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APCOM 77
Reviews the earth sciences as well as to all the students in geology who wish to improve their knowledge concerning this type of modern methodology,
Ecole Polytechnique Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3C 3A7
CHRISTINADUMrrmu
APCOM 77. Papers presented at the 15th International Symposium on the Application of Computers and Operations Research in the Mineral Industries. Brisbane, Australia, 4-8 July 1977. Published by the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Clunies Ross House, 191 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria, Australia 3052, 520 p. $A35.00 (Australian).
The 15th APCOM Symposium was held in Brisbane in July 1977. The meeting was the 15th in a series and the fourth held outside the US. The first symposium was held at Tuscon, Arizona in 1961 and organized by the University of Arizona. Sponsors of the Symposia now include the University of Arizona, Stanford University, Colorado School of Mines, Pennsylvania State University, Society of Mining Engineers of AIME, Technical University of Claustal, the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, and the Moscow Mining Institute. The proceedings, a volume of 520 pages organized by Alban Lynch, Editor-in-Chief, contains 57 papers (and a keynote address) by 108 authors from 18 countries arranged in 10 sections. The sections (and number of papers) are Education (2), Operations Research Applications (6), Information Systems (3), Interactive Graphics (1), Processing (9), Geostatistics (9), Mining (17), Planning and Resources (4), Investment and Marketing (3), and Energy (3). The meeting was dominated byAustralians as to be expected but surprisingly only two papers were coauthored by Americans. The papers are short (from 4 to 12 pages) with few more than 10 pages, The format is double column and typed for offset. The papers are illustrated amply and the production with few exceptions is good. A few minor typing errors and handwritten formulae (someone needs to obtain a typewriter symbol ball) do not distract from the overall quality, The Keynote Address by the veteran Danie Krige is interesting reading and describes the early history of the symposia with statistics on papers given by whom, etc. He follows through with the development of the series and then projects the future of APCOM, especially the importance of the human element.
399
The two sections of most interest to geologists will be Education and Geostatistics. Other individual papers on microprocessors, interactive graphics, simulation, etc. also may be more than passing interest to those involved in similar endeavors. In the Education Section, a paper on the philosophy of use of computers by undergraduates in mining and metallurgy by A. M. Henderson will be of interest to geologists. A FORTRAN program (not listed) for teachins and experimentation in the rate of production and cutoff grade is described by J. Elbrond, J. -F. Dubois, and G. Doust. The section of most interest to geologists is the 86page section in the middle of the volume on geostatistics. Ian Stewart and David Boyd describe the computer processing of aeromagnetic data. "Automatic contouring of geologic data" is reviewed by Ian Moore. A "Geostatistical study of a lower Proterozoic iron orebody in the Pilbara region of Western Australia" is presented by Alain Marechal and Prakash Shivastava. A. G. Royle evaluates "Geostatistical recognition of structure in beach sand"; and with P. A. Dowd discusses "Geostatistical applications in the Atha'basea tar sands." Michel David, Michel Dagbert, and Jean-Marc Belisle outline "The practice of porphyry copper deposit estimarion for grade and ore-waste tonnages demonstrated by several case studies." "Mining reserves using a mine computer" is discussed by T. Qulnian and N. R. Crosby, whereas information on the "Computerized geological and mining ore reserve systems at Western Minlng's Kambalda nickel operations" is given by George White and Christopher Lee. The last paper in this section is the "Computer-assisted photointerpretation of geological lineaments: perception method" by Kerry Burns, J. F. Huntington, and A. A. Green. The last section on Energy contains three papers on economic modeling and policy making and may be of general interest. These econometric models are being used effectively in projecting conditions for maximizing u"tflization of mineral resources. Although the volume carries a curious disclaimer at the beginning--"The Institute is not responsible, as a body, for the facts and opinions advanced in any of its publications"--there seems to be no outward problem with this particular one. It is recommended warmly for those wanting to complete their set of publications, those wanting to keep abreast of advances in mining and metallurgy, or those involved in computer applications in the earth sciences.
Departmentof Geology Syracuse University Syracuse,New York 13210, U.S.A.
D.F. MERRL~
Ecole Polytechnique Montreal, Quebec, Canada, H3C 3A7
CHRISTINADUMrrmu
APCOM 77. Papers presented at the 15th International Symposium on the Application of Computers and Operations Research in the Mineral Industries. Brisbane, Australia, 4-8 July 1977. Published by the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, Clunies Ross House, 191 Royal Parade, Parkville, Victoria, Australia 3052, 520 p. $A35.00 (Australian).
The 15th APCOM Symposium was held in Brisbane in July 1977. The meeting was the 15th in a series and the fourth held outside the US. The first symposium was held at Tuscon, Arizona in 1961 and organized by the University of Arizona. Sponsors of the Symposia now include the University of Arizona, Stanford University, Colorado School of Mines, Pennsylvania State University, Society of Mining Engineers of AIME, Technical University of Claustal, the Australasian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, and the Moscow Mining Institute. The proceedings, a volume of 520 pages organized by Alban Lynch, Editor-in-Chief, contains 57 papers (and a keynote address) by 108 authors from 18 countries arranged in 10 sections. The sections (and number of papers) are Education (2), Operations Research Applications (6), Information Systems (3), Interactive Graphics (1), Processing (9), Geostatistics (9), Mining (17), Planning and Resources (4), Investment and Marketing (3), and Energy (3). The meeting was dominated byAustralians as to be expected but surprisingly only two papers were coauthored by Americans. The papers are short (from 4 to 12 pages) with few more than 10 pages, The format is double column and typed for offset. The papers are illustrated amply and the production with few exceptions is good. A few minor typing errors and handwritten formulae (someone needs to obtain a typewriter symbol ball) do not distract from the overall quality, The Keynote Address by the veteran Danie Krige is interesting reading and describes the early history of the symposia with statistics on papers given by whom, etc. He follows through with the development of the series and then projects the future of APCOM, especially the importance of the human element.
399
The two sections of most interest to geologists will be Education and Geostatistics. Other individual papers on microprocessors, interactive graphics, simulation, etc. also may be more than passing interest to those involved in similar endeavors. In the Education Section, a paper on the philosophy of use of computers by undergraduates in mining and metallurgy by A. M. Henderson will be of interest to geologists. A FORTRAN program (not listed) for teachins and experimentation in the rate of production and cutoff grade is described by J. Elbrond, J. -F. Dubois, and G. Doust. The section of most interest to geologists is the 86page section in the middle of the volume on geostatistics. Ian Stewart and David Boyd describe the computer processing of aeromagnetic data. "Automatic contouring of geologic data" is reviewed by Ian Moore. A "Geostatistical study of a lower Proterozoic iron orebody in the Pilbara region of Western Australia" is presented by Alain Marechal and Prakash Shivastava. A. G. Royle evaluates "Geostatistical recognition of structure in beach sand"; and with P. A. Dowd discusses "Geostatistical applications in the Atha'basea tar sands." Michel David, Michel Dagbert, and Jean-Marc Belisle outline "The practice of porphyry copper deposit estimarion for grade and ore-waste tonnages demonstrated by several case studies." "Mining reserves using a mine computer" is discussed by T. Qulnian and N. R. Crosby, whereas information on the "Computerized geological and mining ore reserve systems at Western Minlng's Kambalda nickel operations" is given by George White and Christopher Lee. The last paper in this section is the "Computer-assisted photointerpretation of geological lineaments: perception method" by Kerry Burns, J. F. Huntington, and A. A. Green. The last section on Energy contains three papers on economic modeling and policy making and may be of general interest. These econometric models are being used effectively in projecting conditions for maximizing u"tflization of mineral resources. Although the volume carries a curious disclaimer at the beginning--"The Institute is not responsible, as a body, for the facts and opinions advanced in any of its publications"--there seems to be no outward problem with this particular one. It is recommended warmly for those wanting to complete their set of publications, those wanting to keep abreast of advances in mining and metallurgy, or those involved in computer applications in the earth sciences.
Departmentof Geology Syracuse University Syracuse,New York 13210, U.S.A.
D.F. MERRL~