While this year has been a relatively Personal Computer (pC)-Based Methods quiet one for the Association of Explora­ tion Geochemists (AEG), our membership for Integrating, Processing and Visualiz­ has been very active preparing for next ing Multivariate Data: Review of Geology, year, which will see us involved in a Till Geochemistry, Lake Sediment Geochemistry, number of major meetings. First and foremost among them is the 18th Interna­ and Airborne Geophysical Data from the tional Geochemical Exploration Sympo­ Beardmore-Geraldton District, Ontario, Canada sium (IGES) to be held in Jerusalem, by Greg Hollyer and L. Harvey Thorleifson Israel, May 25-29, 1997. You all should by now have received the "First Circular and ---' Multivariate data collected from geological, geochemical Call for Papers" which outlines the and geophysical sources historically have not been managed session themes, workshops and field trips planned for the and evaluated in a single PC-based environment. This meeting. If you have not done so, please take time to look tendency is, in part, due to the lack of techniques for integrat­ over this material and to reply to the organisers to let them ing, processing and visualizing high-volume datasets from know of your plans-as an attendee, as the presenter of a talk different sources. In this short discussion, the objective is to or poster, or as a participant on a field trip. review the methodologies used to integrate, process and Our members are also heavily involved in organising the visualize a multivariate dataset originally acquired by the 4th International Symposium on Environmental Geochemis­ Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) and the Ontario Geologi­ try (ISEG) to be held in Vail, Colorado, USA, October 5-10, cal Survey (OGS) in the vicinity of the Beardmore-Geraldton 1997. You should have received the "Second Circular and Call Greenstone Belt in Ontario. Although some methodologies, for Papers" for this meeting. In addition, several of our such as geostatistical kriging, that were employed are members are involved in organising and will be giving quantitative, this exercise was primarily qualitative in nature presentations at Exploration '97 to be held in Toronto, and was intended to illustrate practical techniques that can Canada, September 14-18, 1997. Other meetings and wo.rk­ help set the stage for more detailed numerical and statistical shops, several of which Qur members are involved with/ are analysis. listed in the Calendar of Events within EXPLORE. Multivariate Data Overview The current membership of the AEG is around 1,050 and The geochemical data available for this exercise included shows healthy growth with new members around the world. raw Excel and Lotus format spreadsheet data from a 1989 However, we are finding ourselves in a situation where we lake sediment survey and a 1991 till geochemistry survey are starting to not have enough exploration-oriented papers conducted by the GSC and the OGS. High-quality geochemi­ for the Journal of Exploration Geochemistry. Symposium cal data were acquired using rigourous sampling and Volumes and several Special Issues have helped fill the shortfall, but as of next year we could see a problem. It Continued on Page 9 appears that this is due to a number of factors among which include: the major cut backs at many of the national and provincial/state geological surveys and government-funded CONTENTS research institutions which has affected the exploration President's Message ........................ 1 Regional Distribution of Heavy geochemistry groups thereinj cut backs, and loss or retire­ Special Color l\{aps ......................... 1 Metals, Flin Flon, Manitoba ••• 10 Personal Computer.Based Methods Geoenvironmental Assessment ment of people teaching exploration geochemistry at univer­ for Integrating, ProceSSing and sities, resulting in a real lack of students studying exploration Visualizing Multivariate Data of Monlana ................................. 10 geochemistry and hence writing papers; the need for all of Ejections ............................................. 2 Calendar of Events ......................... 16 these organisations, as a result of the aforementioned, to seek Notes from the Editors .................... 3 New Members ................................. 17 funds for research elsewhere, which in many cases produces Technical Note Recent Papers .................................. 18 research results which remain confidential for varying Composition of White Micas in Weathered Rocks: Indicators of Rock AEG Publications ........................... 21 periods of time; and, the fact that most industry exploration Type and Proximity to Gold AEG Application geochemists are pretty stretched and do not have a lot of Mineralization, Western Australia ..... 3 for Admission ............................ 22 Regional Councilors' News ........... 5 time, and in many instances permission, to publish the results AEG Committees ........................... 23 of their research and work. On the other hand, there appears Comment .................••.....••...••...........•. 5 List of Advertisers ......................... 24 to be no shortage of environmentally-oriented geochemical Technical Note papers out there as witnessed by the outstanding submission Suggestions for it Conceptual Bridge between Exploration and Continued on Page 2 Environentai Geochemistry .... 6 PAGE 2 NUMBER 93 EXPLORE Information for Contributors to EXPLORE Scope This Newsletter endeavors to become a forum for recent advances in exploration geochemistry and a key informational source, In addition to contributions on exploration geochemistry, Newsletter No, 89 OCTOBER 1995 we encourage material on multidisciplinary applications, Editors: Sherman P. Marsh (303) 236·5521 environmental geochemistry, and analytical technology. Of par­ J. Thomas Nash (lO3) 236-5515 ticular interest are extended abstracts on new concepts for guides Assistant Editors: to Ofe, model improvements, exploration tools, unconventional Steve Cone (303) 232·8371 case histories, and descriptions of recently discovered or devel­ Anne M. Leibold (303) 295-1101 Fredrick P. Schwarz (702) 758_9234 oped deposits. J. Stevens Zuker (303) 989·6608 Format ManUSCripts should be double-spaced and include Business Manager: Owen P. Lavin (303) 837·5820 camera-ready illustrations where pOSSible. Meeting reports may FAX (303) 236-3200, AITN: Sherman Marsh, USGS have photographs, for example. Text is preferred on paper and 5- e·mail: [email protected] or 3-inch IBM-compatible computer diskettes with ASCII (DOS) EXPLORE is published quarterly by the Association of Exploration Geochemists, P.O. Box format that can go directly to typesetting. Please use the metric 25046, MS 973, Denver Federal Center, Denver, CO 80225. system in technical material. EXPLORE is a trademark of the Association of Exploration Geochemists. EXPLORE is typeset by Vivian Heggie, Heggie Enterprises, Thornton, CO (303) 288.6540. Length Extended abstracts may be up to approximately 1000 words or two newsletter pages including figures and tables. President's Message Quality Submittals are copy-edited as necessary without re­ examination by authors, who are asked to assure smooth writing continued from page 1 style and accuracy of statement by thorough peer review. of papers, 150 or so, for the 4'" ISEG at Vail. If there is no Contributions may be edited for clarity or space. change in this situation there will be the inevitable shift All contributions should be submitted to: towards more environmentally-oriented papers in the EXPLORE Journal. So, if we want to see exploration geochemistry c/o J.T. Nash, Box 25046, MS973, Denver Federal Center continue to flourish, I urge all of you exploration geochemists Denver, CO 80225, USA out there to get busy and submit more exploration-oriented papers to the journal. Information for Advertisers Please feel free to contact me or any member of the EXPLORE is the newsletter of the Association of Exploration Executive or Council on any matter concerning the AEG: we Geochemists (AEG). Distribution is quarterly to the membership definitely seek you input and participation in your AEG. consisting of 1200 geologists, geophysicists, and geochemists. William B. Coker Additionally,. 100 copies are sent to geoscience libraries. Compli­ BHP Minerals Canada Ltd. mentary copies are often mailed to selected addresses from the 33 Yonge Street, Suite 610 rosters of other geoscience organizations, and additional copies Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5E 1G4 are distributed at key geoscience symposia. Approximately 20% of each issue is sent overseas. TEL: (416) 368-3884 ext 250 EXPLORE is the most widely read newsletter in the world per­ FAX: (416) 365-0763 taining to exploration geochemistry. Geochemical laboratories, drilling, survey and sample collection, specialty geochemical services, consultants, environmental, field supply, and computer and geOScience data services are just a few of the areas available for advertisers. International as well as North American vendors We are in the process of electing the 1997~98 Councillors will find markets through EXPLORE. for the AEG. All Fellows of the Association should have re­ The EXPLORE newsletter is produced on a volunteer basis by the ceived their ballots by now and if you haven't already done so, AEG membership and is a non-profit newsletter. The advertising please vote and return the ballot to the Secretary. Voting is one rates are the lowest feasible with a break-even objective.