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 GIS 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.
Courses listed here must be completed either prior to or simultaneously with this course:
- No corequisite courses
Courses listed here are equivalent to this course and cannot be taken for further credit:
- No equivalency courses