Prospecting and Exploration Methods MINE 1001

Upon successful completion, the student will be able to:

• Describe the basic principle of plate tectonics and the major types of plate boundaries.
• List the main physical properties that can be used to distinguish minerals in the field.
• Identify common rock forming and economic minerals in the laboratory.
• Identify common igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic rocks in the laboratory.
• Explain the rock cycle.
• Determine the relative geological time of events on simple geological cross-sections.
• List common geological contacts.
• Describe the basic characteristics of common geological structures such as faults and folds.
• Recall the major geological belts/divisions of British Columbia.
• List the type of information that can be obtained on topographic and geological maps.
• Read topographic maps and simple geological maps.
• Describe the process of staking a claim in British Columbia.
• Describe common forms and appearance of mineralized rock in the field.
• Recall the common ways in which mineral deposits are formed.
• List the geological characteristics, commodities and grade/tonnage of 6 common mineral deposit types (magmatic, diamond, porphyry, skarn, vein (mesothermal and epithermal gold), volcanogenic massive sulphide and stratiform).
• Outline common prospecting and exploration techniques (prospecting, mapping, soil sampling, stream sediment sampling, geochemistry, geophysics).
• Design simple prospecting/exploration programs.
• Recall the techniques you can use to effectively present and sell an exploration property.
• Outline the components of a basic option agreement.

Effective as of Fall 2003