Geophysics for the Mineral Exploration Geoscientist

Providing a balance between principles and practice, this state-of-the-art overview of geophysical methods takes readers from the basic physical phenomena, through the acquisition and processing of data, to the creation of geological models of the subsurface and data interpretation to find hidden mineral deposits. Detailed descriptions of all the commonly used geophysical methods are given, including gravity, magnetic, radiometric, electrical, electromagnetic and seismic methods. Each technique is described in a consistent way and without complex mathematics. Emphasising extraction of maximum geological information from geophysical data, the book also explains petrophysics, data modelling and common interpretation pitfalls. Packed with full-colour figures, also available online, the text is supported by selected examples from around the world, including all the major deposit types. Designed for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses in minerals geoscience, this is also a valuable reference for professionals in the mining industry wishing to make greater use of geophysical methods. In 2015, Dentith and Mudge won the ASEG Lindsay Ingall Memorial Award for their combined effort in promoting geophysics to the wider community with the publication of this title.

Table of Contents:
Preface; Acknowledgements; 1. Introduction; 2. Geophysical data acquisition, processing and interpretation; 3. Gravity and magnetic methods; 4. Radiometric method; 5. Electrical and electromagnetic methods; 6. Seismic method; References; Index; Online appendices: Appendix 1. Vectors; Appendix 2. Waves and wave analysis; Appendix 3. Magnetometric methods; Appendix 4. Magnetotelluric electromagnetic methods; Appendix 5. Radio and radar frequency methods; Appendix 6. Seismic refraction method; Appendix 7. Sources of information on exploration and mining geophysics.

About the Author :
Mike Dentith is Professor of Geophysics at the University of Western Australia. He has been an active researcher and teacher of university level applied geophysics and geology for more than 20 years, and he also consults to the minerals industry. Professor Dentith's research interests include geophysical signatures of mineral deposits (about which he has edited two books), petrophysics and terrain scale analysis for exploration targeting using geophysical data. He is a member of the American Geophysical Union, Australian Society of Exploration Geophysicists, Society of Exploration Geophysicists and Geological Society of Australia. Stephen T. Mudge has worked as an exploration geophysicist in Australia for more than 35 years, and currently works as a consultant in his own company Vector Research. He has worked in many parts of the world and has participated in a number of new mineral discoveries. Mr Mudge has a keen interest in data processing techniques for mineral discovery and has produced several publications reporting new developments. He is a member of the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Australian Institute of Geoscientists, Australian Society of Exploration Geophysicists, Society of Exploration Geophysicists and European Association of Engineers and Geoscientists.

Review :
'More and more, great ore deposits are being found under cover and knowledge of exploration geophysics provides a distinct advantage in their discovery. Dentith and Mudge provide a clear, comprehensive, up-to-date, and (very significantly) applied approach for the general geologist, demonstrating how to locate concealed orebodies by employing modern-day geophysical techniques.' Richard J. Goldfarb, Fellow, Society of Economic Geologists 'Readers will really appreciate the up-to-date system descriptions, examples and case histories presented … In particular, the diagrams in this textbook are superb; the explanatory diagrams have been drawn professionally and the geophysical data and images are shown in full colour.' Richard Smith, Laurentian University 'There are few books for browsing and those worthy of purchase - for anyone in mineral exploration and interested in getting a better sense of what those geophysical anomalies and images are all about, this is definitely one to buy.' K. Howard Poulsen, Economic Geology 'Dentith and Mudge have written the book so exploration geologists can learn what they need to know, and perhaps more importantly what they need to ask, about geophysical techniques and interpretation, with the reader benefiting from the enormous collective experience and knowledge of the authors, digested into a series of clear practical do's and don'ts. This is very much a practical book, written for the practising exploration geologist … I also particularly like the use of summaries at the end of sections and chapters, which allowed me to pull together the key take-home messages … This is a beautifully illustrated text that covers geophysical data use all the way from introductory concepts through to visualisation and interpretation pitfalls … I see this book as essential reading for all exploration geologists, especially those who don't have their "junior geophysics scout badge".' CET Newsletter '… this is an excellent book which will likely become a landmark reference. With its large double-column format, it contains much more than the page count might suggest and is truly impressive in the range of topics covered. The organization, presentation, and writing style are all top-notch, and the authors' decades of experience clearly show through. Highly recommended.' The Leading Edge '… in addition to elaborating on the pitfalls and limitations of each method, Dentith and Mudge place much more emphasis on both the variations of physical properties within the geologic environment and data interpretation. These differences alone separate this textbook from other geophysical exploration textbooks and make it of greater value to the geoscientist who typically does not think about the geologic environment in terms of physical properties.' Mineralium Deposita '[This] book is highly recommended and a great addition to a personal library. Let's hope that the extra insights it provides to geophysical exploration will contribute towards future mineral discoveries.' Mining News Review 'The authors are to be complimented for having produced this well-written book. The organisation of the book is very good and easy to follow, and the data are clearly presented, and as a geoscientist with only a basic knowledge of geophysics, I am pleased to recommend this book as a 'must-read' for all geoscientists.' Ore Geology Reviews