrical, electro-magnetic and seismic surveys) and geochemical (rock, regolith and hydrologic sampling techniques and analytical methods). We will examine the theoretical basis of each technique, the methods of data collection, presentation and analysis, and appropriate, geologically constrained, interpretation of the data. The course will include 2 * 1 day field trips, during which the students will collect a range of geophysical data and geochemical samples over an exploration target in the Adelaide Hills. These data will be processed, analysed and interpreted during practicals. Specific details of the field trips will be communicated at start of the course. |
Detailed Course Information
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Course Timetable
The full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from the Course Planner.
