Southern Geoscience has successfully processed and standardised historical gravity data discovered within submissions to WAMEX (Western Australia Mineral Exploration) over the Kalgoorlie and surrounding areas in the goldfields region, Western Australia.
This project aims to tackle the historical challenge of finding specific geophysical survey data, which was often hidden in appendices of reports, making it easier to access and utilise this valuable data. In particular, ground gravity datasets are instrumental in mapping the density variations in the Earth’s subsurface and thereby mapping geology. In some cases, gravity anomalies can even be a direct detection method for mineral deposits.
Gravity data is a key tool for identifying faults and shear zones critical in orogenic gold exploration. The standardised gravity data provides often vastly improved resolution useful for delineating structures when compared to currently available statewide gravity. High-resolution gravity is complementary to high-resolution magnetics for geological and structural interpretation. Could high-resolution gravity be a key driver for major new structurally controlled discoveries?
After an initial assessment of each WAMEX report, SGC extracted, harmonised, and merged 43 gravity datasets acquired between 1990 and 2021.
Processing historical gravity data can be quite complex due to variations in contractors, acquisition methods, station spacing, and datums. SGC developed a rigorous harmonisation process to combine the datasets. SGC is actively processing historical and recently released WAMEX gravity data over Western Australia to create a dataset that can be used for future exploration efforts.
For more information, contact us at geophysics@sgc.com.au
