Annotated bibliography of gamma-ray methods applied to gold exploration

Abstract

Boyle, R.W., 1979, The geochemistry of gold and its deposits: Geological Survey of Canada Bulletin 280, 584 p. Referring to potassium enrichment in the wall rock of gold deposits, particularly in basic to intermediate volcanic and intrusive rocks, Boyle suggests that it "should be possible" (pg. 481) to detect high potassic zones which may be related to mineralization by use of gamma-ray methods. He also suggests that hydrothermal systems could have leached uranium, thorium and their daughter products giving a negative haloe. He then summarizes

Gamaespectrometria Integrada a Dados Exploratórios Multifonte Em Ambiente Sig Aplicada À Prospecção De Ouro Na Folha Botuverá, Sc

“…Apesar das mineralizações em geral ocorrerem em veios de quartzo, as rochas encaixantes, hidrotermalizadas, podem ser detectadas através de halos potássicos. Uma revisão anterior (Hoover & Pierce 1990), também apontou para a importância do potássio nos processos hidrotermais em áreas mineralizadas. Tais processos são marcados por grande interação fluido-rocha, com lixiviação de alguns elementos e concentração de outros em sistema físico-químico aberto com reações de troca (metassomatismo), os quais imprimem modificações mineralógicas, texturais e quími-cas nas rochas afetadas.…”

Delineation of Hydrothermally Altered Zones that Favour Gold Mineralization in Isanlu Area, Nigeria Using Aeroradiometric Data

“…It was noticed by Hoover & Pierce [9] that airborne gamma-ray surveying marks of deposits of gold were changeable with potassium being the most dependable guide. Regions with the gold within quartz veins, hydrothermal alteration of causative body can provide noticeable way out.…”

“…Regions with the gold within quartz veins, hydrothermal alteration of causative body can provide noticeable way out. Despite the fact that there is no unique radiometric pathway for deposits of gold, research conducted by Hoover & Pierce [9] depicts that transforms in the all three radioisotopes can happen and could be identified in airborne radiometric prospecting. Using the colour scheme, the following interpretations were made from the ternary map as shown in Figure 3.…”

“…The Th/K ratio is therefore a better indicator of hydrothermal alteration than any single radioelement alone. In many gold deposits, Th has been mobilised and depleted with the simultaneous increase of K [7][8] [9]. Figure 2 represents Th/K (reverse K/Th) concentrations which map enhanced alteration signatures.…”

Assessment of undiscovered porphyry copper deposits within the range of the northern spotted owl, northwestern California, western Oregon, and western Washington

“…The radioelement distributions of some porphyry copper deposits have been examined and the common potassium association was found to be distinctive (Davis and Guilbert, 1973). The use of radioelement data in gold exploration has been compiled by Hoover and Pierce (1990) who documented extensive application in the Soviet Union. Recent gold exploration in western Australia routinely used aerial gamma-ray measurements to define ground targets (Richard Lane, CRA Exploration, oral commun., 1989).…”