Introduction to Mineral Exploration

Ores and industrial minerals are the foundation of our manufacturing and construction industries. Therefore, mineral exploration is a key area of economic geology. It is also a more exacting science than previous textbooks on the subject would suggest, and it has been galvanised in recent years by the development of new techniques. Introduction to Mineral Exploration covers the nature of mineral exploration, including its economics, and the principal techniques employed in prospecting programs. However, it also goes further, to discuss the other factors and decisions essential to an exploration programme: target evaluation and pre-development studies. The book is written for senior undergraduates and professional geologists studying mineral exploration, mining geology, coal exploration, industrial mineralogy and ore geology. A distinctive feature of the book is the inclusion of six in-depth studies of deposit types, selected for their variety and the different geochemical, geophysical and other problems they present to the mineral prospector.