UWA MSc Ore Deposit Geology Unit Descriptions
EART8508 Ore Deposit Conceptual Models
Credit: 6 points
Availability: non-standard teaching period (see Timetable) Old unit code: 522.508
Outcomes: Students are able to demonstrate understanding of the geological processes, P-T conditions and tectonic environments associated with a variety of gold and base metal deposit types as well as the mineralogy, host rocks and structures in which the deposits are found. Students also gain understanding of the role of conceptual models in mineral exploration and the way in which they are translated into criteria for regional-scale ground selection and targeting.
Content: This unit provides an introduction to global metallogeny, deposit and conceptual models for Archaean and Phanerozoic orogenic lode-gold, reduced intrusion-related gold, iron-oxide copper-gold, PGE (Ni, Au or Zn-Pb-Cu) and other precious-metal systems, orthomagmatic nickel, and Paleoproterozoic and Archean banded iron-formation (BIF) hosted iron. Mineral system models for each of these deposit types are critically examined with a view to defining criteria for regional-scale exploration and targeting.
Assessment: This comprises practical exercises and an assignment.
Presenters:
Prof. John Miller
Prof. Stephen Beresford
Prof. Steffen Hagemann
Prof. T. Campbell McCuaig
Plus other academic and industry experts in these commodities.
Unit Co-ordinator(s): Ms Cindi Mispagel
Location: UWA (Crawley)
Mode: on-campus
Unit Rules:
Contact hours—2 weeks (lectures: 6 hrs per day; laboratories/tutorials: 2 hrs per day)
Note: This unit is available in alternate (odd-numbered) years.
EART8506 Computer-aided Exploration Targeting
Credit: 6 points
Availability: non-standard teaching period (see Timetable) Old unit code: 522.506
Outcomes: Students gain an understanding of the science and philosophy of exploration targeting within an applied business context. Participants will have an understanding of how geophysical and geochemical data can be visualized and integrated into the targeting process. They will gain sufficient knowledge and practical experience to interpret PIMA and remote-sensing data, create and analyse derived GIS layers and mineral prospectivity maps. Students are also able to demonstrate understanding of how datasets are combined and modeled in a 3D environment to aid targeting on the mine to regional scales.
Content: This unit focuses on identifying the challenges in predicting the location of mineralization at a variety of scales using both empirical and conceptual techniques; how to translate an understanding of mineral systems into exploration targeting models; and how to collate and visualize available geoscience datasets to generate and rank targets from mine to regional scale using computer-based methods. Topics include the business of exploration targeting; remote and proximal sensing; mapping of primary, alteration and regolith mineralogy with remote (HyMap and ASTER) and proximal (PIMA, HyLogger) spectral sensors; applied geophysics in exploration targeting; an introduction to Geographic Information Systems (GIS); creation of derived GIS layers to represent exploration criteria; spatial data analysis to quantitatively test exploration criteria; methods to combine data sets into mineral prospectivity maps (e.g. weights of evidence, fuzzy logic and neural networks); creation of 3D models from the integration of numerous geoscience datasets; numerical modelling to simulate physical and chemical processes in tectonics and ore deposition, and case studies showing examples of best practice in exploration targeting in 3D.
Assessment: This comprises practical exercises and an assignment.
Presenters:
Prof. T. Campbell McCuaig
Prof. John Miller
Dr. Alok Porwal
Dr. Klaus Gessner
Plus other industry and academic experts in this field
Unit Co-ordinator(s): Ms Cindi Mispagel
Location: UWA (Crawley)
Mode: on-campus
Unit Rules:
Contact hours—2 weeks (lectures: 6 hrs per day; labs/tutorials: 3 hrs per day)
Note: This unit is available in alternate (odd-numbered) years.
EART8519 South African Ore Deposit Field Excursion
Credit: 6 points
Availability: not available in 2009 (see Timetable) Old unit code: 522.519
Outcomes: Students gain knowledge of a range of deposits that are unknown or uncommon in Australia including an appreciation of the scale of the geological features associated with the deposits, host-rock types and alteration styles.
Content: This unit offers a field excursion to South Africa to examine world-class deposit styles not common in Australia. Mine tours and visits to outcrops help to reinforce theoretical knowledge and develop an understanding of geological concepts that are applicable to a wide variety of deposit types. Experience in diverse geological terrains and deposits are very helpful for students who will engage in mineral exploration in the future. Areas visited on the excursion include Witwatersrand gold-uranium, Bushveld PGE-Cr-Ti/V (at Rustenburg Platinum Mine; Merensky Reef, UG2 Chromitite), Phalaborwa Cu-P-bearing Carbonatite, Vergenoeg magnetite-fluorite-fayalite REE breccia pipe and kimberlite-hosted diamonds at the Premier diamond mine. Other geological areas visited include Pilansberg Alkaline Complex, Buffalo fluorite mine, Sandsloot platinum mine on the Platreef of the Bushveld Complex, UG1 chromitite seams at Dwars River and the Transvaal Sequence at Bourke's Luck potholes.
Assessment: This comprises a ten-page report on a topic of the student's choice related to the geology of the field trip.
Presenters: Emeritus Prof. David Groves and Dr Marco Fiorentini.
Unit Co-ordinator(s): Ms Cindi Mispagel
Location: UWA (Crawley)
Mode: field trip in South Africa
Unit Rules:
Contact hours—14-day field trip
Note: This unit is available in alternate (even-numbered) years.
EART8504 Applied Structural and Field Geology
Credit: 6 points
Availability: not available in 2009 (see Timetable) Old unit code: 522.504
Outcomes: Students are able to demonstrate understanding of the basic principles of structural geology and skills in applying these principles to mineral exploration and mining problems. Students gain practical experience and confidence in recognising and mapping structural features in the field.
Content: This unit covers basic principles of structural geology with emphasis on shear zones, faults and fold styles, structural controls on hydrothermal ore deposits, tectonic styles and their geophysical expression, structural geology in mineral exploration and resource evaluation. Two of the five days spent in the classroom are devoted to more advanced topics such as orthorhombic faults, applied structural interpretation of geophysical data, and digital measurement, visualisation and analysis of structural data. The unit includes a field excursion to the Archaean Kalgoorlie Terrane, host to world class Komatiite-hostes NiS and orogenic Au deposits, to undertake mine-scale to regional mapping and interpretation exercises.
Assessment: This comprises practical exercises and creation of geological maps during the field excursion. Three exercises are assessed:
(1) Classroom map exercise on regional tectonics and mineralization
(2) Regional reconstruction over Kanowna region, WA and Au mineralization
(3) Mine-scale pit-mapping exercise.
Unit Presenters: Prof. T. Campbell McCuaig and Prof. John Miller .
Unit Co-ordinator(s): Ms Cindi Mispagel
Location: UWA (Crawley)
Mode: on-campus and a field trip
Unit Rules:
Contact hours: 7-day field trip to the Kalgoorlie–Kambalda area (10 hrs per day) and 5 days at UWA (lectures: 6 hrs per day; labs/tutorials: 2 hrs per day)
Note: This unit is available in alternate (even-numbered) years. | 
