earth science

Prospectivity mapping

Prospectivity mapping is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Prospectivity mapping rather than just read about it. In short: Prospectivity mapping, also known as mineral prospectivity mapping or mineral potential mapping, defines a process used to make better use of mineral exploration data. Geological and geophysical datasets, such as lithological, structural and topographical maps, aeromagnetic, gravity and radiometric imagery are the typical datasets used in the construction of prospectivity maps.

Key takeaways

Prospectivity mapping belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Prospectivity mapping to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Prospectivity mapping from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Prospectivity mapping, also known as mineral prospectivity mapping or mineral potential mapping, defines a process used to make better use of mineral exploration data. Geological and geophysical datasets, such as lithological, structural and topographical maps, aeromagnetic, gravity and radiometric imagery are the typical datasets used in the construction of prospectivity maps. There are two main approaches to prospectivity mapping: data-driven and knowledge-driven. In areas with significant known mineralisation, a data-driven approach can be adopted in which known deposits are analysed in relation to the surrounding geology. A number of parametric and non-parametric statistical tests can be used to determine if identified spatial relationships are considered statistically significant. Important relationships are then spatially quantified over the entire region of interest. Ultimately multiple quantified relationships are combined, typically using a geographic information system (GIS) into a single prospectivity map. In areas with little known mineralisation, a knowledge-driven approach can be implemented in which a mineral-systems approach is used in which theories about the formation of the deposit are identified, spatially quantified and then combined using a GIS. Prospectivity mapping can be constructed using a mix of data-driven and knowledge-driven components and these are often referred to as hybrid prospectivity maps.

Further reading Skabar, A., 2003. Mineral Potential Mapping Using Feed-Forward Neural Networks. Proceedings of the International Joint Conference on Neural Networks, vol. 3, 1814-1819. DOI: 10.1109/IJCNN.2003.1223683 Nykänen, V. and Juhani Ojala, V., 2007. Spatial Analysis Techniques as Successful Mineral-Potential Mapping Tools for Orogenic Gold Deposits in the Northern Fennoscandian Shield, Finland. Natural Resources Research, Springer Netherlands, vol. 16(2),85-92. DOI: 10.1007/s11053-007-9046-5. Nykänen, V., 2008. Radial Basis Functional Link Nets Used as a Prospectivity Mapping Tool for Orogenic Gold Deposits Within the Central Lapland Greenstone Belt, Northern Fennoscandian Shield. Natural Resources Research, Springer Netherlands, vol. 17(1), 17-48. DOI: 10.1007/s11053-008-9062-0. Leite, E. P. and Souza Filho, E. P., 2009. Artificial neural networks applied to mineral potential mapping for copper-gold mineralizations in the Carajás Mineral Province, Brazil. Geophysical Prospecting, Published Online: Jan 7 2009 5:22AM, EAGE. DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2478.2008.00779.x

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Prospectivity mapping

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Prospectivity mapping claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Prospectivity mapping before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Prospectivity mapping ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Prospectivity mapping

In research: Prospectivity mapping appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Prospectivity mapping in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Prospectivity mapping is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Mineral exploration, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Prospectivity mapping outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study Prospectivity mapping in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Prospectivity mapping means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Prospectivity mapping out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Prospectivity mapping in simple terms?

Why does Prospectivity mapping matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Prospectivity mapping?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Prospectivity mapping.