How do geologists find ore deposits?

Asked by: Tony Vadlapatla

Geologists find ore deposits by testing the chemistry of the rock and soil. They can also determine the size of the deposit.

What techniques are used to find ore deposits?

The rock is drilled and blasted, then moved to the surface by truck, belt conveyor, or elevator. Once at the surface, the material is sent to a mill to separate the ore from the waste rock.



The primary methods used to extract minerals from the ground are:

• Underground mining.
• Surface (open pit) mining.
• Placer mining.

How mineral deposits are found?

Once a mineral deposit has been found it has to be extracted from the ground to access the valuable minerals it contains. This can be done by opencast quarrying or underground mining. Certain minerals can also be extracted by pumping.

What are the factors to consider in locating ore deposits?

Among such factors are the shape of a deposit, its depth below the surface, its geographic remoteness, access to transportation, the political stability of the region, and market factors such as the price of the metal in world trade and the costs of borrowing the money needed to develop a mine.

What is the first step in finding an ore deposit?

Usually, a mineral deposit has 100 to 1,000 times the concentration of the mineral than ordinary rocks do and enough material to justify opening a mine. Exploring rock for mineralization is the first step in finding an ore deposit.

What is the only direct method to locate ore deposits?

The most direct method of detection of ore via magnetism involves detecting iron ore mineralisation via mapping magnetic anomalies associated with banded iron formations which usually contain magnetite in some proportion.

How do mining companies find mineral deposits?

Mineral explorers (also called Prospectors) often use planes or helicopters to view large areas efficiently. Aeromagnetic surveys, satellite photos, air photos and detailed maps help prospectors identify mineralization.

What features do geologists look for when the prospect for ores?

what features do geologists look for when they prospect for ores? geologists look for rocks on the land surface and by studying maps of rocks beneath the surface. geologists also look for magnetic fields.

How are minerals identified underground?

Mineral detectors can be metal detectors or ground penetrating magnetic locators. Mineral detectors are used to find minerals, such as gold and silver. They can also be used to find other precious metals, such as copper and lead. A gold detector, in particular, is used to find gold nuggets and gold deposits.

How can you tell a rock is gold?

You’re looking for a scratch on the glass. If the glass gets scratched from the ‘gold’, it’s not actually gold. Since glass has a hardness of around 5.5 it will only be scratched by harder minerals like pyrite and quartz. If the glass doesn’t scratch then that’s a great sign – you likely have gold in your rock!

How do you identify gold ore?

The gold ore is easy to produce yellow marks when you use a sharp stone or glass scratch on the surface. Crush the ore to the size of sand and wash the sand. If you see the heavy metal in bright yellow, it is the gold ore.

How do both satellites and airplanes aid mining companies in finding ore deposits?

How do both satellites and airplanes aid mining companies in finding ore deposits? Satellite images are used, along with photographs and data collected from planes, to create an accurate geological map of the surface.

Which geophysical technique is commonly used for mineral exploration?

Seismic surveys

Seismic surveys are an extremely useful geophysical method for studying the ground conditions to a significant depth and over a large area. Seismic is utilised in many applications for subsurface investigations, mineral exploration being one of them.

What are the geological methods?

Geologists use a wide variety of methods to understand the Earth’s structure and evolution, including field work, rock description, geophysical techniques, chemical analysis, physical experiments, and numerical modelling.

What are the 3 types of exploration?

There are now three major types of exploration methods: (1) surface methods such as geologic feature mapping and detection of seepages, (2) area surveys of gravity and magnetic fields, and (3) seismographic methods.

How do mining companies find mineral deposits?

Mineral explorers (also called Prospectors) often use planes or helicopters to view large areas efficiently. Aeromagnetic surveys, satellite photos, air photos and detailed maps help prospectors identify mineralization.

How do you find ore veins?

Quote from video: Where to find ore veins the best way to find or veins is by exploring caves or veins are generated. Before caves. So the caves can cut through the ore veins.

What features do geologists look for when the prospect for ores?

what features do geologists look for when they prospect for ores? geologists look for rocks on the land surface and by studying maps of rocks beneath the surface. geologists also look for magnetic fields.

How do both satellites and airplanes aid mining companies in finding ore deposits?

How do both satellites and airplanes aid mining companies in finding ore deposits? Satellite images are used, along with photographs and data collected from planes, to create an accurate geological map of the surface.

Can satellites detect minerals?

Satellite data is extensively used in geological mapping in general and for exploration of Diamond and Iron deposits, in particular, on behalf of National Mineral Development Corporation (NMDC).

Which satellite is used to locate mineral resources?

Landsat satellites

Initiated by geologists from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and sent up by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, (NASA), various Landsat satellites have been continuously collecting data for nearly 50 years.