March 28, 2024

Math made finding gold easier

Math made finding gold easier

Russian mathematicians and geophysicists have developed a way to increase the efficiency of the electromagnetic exploration method (CSEM) of gold and other ores.

This method involves feeding into the groundoscillating electric current through grounded electrodes for subsequent measurement of the electromagnetic field on the surface. Its distribution depends on the distribution of electrical conductivity under the site, which makes it possible to identify zones associated with the accumulation of metal-containing ore. Despite the need to deploy the complexelectrical equipment, the main problem is the complexity of the analysis of the data.

However, a group of scientists from Skolkovo, Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, St. Petersburg State University andThe University of Utah has developed a numerical method that significantly reduces the amount of computation required, making the task solvable on modern supercomputers.

The proposed algorithm was tested on one oflargest gold deposits in the world – Sukhoi Log in the Irkutsk region. Despite the huge deposits, due to the low concentration of gold in the rock, it is very complex. The results obtained were compared with the data of Soviet geologists, who at one time drilled about 800 wells.

According to the team, the created volumetric imagethe geological environment measuring 6x4x4 kilometers was of high quality and more precisely any made using direct current. So far, no one has solved the inverse CSEM problems of this size.

Math made finding gold easier

This information allows you to do with a minimum of exploration wells to verify the calculated data, which significantly reduces the cost and time of research.

The developed method is fully applicable not only for the analysis of gold deposits, but also for copper-nickel, copper-pyrite and polymetallic.

Recently, scientists accidentally discovered even morea simple method to find gold deposits. A team of physicists has developed a compact underground detector that uses cosmic radiation to create an "X-ray image" of gold. deposits of precious metal below the surface.

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