Lectures, labs, and occasional field trips.
- Mineral economics and industry structure, including: types of companies, financial markets, commodities, economic cyles;
- Mineral deposits, including: economic minerals, alteration minerals and coal, deposit models (sedimentary, magmatic, hydrothermal, supergene);
- Process of exploration, including: exploration phases, geological methods, remote sensing, geophysical methods, geochemical methods, drilling methods;
- Sampling mediums and methods and applied statistics;
- Exploration safety, including: risk assessment, planning, training, equipment, evacuation;
- Exploration tenure and access, including: mineral ownership, mineral claims, surface access, guidelines and regulations, interested parties;
- Mining methods;
- Maps and cross-sections showing exploration information, using ArcGIS and other methods.
After successfully completing EAES 2900, a student will be able to:
- Discuss the economic and industrial factors that affect exploration and mining;
- List major types of mineral deposits;
- Describe the stages of the exploration process, including the methods used to collect and assess information;
- Describe sampling methods, and use appropriate sampling methods to collect soil and rock samples;
- Identify exploration safety risks, and prepare an emergency response plan;
- Describe the process of gaining tenure and access to an exploration property, including identifying interested parties;
- Summarize the common methods of mining;
- Prepare maps and cross-sections to display exploration information.
Evaluation will be carried out in accordance with Douglas College policy. The instructor will present a written course outline with specific evaluation criteria at the beginning of the semester. Evaluation will be based on the following:
Assignments and labs 25 - 40%
Project(s) 10 - 25%
Term exams and quizzes 25%
Final exam 25%
Students should consult the bookstore for the latest required course materials, including textbooks.
Textbooks:
- Moon, C.J, Whately, K.G., Evans, A.M.; Introduction to Mineral Exploration; Blackwell Publishing.
- Stephens, R.; Mineral Exploration and Mining Essentials; Pakawau GeoManagement Inc.
- Coe, A.L.; Geological Field Techniques; Wiley-Blackwell Publishing.
Additional course materials: "Rite in the Rain" waterproof booklet or equivalent, rock hammer, hand lens, mineral identification kit, safety eyewear.