Models and domains: tools to help realize the industrial mineral potential of the developing world

摘要

It is likely that future growth in demand for industrial minerals will come mainly from the less industrialized nations. At present the geology of many of these countries is poorly known, the only geological maps available being regional or general in character. Several Regional Exploration Models (REMs) and Industrial Mineral Domains (IMDs) are presented. They are intended to be used with geological maps as a way of predicting the occurrence of industrial minerals in a given situation. Commodity Genetic Models (CGMs) support the REMs and IMDs by giving a graphic summary of the specific geological settings and processes for the formation of individual industrial minerals. Four REMs have been developed: basement terrains, arc-cordillera style destructive plate margins, passive continental margins and rift valleys/aulacogens. They show the industrial mineral deposits broadly associated with these settings and can be applied to regions where little detailed geological information or mapping exists. IMDs can be used where more detailed maps and information are available to define more closely target areas for industrial mineral deposits. Examples of domain models are presented for intrusive complexes of acid-intermediate, basic-ultrabasic and alkaline-carbonatite style and case histories are presented for Ecuador and Southwest England. The third model type - the Commodity Genetic Model (CGM) is useful when searching for a specific industrial mineral. Commodities for which CGMs have been developed so far include kaolin, bentonite, talc, graphite and silica sand.