Mineral Deposit Prospectivity Maps: Under Snow and Ice

The discovery of new mineral deposits has become increasingly challenging as easily accessible surface deposits have largely been exhausted. Modern mineral exploration requires advanced technologies to identify subsurface mineralization potential in challenging environments—at depth, under cover, under snow and ice, underwater and in remote and extreme regions. 

Mineral Prospectivity Mapping (MPM) is a critical tool in mineral exploration that helps identify areas with high potential for undiscovered mineral deposits. Traditionally, MPM is made up of two approaches: knowledge-driven and data-driven.  Knowledge-based MPM relies on expert knowledge based on causal relations, relying on existing knowledge of mineral systems. Often geological structural controls are under thick cover, under water, underground or under ice, making it impossible to explore undiscovered deposits based on expert knowledge alone. A data-driven approach uncovers hidden patterns in large datasets and models non-linear relationships between geological data and mineralization potential, but without the geological rationale or interpretability of expert knowledge.

While these approaches each provide a unique set of strengths and have individually advanced mineral exploration, their limitations necessitate a more integrated solution in prospectivity mapping. 

MUD SAR® Prospectivity Mapping

MUD® SAR (Mapped Underworld Dimension) for Mineral Exploration combines the advantages of knowledge-driven and data-driven approaches.  It is a data-knowledge, dual-driven model that couples artificial intelligence (AI) with geological insights to prospectivity mapping. Its integration of artificial intelligence (AI) and multi-source geoscience data and expert knowledge, MUD® SAR offers new tools to uncover hidden mineralization patterns under water, under cover, under snow and ice, to depths of 100m, with improved predictive accuracy. It systematically evaluates large areas for mineral potential.

The foundation of MUD® SAR and its prospectivity mapping is its ability to integrate diverse geoscience datasets into a unified assessment framework. By combining multiple sources of subsurface intelligence, MUD® SAR produces subsurface, under glacier and underwater prospectivity maps that provide more robust and reliable predictions of mineral potential than any single dataset. MUD® SAR works with any of the following geo-referenced geoscience data types:

Remote Sensing Data: Satellite and airborne imagery are used to identify surface alteration, structural features, and lithological variations that may be related to mineral deposits. MUD® SAR, an advanced remote sensing technology, penetrates the surface, glaciers and underwater to map and model, in 3D, apparent and non-apparent geological features, including faults, fractures, lineaments and shear zones.

Geophysical Data: magnetic, gravity, electromagnetic, and radiometric surveys can add information about near surface geological structures, rock types, and alteration zones that may be associated with mineralization.

Geochemical Data: Stream sediment, soil, and rock geochemistry can reveal the distribution of pathfinder elements and direct indicators of mineralization, helping identify geochemical anomalies.

Geological Information: Detailed geological mapping, structural analysis, and lithological data can provide the fundamental framework to aid the understanding the geological controls on mineralization.

Drill Data: Subsurface drilling can add valuable ground-truth information essential for both model development and validation.

Seismic Data: Where available, seismic surveys can promote the understanding of deep crustal structures and their relationship to mineralization processes.

Translate Subsurface Geological Understanding to Mineral Prospectivity Mapping Under Snow and Ice

MUD® SAR makes it possible to explore under snow and ice in all seasons, weather, light conditions, 24/7. 

The Area of Interest (AOI) was located in Northern British Columbia. Its landscape was rugged alpine with scrub vegetation. Ice and active glaciers covered over 50% of the Area of Interest. Elevation ranged from 1056 meters to 2272 meters. 

A subsurface Hyper Radar Model (0.2 m resolution), one of the MUD® SAR map products, was created and acted as a digital twin of the of the subsurface of the entire AOI. The MUD® SAR Hyper Radar model increased the sensitivity and ground spatial resolution of standard SAR satellite image data.

MUD SAR® directly detected and mapped apparent and non-apparent geological structures including faults, fractures, lineaments and shear zones. Subsurface modeling and mapping, made possible with MUD® SAR technology, identified large scale, previously unobserved geological structures. 

Subsurface Strike and Dip Model showing the geometry of geologic units, structural measurement and the orientation of rocks and faults, under ice and snow.

The Fracture Density Model is a one-of-a-kind model produced only with MUD SAR® satellite data. It defined deep subsurface trends that had causal relationships to near-surface geological structures and networks. 

A Subsurface Fracture Density Model showing the density, orientation and length of subsurface linear features of the entire AOI, under snow and ice.

At the conclusion of the investigation, three anomalies, (highlighted as red zones) representing near-surface mineral expressions or occurrences were detected.

Subsurface Mineral Prospectivity Map, under ice and snow.

MUD® SAR is a powerful Mineral Potential Mapping tool that:

• Identifies complex subsurface and underwater patterns missed by traditional methods.

• Extracts mappable proxies for ore-forming processes, guiding targeted data collection.

• Improves geological model integration, enhancing spatial correlation with known deposits

• Uses expert mineral systems to guide data-driven AI workflows, making outputs more understandable and aligned with geological principles.

• Enhances the confidence of predictive models by linking patterns to geological phenomena.

By integrating multiple geoscience datasets and applying advanced subsurface analytics, MUD® SAR provides exploration teams with powerful tools for identifying specific prospective zones. Narrowing prospective areas with data-driven insights and knowledge-guided precision improves exploration efficiency, reduces environmental impact and lowers financial costs of exploring under ice and snow and in extreme and remote locations.

Take advantage of MUD® SAR subsurface intelligence that maps mineral potential and fill knowledge gaps about subsurface geological structural controls that shape mineral deposits. http://www.auracleremotesensing.com