Classes

Preparing for Field Work – Dr.D.B. Guha, former Dy.D.G., GSI

We start from the basics. Preparing for your first field work can be exciting and challenging. You are excited about what will you see, about new experiences and new learning opportunities. At the same time a bit nervous and a bit concerned about what to pack? What to wear? Whether your field kit is adequate? What to include in the field gear? Basic stuff for the first field work. Mineral Exploration Academy is here to help. We learn from a seasoned geologist Dr. D.B.Guha who has spent a lifetime in field.
This video is suitable for students preparing for their first geological field work.

Android applications for field geology – Dr. Amit Tripathi

The most powerful field tool is a smartphone. A smartphone is equipped with a plethora of sensors. These include a GPS, clinometer, magnetometer, thermometer, barometer, camera and various others depending on the make and model you have. These are a full spectrum field tools – just remember not to use your phone as a hammer 😉 that is one tool the phone is not equipped with. In this video I talk about the field geology applications that I have been using over last few years; how have these improved my productivity; and how these have improved the quality of my field work. As all things software the apps keep improving and new ones coming everyday. I am not promoting any of these apps, just sharing my experiences. Feel free to explore better ones that you use and post suggestions in the comments section for me and others to benefit from.

Why safety? Field safety principles.

COMING SOON

Safety if the most important prerequisite. Why is safety important and what are the important principles of safe field work

QGIS Demo 1 – B. Nageswaran, former Dy.D.G., GSI

Quantum GIS is a powerful, free opensource GIS software. B Nageswaran, former Dy.D.G. of GSI and a top GIS expert of the GSI provides a tutorial of QGIS. Topic covered are how to load data into QGIS, add files, layers, workspaces, adding coordinate systems, attribute features, how to classify a map with polygon attributes, how to assign colours or patterns to polygons based on their attributes, applying labels. He also explains how to build map based queries, how to create buffer zones, how to use the “difference tool” and its importance and intersection tool and its importance in spatial queries. Mr Nageswaran effectively demonstrates these QGIS tools in a user friendly manner and produces a map with desired objectives.

Principles of Uranium Exploration – Exploration – Pramod Kumar, former Addl Director, AMD

Mr Pramod Kumar, former Addl Director of AMD explains why is Uranium important? What are important Uranium minerals? How Uranium deposits form? What are the geological processes leading to Uranium mineralization? What are important geological epochs when most Uranium deposits formed? How to explore for Uranium? Exploration techniques used for finding deposits and some examples. Expalined by a seasoned Uranium explorer who has spent over three decades exploring Uranium.

Metamorphism and ore genesis – Dr.D.B.Guha, former Dy.D.G., GSI

Exploration in metamorphic terranes. Metamorphosed deposits and metamorphic deposits. How to explore for minerals in a metamorphic terrane.

Common field mistakes and how to prevent them – Pramod Kumar, former Addl Director, AMD

Common field mistakes that beginners often make and how to prevent them.

Basic Principles of Mapping and Sampling – Dr.D.B.Guha, former Dy.D.G., GSI

How to start mapping? What are mapping scales and how to choose the mapping scale? Locating yourself in the field in small scale and large scale mapping. What to observe in the field? Right way of collecting samples. How to record data ? Concepts of geological field work, how to locate your self in the field, how to choose a scale, how to plan traverses, how to record observations, how to collect samples. Taught by someone who has spent decades doing hands on field work and been a Dy. Director General of the Geological Survey of India.

GIS concepts for mineral exploration – Dr. V.Chandrasekharan, former Director, GSI

GIS concepts and their applications in mineral exploration. What are the field data compmonents? How in exploration data integrated with maps into GIS? Transforming data to information to knowledge and then to action. Software for GIS and other exploration applications. How to use GIS to maximise the value of available data? The concept of raster and vector maps and where to use which one? Methodology of integrating data into GIS and transforming the data to proximity analysis based maps that can be used for target identification. Concept of theoretical models and empirical models. An example for how a favorability map was produced using GIS driven exploration data processing. Fuzzy logic and its application in GIS for exploration.

Principles of Platinum Group of Elements and their exploration – Dr.N.P.Nathan, former Dy.D.G., GSI

Techniques of exploring for Platinum Group of Elements (PGE) in mafic and ultramafic complexes; concepts and genetic aspects; extraordinary properties and uses of PGEs; PGE market and price trends; Indian demand and supply of PGEs; major PGE deposits and mines around the world; geological associations of platinum group minerals (PGM); PGM and Ni-Cu associations; different types of PGE deposits – orthomagmatic, hydrothermal and alluvial; petrological properties and charecterization of diffrent types PGE deposits; petrological zonation of mineralization; layered igneous complexes and their importance for PGE exploration; common PGE minerals; examples from Bushveld, and Norilsk; understanding the mineralization controls and developing aproppriate PGE exploration strategies

Case study – Exploration of Tummulapalli Uranium Deposit, AP – Pramod Kumar, former Addl Director, AMD

Pramod Kumar, former Addl Director, AMD narrates the occurrence and distribution of Uranium in India and describes the story of discovery of Tummulapalle, a large carbonate hosted Uranium deposit discovered by the AMD. He explains what sets apart Tummulapalle Uranium Deposit and why is this discovery a very important event in the exploration history.Descovery of this deposit teaches us to be open minded and focus on basic data and grassroots geological interpretation and not depend on older models. Carbonate hosted Uranium also created metallurgical challenge for AMD and they resolved this by developing the alkaline route for beneficiation. A must watch video for those looking to undertand the nuances of Uranium exploration.

Case study: Exploration of Sittampundi PGM complex – Dr.N.P.Nathan, former Dy.D.G., GSI

Details of exploration strategy, techniques used and the discovery of PGE mineralization in the Sittampundi layered complex in Tamilnadu. Narrated by Dr.N.P.Nathan who has in depth knowledge and is a well known authority on this subject.

Case study – Bhukia gold deposit – Dr.D.B.Guha, former Dy.D.G., GSI

Ancient gold working were found at Bhukia in 1969 and since then the area was explored by the Geological Survey of India over multiple expeditions. The terrane hosts matamorphic and hydrothermal gold mineralization along structures. Gossan zones define the surface expression of the gold rich areas. Several rocks units host the gold and mineralization presence along old deformed rocks and late structures suggests at least two phases of mineralization. The mineralized areas were identified by large sacale mapping and the visible mineralized areas were mapped at 1:2000 scale. Gossans, alteration zones, geophysics, were the key to identifying the targets. These were then drilled and large mineralized zones of upto 55m were discovered with gold grades as high as 20g/t. The total resources in the area were estimated to 114.78 mt @ 1.95g/t average grade totalling 223t of metal (almost 7.2 Moz) at 0.5g/t cutoff.