Galvanoplastic Thoughts: At the cross-roads between exploration geochemistry and geophysics

By IOS team, January 13, 2016

Faithful to our tradition of challenging ideas between professionals from diverse backgrounds, IOS Services Geoscientifiques will be presenting some non-conventional thoughts at the Canadian Exploration Geophysical Society (KEGS) meeting in Ottawa, January 19, 2016. The talk, given by Rejean Girard will be presented at the January meeting of the KEGS discussion club at Gamble Hall, in the GSC building (615 Booth st., Ottawa).

In exploration business, we use to say that geochemistry tells you what you have, and geophysics tells you where it is. So in the course of an exploration program, these are complementary, not competing. However, the conception of success and misfortune using these methods are very different, with geophysics having a much larger apparent success rate than geochemistry. There are plenty of reasons for such, mainly because geophysics being conducted by specialists, while geochemistry is typically run by whoever-is-available-at-the-camp! So, the first part of the talk will be about how geophysics and geochemistry must interplay, and where are the pitfalls where most companies stumble on. Importance of environmental processes and QAQC issues will be briefly reviewed.

In the second part, we will discuss how chemical and electrical processes are interrelated. At the moment, there is a metal migration to generate "anomalies", this involves cations and anions migration, galvanoplastic cells, electrolytic conductivity and electrical current. A case study conducted underneath a DC power line will be used as a trigger for thoughts. Understanding of these interplays may enable designing of more efficient exploration programs, such as discriminating fertile versus sterile IP anomalies to be drilled.

The talk does not intent to propose absolute solution to exploration issues. It just intent to trigger multidisciplinary discussions between geoscientist having the same goal, but a different toolbox.

For more information on the time and location of the conference, go on the KEGS website:

http://www.kegsonline.org/?dir=3&sub=&typo=event&doc=8267&action=show&title=KEGS

 

 

 

 

< Back to news