Future trends in exploration geophysics

Abstract

Modern exploration relies on the integration of geology, geochemistry and geophysics to locate economically viable mineral deposits, water, oil and gas reserves. Exploration geophysics relies on detecting physical property differences within the shallow Earth to distinguish rock-type variations, structure, and the contrast between that unique rock ? the ore body ? and the host rock. These physical properties include density, magnetic susceptibility, conductivity, chargeability, velocity and reflectivity. The discovery of additional useful physical properties, and thus new geophysical methods, seems unlikely. The future of the continued advancement of geophysics is considered to be in the innovative use of the existing methods. Most of these have been in use since early this century and include the potential field methods of gravity and magnetics, electrical methods (resistivity, induced polarisation, self potential, electromagnetics), seismic and radiometrics.