Archive for the ‘Philosophy of Mineral Exploration’ Category

What is an Anomaly and How do you Recognise It?

What is an Anomaly and How do you Recognise It?

The concept of the anomaly is one of the most basic ideas in exploration geology. It is understood in these terms -  it is a truism to say that significant metal ore bodies are unusual: another word for unusual is anomalous.: therefore, if mineral explorers (explorationists) identify anomalous […]

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The Camera and the Interrogator

The Camera and the Interrogator

The camera and the interrogator How odd it is that anyone should not see that all observations must be for or against some view if it is to be of any service. Charles Darwin, 1870 Speak to exploration geologists and you will find two views about what a […]

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Empirical and Conceptual Exploration – how to improve your exploration success rate

Empirical and Conceptual Exploration – how to improve your exploration success rate

Exploration for a mineral deposit begins with generating prospects which can then be tested with a staged series of exploration programs that hopefully will lead to ore discovery and eventually a mine. Obviously not all prospects that are generated will make it through to a mine. In […]

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We didn’t find an ore body – are we just unlucky, or crap explorers?

There are many, many times more prospectors and geologists exploring for mineral deposits than there are ore bodies to be found. It is entirely feasible for a competent explorationist to go through a career and never be able to claim sole credit for an economic mineral discovery.  It […]

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Breaking Occams Razor

Breaking Occams Razor

William of Occam (or Ockham) was a  14th century English Franciscan  monk and philosopher who gave his name to the principal now known as Occam’s razor. This is a well known philosophical principle that has universal application in all fields of problem solving. It states that, given […]

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