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Prospecting in areas of glaciated terrain 1977
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Prospecting in Areas o f Glaciated Terrain 1977. M.J. Jones (Editor). Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, London, 1977, 140 pp., £16.00 (U.S. $ 30.00). This book contains papers presented at the symposium on prospecting in areas of glaciated terrain organised by the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy and the Geological Survey of Finland and held in Helsinki, Finland, in August 1977. The seventeen papers and two synopses cover the application of a wide range of techniques in a variety of glaciated environments. Eleven of the papers deal with projects in Finland, three are from Canada, two from Sweden and one each from Ireland, Norway and Russia. The techniques described include the use of till and humus as sampling media, boulder tracing, till stratigraphy, geobotany, electrochemistry, geophysics, remote sensing and photogeology. There is strong emphasis on choice of appropriate field techniques and restraint in recourse to the computer to sort out the problems after the field work is completed. The careful, detailed and comprehensive approach to mineral exploration adopted by the Finns is clearly demonstrated in their contributions to this volume. Faced with the unavoidable task of having to prospect in peat covered areas, workers in Finland and Sweden have developed extensive experience in this environment. A number of case histories of projects where organic material was the principal sampling medium are given by Nuutilainen and Peuraniemi, and Kokkola of Finland and by Gustafsson and MineU of Sweden. Similarly the widespread occurrence of multiple till layers of differing provenance has led to the development of a range of techniques to deal with the problem of till stratigraphy ranging from till fabric studies to measurements of the magnetic susceptibility of oriented till samples. These techniques are described by Hirvas, Evzerov and Koshechkin, and Puranen. Kauranne, Salminen and ~.yriis of the Finnish Geological Survey discuss in some detail the usefulness of till as a sampling medium and emphasise the differing utility of the detrital and hydromorphic components in elucidating regional and local dispersion patterns. The previously mentioned paper by Nuutilainen and Peuraniemi and another by Govett and Chork deal with the intriguing and, as yet, poorly understood relationship observed between the concentrations of base metals, electrochemistry and organic carbon content of soil and humus samples. Other Canadian contributions to the symposium are descriptions by Nichol and his coworkers at Queens University of their current investigations into the application of lithogeochemistry to the search for Archean massive sulphide deposits and an account by Klassen and Shilts of some of the uranium prospecting methods used by the Geological Survey of Canada in areas of deeply and permanently frozen glaciated terrain. Integrated surveys using geological, geochemical and geophysical methods are described by Puustinen and by Bjorklund. The continuing value of basic
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prospecting methods such as boulder tracing is well demonstrated by Steiger's paper on prospecting for lithium and tungsten in Ireland. Also on the subject of tungsten prospecting, a paper by Lindmark describes gasoline powered heavy mineral concentration equipment which can be used in the field. Geophysical techniques receive more specific attention than at previous meetings. Peltoniemi reviews the excellent low-altitude (50 m) airborne survey work being done by the Finnish Geological Survey whilst Hattula describes the comparative results of ground surveys using Canadian P.E.M. and Russian M.P.P.3 equipment in areas of deep (60 m) overburden. Remote sensing techniques comprising both satellite imagery and conventional aerial photography are described in a paper by Paarma, Vartiainen and Penninkilampi dealing with the Sokli carbonatite. A number of the features described are reflected in the vegetation changes which can conveniently be recorded in certain seasons by conventional colour photography. ROsholt also refers to the use of Landsat data in his case history of copper exploration in Norway and comments that the detection of distinctively vegetated, naturally copper-poisoned areas is limited in part by the resolution capacity of the present Landsat scanner system. A paper by Friedli and his coworkers was withdrawn at the meeting pending further evaluation of the results of their investigation. There are no major break-throughs recorded in these papers and it is perhaps unrealistic to expect that the complex problems of prospecting in glaciated areas will be solved by any simple technique. Rather, the volume attests to the wide range of scientific skills and high level of perseverance currently being stimulated by this problem. This soft cover book is printed to the usual high standards of the I.M.M. in confo.rmity with previous volumes although the binding will not stand up to the inevitable copying which its high price will encourage. It should certainly be in the library of any organization engaged in prospecting in areas of glaciated terrain. I.L. ELLIOTT (Vancouver, B.C.)
Marine Manganese Deposits. Oceanography Series, 15. G.P. Glasby (Editor). Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1977, 523 pp., U.S. $ 49.00. Despite its title this is not a book about marine manganese deposits but about ferro-manganese nodules including those of estuarine and lacustrine origin. The volume is made up of fourteen separate "state of the science" review papers, covering almost all aspects of ferro-manganese nodules from location, morphology and geochemistry through mineralogy, economic potential, legal status and environmental aspects of mining, prepared by Anglo-AmericanAustralasian authors currently working in the field of oceanography and, in
Prospecting in Areas o f Glaciated Terrain 1977. M.J. Jones (Editor). Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, London, 1977, 140 pp., £16.00 (U.S. $ 30.00). This book contains papers presented at the symposium on prospecting in areas of glaciated terrain organised by the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy and the Geological Survey of Finland and held in Helsinki, Finland, in August 1977. The seventeen papers and two synopses cover the application of a wide range of techniques in a variety of glaciated environments. Eleven of the papers deal with projects in Finland, three are from Canada, two from Sweden and one each from Ireland, Norway and Russia. The techniques described include the use of till and humus as sampling media, boulder tracing, till stratigraphy, geobotany, electrochemistry, geophysics, remote sensing and photogeology. There is strong emphasis on choice of appropriate field techniques and restraint in recourse to the computer to sort out the problems after the field work is completed. The careful, detailed and comprehensive approach to mineral exploration adopted by the Finns is clearly demonstrated in their contributions to this volume. Faced with the unavoidable task of having to prospect in peat covered areas, workers in Finland and Sweden have developed extensive experience in this environment. A number of case histories of projects where organic material was the principal sampling medium are given by Nuutilainen and Peuraniemi, and Kokkola of Finland and by Gustafsson and MineU of Sweden. Similarly the widespread occurrence of multiple till layers of differing provenance has led to the development of a range of techniques to deal with the problem of till stratigraphy ranging from till fabric studies to measurements of the magnetic susceptibility of oriented till samples. These techniques are described by Hirvas, Evzerov and Koshechkin, and Puranen. Kauranne, Salminen and ~.yriis of the Finnish Geological Survey discuss in some detail the usefulness of till as a sampling medium and emphasise the differing utility of the detrital and hydromorphic components in elucidating regional and local dispersion patterns. The previously mentioned paper by Nuutilainen and Peuraniemi and another by Govett and Chork deal with the intriguing and, as yet, poorly understood relationship observed between the concentrations of base metals, electrochemistry and organic carbon content of soil and humus samples. Other Canadian contributions to the symposium are descriptions by Nichol and his coworkers at Queens University of their current investigations into the application of lithogeochemistry to the search for Archean massive sulphide deposits and an account by Klassen and Shilts of some of the uranium prospecting methods used by the Geological Survey of Canada in areas of deeply and permanently frozen glaciated terrain. Integrated surveys using geological, geochemical and geophysical methods are described by Puustinen and by Bjorklund. The continuing value of basic
114
prospecting methods such as boulder tracing is well demonstrated by Steiger's paper on prospecting for lithium and tungsten in Ireland. Also on the subject of tungsten prospecting, a paper by Lindmark describes gasoline powered heavy mineral concentration equipment which can be used in the field. Geophysical techniques receive more specific attention than at previous meetings. Peltoniemi reviews the excellent low-altitude (50 m) airborne survey work being done by the Finnish Geological Survey whilst Hattula describes the comparative results of ground surveys using Canadian P.E.M. and Russian M.P.P.3 equipment in areas of deep (60 m) overburden. Remote sensing techniques comprising both satellite imagery and conventional aerial photography are described in a paper by Paarma, Vartiainen and Penninkilampi dealing with the Sokli carbonatite. A number of the features described are reflected in the vegetation changes which can conveniently be recorded in certain seasons by conventional colour photography. ROsholt also refers to the use of Landsat data in his case history of copper exploration in Norway and comments that the detection of distinctively vegetated, naturally copper-poisoned areas is limited in part by the resolution capacity of the present Landsat scanner system. A paper by Friedli and his coworkers was withdrawn at the meeting pending further evaluation of the results of their investigation. There are no major break-throughs recorded in these papers and it is perhaps unrealistic to expect that the complex problems of prospecting in glaciated areas will be solved by any simple technique. Rather, the volume attests to the wide range of scientific skills and high level of perseverance currently being stimulated by this problem. This soft cover book is printed to the usual high standards of the I.M.M. in confo.rmity with previous volumes although the binding will not stand up to the inevitable copying which its high price will encourage. It should certainly be in the library of any organization engaged in prospecting in areas of glaciated terrain. I.L. ELLIOTT (Vancouver, B.C.)
Marine Manganese Deposits. Oceanography Series, 15. G.P. Glasby (Editor). Elsevier, Amsterdam, 1977, 523 pp., U.S. $ 49.00. Despite its title this is not a book about marine manganese deposits but about ferro-manganese nodules including those of estuarine and lacustrine origin. The volume is made up of fourteen separate "state of the science" review papers, covering almost all aspects of ferro-manganese nodules from location, morphology and geochemistry through mineralogy, economic potential, legal status and environmental aspects of mining, prepared by Anglo-AmericanAustralasian authors currently working in the field of oceanography and, in