title: Exploration strategies for hydrothermal deposits.
abstract: With unlimited money the most certain strategy for finding most hydrothermal metal deposits would be by drilling to 5000 m at 50 m spacing. However, the cost would far outweigh the benefit of the discoveries. Geological knowledge and exploration techniques may be used to obtain the greatest benefit for minimum cost, and to concentrate human and material resources in the most economic way in areas with the highest probability of discovery. This paper reviews the economic theory of exploration based on expected value, and the application of geological concepts and exploration techniques to exploration for hydrothermal deposits. Exploration techniques for hydrothermal-systems on Mars would include geochemistry and particularly passive geophysical methods.
authors.affiliation: INCO Limited, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada.
authors.forename: R A
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Horn
mesh_terms: D000512:Alpha Particles; D003362:Cost-Benefit Analysis; D018534:Earth, Planet; D004574:Electromagnetic Fields; D005101:Expeditions / Q000191:economics; D005720:Gamma Rays; D019015:Geologic Sediments / Q000737:chemistry; D005844:Geology / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods*; D018535:Mars; D008670:Metals / Q000737:chemistry; D008906:Mining / Q000191:economics / Q000379:methods; D011874:Radiometry / Q000379:methods; D013053:Spectrophotometry / Q000379:methods; D014867:Water / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D008670:Metals; D014867:Water