Mineral deposit modeling with special reference to models for mineral deposits in sedimentary basins

摘要

The 1994 international conference was the successor to that held at the Kingsley Dunham Centre of the British Geological Survey in April, 1992. Organized by the Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, the conference formed part of the event 'Economic geology in Europe and beyond II' hosted by the British Geological Survey and was associated with the International Union of Geological Sciences (IUGS)-UNESCO Deposit Modeling Program. The conference further developed the themes addressed at the first meeting, which focused on the hypothesis that spatial associations of ore deposits are to some extent dictated by the inhomogeneous distribution of elements in the earth's crust. Thus, where ore-forming elements are of low natural crustal abundance (<10 ppm) the evaluation of crustal reservoirs with enhanced potential for mineralization may require further assessment of the variation in background levels for such elements. The conference aimed to develop this theme further-though not exclusively in the broad context of mineral deposits in sedimentary basins, which increasingly require the integration and evaluation of a complex range of concepts and technologies, some of which also relate to exploration models for oil, gas and coal. This was exemplified in a special symposium led by a multidisciplinary team concerned with models of basin evolution. An integrated programme of related meetings was arranged to coincide with the IMM conference, including the BGS Minerals Industry Forum, a BGS Short Course and field excursions. In addition, a non-confidential EC workshop was organized by the Commission of the European Communities on exploration technologies on 11-12 April, 1994, in the framework of the Brite-EuRam programme, which is likely to contribute future publications to the IMM Transactions.