EXPLORATION SYSTEM FOR ENHANCING THE LIKELIHOOD OF PREDICTING LITHOLOGY OF EARTH FORMATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH DEPOSITS OF ORE, MARKER ROCK AND/OR ECONOMIC MINERALS

摘要

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSUREEXPLORATION SYSTEM FOR ENHANCING THE LIKELIHOOD OFPREDICTING LITHOLOGY OF EARTH FORMATIONS ASSOCIATEDWITH DEPOSITS OF ORE, MARKER ROCK AND/OR ECONOMIC MINERALSThe present invention provides for the accurate mappingof shallow crustal earth formations by means for refractiveseismic waves to identify structure, elastic parameters andlithology of the strata undergoing survey to indicate deposits ofore, marker rock, economic minerals and the like. After a "roll-along" technique has been used in the field to collect therefraction data and preliminary processing steps undertaken inwhich there are provisions for (i) accurate separation anddetermination of seismic shear and compressional responses; (ii)stacking displays that allow for accurate identification of shapeof the surveyed strata; and (iii) final depth displays of therefracting bed segments associated with seismic shear andcompressional wave velocities as well as Poisson's ratios, inaccordance with the present invention, additional processing thenoccurs. The added processing indicates lithology of the earthformation to a surprising degree based, inter alia, on multi-dimensional space searching techniques.