Mineral Exploration is the official publication of the Association of Mineral Exploration British Columbia.
Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/370216
12 F A L L 2 0 1 4 Photograph : Nor thern ANI S olutions topographic accuracy, and can aid with geological interpretation. As a further benefit, this process can "see" through thick vegetation cover. 6. ICP-MS and XRF Two analytical technologies that have been steadily improving annually have helped quantify geochemical sampling media to greater accuracy and efficiency. In assay labs, the ICP-MS process is capable of detecting dozens of elements simultaneously, often at concentra- tions as low as one part trillion. This is achieved by ionizing the rock, soil, water or organic sample with inductively coupled plasma and then using a mass spectrometer to separate and quantify the concentrations. Similarly, X-ray fl uorescence ( XRF) technology has been steadily improving, more accurately quantifying individual metallic and non-metallic elements. Not limited to the assay lab, handheld XRF analyzers such as Niton and Innov-X allow for real-time geochemical analysis in the fi eld. Their sensitivities are steadily increasing and analyzers have a variety of field applications, such as allowing geologists to estimate a sample's metal values, or even estimate bedrock geology based on scanning overlying soil. 7. IP inversion Data collection methodology and inter- pretation have evolved, particularly with industry's access to ever-increasing computing power, such as the Titan 3D IP systems. However, the inversion technologies have arguably made the biggest impact. Originally developed at UBC, IP inversion did away with the previous practice of plotting "pseudo- sections" of raw data, instead incorpor- ating the data into a best-fit model that will often incorporate the geological and geophysical properties of the host rock. This has resulted in a more realistic and useful interpretation of the data, which has allowed for better targeting of drill holes to look for hidden deposits. Analysis in real time: An X-ray fluorescence analyzer in the field.