Looking for Mineral Outcrops

In regions with dense vegetation, general morphology or of specific areas, can often give good results in the presence of outcrops and the overall geological structure of the region.

This way details can be specified such as veinlets, faults, a rocky bar of quartzite or of amphibolites, granite dome, etc..

The preliminary itinerary can then be modified for a specific visit to the area.

In the case where outcrop is rare, the color and type of soil, as well as the type of vegetation along with its lack or abundance, can all give useful indications on the geology and mineralization of the region.

A change in the type of vegetation almost always means a modification of the subsoil’s consistency. 

For examples some “clear areas” in central Africa are due to the degree of copper in the ground that prevents the growth of any kind of vegetation.

Being interesting to point out that when a deposit is discovered, if a plan grow on an outcrop and is absent in neighboring parts of the most probable barren region. This observation can be useful when searching for the same mineralization in the region. For example the “Gentania Lutea” a variety of Calaminarea, is often found in the presence of Zn.   

Besides all of this, it is important to pay attention to the debris from hills, landslides and riverbanks, when these are made up of mineralized rock or by iron fragments. These often get to a situ mineralization. 

F) Searching for past exploration

The presence of past exploration (ditches, pits, etc.) or cultivation (tunnels, waste) is a very important finding when searching for a deposit, which sometimes can be further researched with the evolution of modern advanced technology. The exploration, if very old, can pass unnoticed and spotting them can be very difficult: pits have been buried, caves have caved in, and waste has partially or totally been eliminated by erosion and covered by vegetation.

Sometimes the entrance to past caves can be detected by water filtrations (small brooks) that come out of them.

To better study these past explorations utmost precaution must be employed, and always leave someone on the outside, setting a time limit for the exploration.

Debris deposits must also be examined, to see possible detection (in light of new technology and/or to check if the presence of mineral at the past time of examination had no value, like W in Sn deposits in the XIX century).