Towards 3D maps of alteration under cover: Regional constrained 3D inversion of potential field data from the Olympic Cu-Au province, South Australia  


Authors / CoAuthors

Williams, N.C. | Lane, R.J.L. | Lyons, P.

Abstract

Regional-scale constrained potential field inversions can be used to infer rock types, alteration, and structure. This is particularly valuable when basement is obscured by younger cover. The methods outlined in this study have been applied to a 150 km ? 150 km region around the giant Olympic Dam copper-uranium-gold deposit, where abundant haematite, sulphide, and magnetite alteration produces a strong potential field response despite thick cover. The results are used to develop the first 3D map of magnetite and haematite/sulphide alteration for the Olympic Cu-Au province, and shows that the alteration around known Cu-Au mineral occurrences can be detected using coarse regional-scale inversions. The provision of a reference model in the inversion formulation permits geological observations to be introduced into the inversion process, and to be used to guide the inversion towards more geologically reasonable outcomes. This allows hypotheses regarding 3D geological architecture to be tested rigorously for compatibility with potential field data. An iterative procedure of inversion followed by updating of the reference model allows 3D maps of alteration and structure to be created that are consistent with both the known geology and observed potential field data.

Product Type

nonGeographicDataset

eCat Id

61115

Contact for the resource

  Custodian

 

  Point of contact

Commonwealth of Australia (Geoscience Australia)  
Cnr Jerrabomberra Ave and Hindmarsh Dr GPO Box 378
Canberra
ACT
2601
Australia

Keywords

  • External PublicationConference Paper
( Theme )
  • alteration
( Theme )
  • economic geology
( Theme )
  • geophysics
( Theme )
  • gravity
( Theme )
  • magnetics
( Theme )
  • mineral exploration
  • AU-SA
Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)
  • Earth Sciences
  • Published_Internal

Publication Date

2004-01-01T00:00:00

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Australian Government Security ClassificationSystem    

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence    

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Use - license

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geoscientificInformation

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[-31.0, -30.0, 136.5, 138.0]

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