Mineral resource assessment using the unit regional value concept

The resources produced in some specific region may be measured in terms of the amount of resource produced and its value: if these measures are cumulated over the period of production and prorated over the area of a region. say in km², they yield the unit regional weight (u.r.w.) and unit regional value (u.r.v.) of resources produced in the region. Frequency distributions of u.r.w. and u.r.v. may be constructed by measuring them on a number of regions; for the 50 states in the U.S.A. the logarithm of u.r.v. is normally distributed and hence different regions may be ranked on this scale using the mean and standard deviation intervals as calibration levels. The u.r.w. and u.r.v. of the 50 states in the U.S.A., may be used as a reference background for such comparisons. The average u.r.v. for all resources produced over the period 1905 to 1972 for the 48 coterminous states is 54.954 (1967) U.S. (S). Alaska, over the same period, possess a u.r.v. of 2738 (1967) U.S. (S) and so its u.r.v. is some 20 times less: this yeilds a conservative measure of the future potential for development of the mineral resources of Alaska. This unconditional estimate of the u.r.v. of Alaska is based solely on its area and one way of refining this estimate is to introduce geology as a conditioning variable. The geological composition of each state in the U.S.A. was point counted from available geological maps of the states and the proportions of different rock units were expressed in terms of 65 standardized time-petrographic units. The accumulated data for ail 50 states yields a diversity (or richness=s−1) of 51 rocktypes: the range in value for the individual states extends from an s−1=1 in Louisiana to s−1=25 in California. Alaska is about seventh among the states in geological diversity and groups with Arizona, Montana. Utah. Nevada, and Washington. However, the dominant rocktype in Alaska is the detrital high-rank graywacke and this characteristic eliminates all but Nevada as a geologically comparable state. New Zealand also possesses similar geological characteristics. The diversity of mineral resources produced in each region may also be standardized and measured in a similar manner as richness=s−1. It has been found that there is a linear association between mineral resource diversity (Y) and the variety of geological roccktypes (X): the degree of common association between these two variables isr ²=80%. This relationship may now be used as predictor equation and we can calculate the expected value for Alaska as s−1=45 against an observed mincral resource variety of s−1=27. Since Nevada (s−1=49) and New Zealand (s−1=36) both possess much higher resource diversity than Alaska it is likely that the extra resources produced in these two regions should be present in Alaska. This permits us to pinpoint, first. the mineral resource sectors, such as constructional materials. fuels. metals. precious metals, and nonmetals, which are underproduced. By returning to the frequency distributions of u.r.v. (and u.r.w.) of the individual commodities which are likely to occur in Alaska, it is possible to estimate both what new resources may be expected and. very approximately. how much more of the resources already produced may be obtained in the future in Alaska. The annual value of the resources of Alaska from 1880 to 1972 may be treated as a time series and projections of future value may be made under different scenarios. This past history clearly emphasizes that the annual value of the mineral resources produced in Alaska is essentially determined by the “degree of commitment” given to investment in their development. This paper was presented at the International Geological Correlation Program (IGCP) Project 98: “Standards for Computer Applications ia Resource Studies” held at Taita Hills, Kenya, November 8–15, 1977. Par variable régionalisée. nous entendons une fonction d'espace, dont valeur varie d'un lieu à l'autre avec une certaine apparance de continuité, sans qu'il soit en général possible d'en représenter la variation par une loi mathèmatique extrapolable… Une teneur, dans un gisement minier, est une variable régionalisée.     

Variation in the value of mineral resources. Part I. The USA

The value of mineral resources produced in the USA during the 93 years, 1880–1972, deflated to 1967=100, totals 921 billions of dollars; this yields a value of $303,289 per mi² for the conterminous 48 states. Alaska has aggregated some 4160 millions of dollars during the same period, an average yield of some 7107 deflated dollars per mi². If we assume Alaska will achieve the average level of the “lower 48,”the potential value of its mineral resources is 178 billions of deflated 1967 dollars. Fuels account for about two-thirds of this value followed by about 20 percent for each of the aggregates, nonmetals and metals. The deflated dollar value of these four aggregate figures, fuels, nonmetals, metals, and total, during the period 1880–1972 are four time series and the economic processes which produced these series may be modelled through Box-Jenkins procedures. The value of fuels has steadily increased through the period, except for the depression years of the 1930s; this series may be represented as a multiplicative seasonal ARIMA(1,1,0)(1,0,1) model with periods at 4 and 3 yr for the autoregressive (AR) and moving average (MA) terms. Forecasts for 1973 to 1980, using the model, show the value of fuels produced to be about 20 billions of dollars per annum. The value of nonmetals also increased throughout the period except for a somewhat larger drop during the depression years of the 1930s. A multiplicative seasonal ARMA(1,0,0)(1,0,1) model with period at 7 yr for both the AR (autoregressive) and MA (moving average) terms appears to best reflect this series; the forecasts with this model fluctuate around their present annual value of some 6 billions of dollars. The value of metals behaves less consistently; it was much more strongly affected by the Great Depression and its subsequent growth is slower and less consistent than those of the fuels and nonmetals. It is appropriately represented by a multiplicative seasonal ARMA(1,0,0)(0,0,2) model with moving average (MA) periods at 6 and 11 yr respectively. Forecasts with this model show a decline in value for years beyond 1972; the large residual “error” \((\hat \sigma _e = 0.0925)\) , which is about twice as large as the equivalent errors for the value of fuels and nonmetals ( \(\hat \sigma _e = 0.0408\) and 0.0532, respectively), makes this forecast less firm. The total value of mineral resources is composed of all three series and, because fuels account for two-thirds of the total value, the two series closely resemble each other. The total value is not a simple aggregate of the three series; it is appropriately fitted by a multiplicative seasonal IMA(0,1,0)(0,0,2) model with periods at 7 and 11 yr (and error \(\hat \sigma _e = 0.0423\) ). Forecasts using this model imply that the total value of mineral resources produced will be over 30 billions of dollars per annum through 1980.     

Biomass for energy in developing countries

Biomass, like fossil fuels, can provide cooking and heating energy, electricity, chemicals and liquid fuels. Today about 14% of the worldwide primary energy supply is provided by biomass resources — equivalent to 1000 million tons oil each year. Most of this biomass use occurs in rural areas of developing countries where half the world's population lives. For example Kenya derives about 75%, India 50%, China 33% and Brazil 25% of their total energy from biomass, A number of industrialized countries also derive a considerable amount of energy from biomass, such as Finland 18%, Ireland 16%, Sweden 9% and USA 3%. World ependiture on biomass programmes exceeds S 2 bn/yr; several natioal biomass energy programmes are discussed. Biomass resources and conversion technologies are described, as are the factors necessary for successful regional implementation of biomass energy schemes.     

Value of tectonic regions in the United States

Occurrence of mineral resources is directly or indirectly controlled by major tectonic processes. Additionally, similar mineral deposit types tend to be concentrated within geologically and tectonically similar areas. As a result, information on the production history of minerals in a well-explored and developed tectonic region—such as within the United States—can be used to estimate resources of geologically similar, underdeveloped tectonic areas elsewhere. For such application, two regions should be compared for geologic similarity using all available geologic information. Estimates of resources based on geologic analogy can be useful in large-scale mineral exploration programs where relatively little geologic information is available, such as in many developing countries. In this study, seven major tectonic regions within the United States are evaluated in terms of estimated mineral value as measured by historical mineral production and economic reserves. The seven regions assessed are: (1) Cordilleran Mountain Belt, (2) Colorado Plateau, (3) Central Stable Region, (4) Canadian Shield, (5) Ozark-Ouachtia Province, (6) Gulf and Atlantic Coastal Plain, and (7) Appalachian Mountain Belt. Regions are ranked in terms of estimated value of (1) 33 major mineral commodities, (2) nonfuel minerals, (3) hydrocarbons, and (4) individual mineral commodities. In terms of total value of historical mineral production and estimated economic reserve amounts of 33 major mineral commodities, the Gulf and Atlantic Coastal Plain is most valuable, with an estimated value of 1980 US$1,970,000/km². Information on historical mineral production of U.S. tectonic regions may be useful in estimating resources in tectonically similar, underdeveloped regions elsewhere.     

Areal value assessment of the mineral resources endowment of Israel

The achievements of the mineral industry of Israel and an overall reconnaissance of the natural resources endowment of the country have been evaluated by the areal value estimation method, using the COMOD software package. In broad terms, the evaluation relies on geological variables obtained from quantifying the geological map of a region and on cumulative past production records, which, when prorated per unit area, yield a series of unit regional values (u.r.v.)measurements for individual commodities, resource sectors, and total resources. The two groups of variables facilitate conducting comparisons with other well-developed and/or geologically similar regions from which the future potential of the region, with respect to both overall endowment and individual commodities, can be assessed. The model underlying this appraisal method assumes that all regions above a size of about 5,000 sq kms are equally valuable with respect to total endowment in natural resources, regardless of inherent geological characteristics. To date, several areal value estimation studies have been carried out for 11 different countries, encompassing a total of 111 politically-administratively defined regions. These studies provide an adequate information base for between-region comparisons. The individual states of the United States, constituting what can be regarded as well-developed regions, may serve as an expectation for all such comparisons. The distribution of the u.r.v. of total resources of the individual states is lognormal with a geometric mean of 54,954 1967 U.S. dollars per square kilometer. Based on the above assumption, this value can serve as a conservative estimate for the total output any region can be expected to produce. Thirty different mineral commodities are known to exist in Israel. Of these, 19 are economically exploited and the remaining 11 are at present uneconomical mineral occurrences. Past production records have been obtained and assembled for 14 of the exploited commodities. From these records, a number of statistics were computed to evaluate the development of the mineral industry of the country and its future potential. In absolute figures, the overall cumulative production has been rather small, amounting to only 1,679.8 million deflated 1967 U.S. dollars (equivalent to 2,082 million current U.S. dollars or 10,260 million current Israeli pounds). Only bromine, potash, and phosphate are of worldwide significance, amounting respectively to 10, 2.9, and 1 percent of the world production in 1977. Construction materials, with the longest production history, have been the most valuable, accounting for 53.6 percent of the total cumulative output. They are followed by nonmetals (34.7 percent),metals (8 percent)and fuels (3.7 percent).The value-ranking of individual commodities and their respective contribution to the total cumulative output is: cement, 35 percent; potash, 19 percent; stone, 15 percent; phosphate, 11 percent; copper, 8 percent; sand and gravel, 4 percent; bromine, 3 percent; petroleum, 2.5 percent; natural gas, 1 percent; periclase, 0.7 percent; salt, 0.4 percent; and glass sand, 0.2 percent. Total annual output for the period 1948–1977 exhibited a constant growth with no indication of approaching a plateau of diminishing returns. As new commodities became exploited, the share of constructional materials in the total output gradually declined from 100 percent in 1948 to 45 percent in 1977. The contribution of the mineral industry to the annual gross national product rose steadily from 0.55 percent in 1951 to 2.2 percent in 1964. Thereafter, it fluctuated around an average of about 1.8 percent. Total output and production of constructional materials correlate very highly with both gross national product (GNP)and population size. However, when only the annual changes in these variables are considered, the correlation coefficients are found to be insignificant. The u.r.v. of Israel (with an area of 20,700 sq kms and a population of 3,653,000)is 81,154 deflated 1967 U.S. dollars per sq km. It exceeds the expected value for well-developed regions. It can therefore be concluded that Israel is not exceptionally poor in natural resources, as is commonly felt. On the other hand, its high u.r.v. also implies (unfortunately)that the development potential of its mineral industry is rather limited. The u.r.v. estimates, which are based on area alone, can be refined to some degree by considering the geological characteristics of the investigated area. The geological composition of the country was quantified by point counting the geological map, using a grid network of 40.3 sq km cells. Each map unit was assigned to one of 65 standard time-petrographic units. This sampling density results in the recognition of 11 time-petrographic units (instead of 15, which are actually present).Based on linear statistical association between mineral resource diversity and geological diversity established for the states of the United States, Israel can be expected to possess 31 different commodities. Since only 19 have thus far been exploited, Israel can be expected to produce 12 additional commodities. The identity of these missing resources can be inferred by examining the inventory of commodities produced in other regions with a similar geological framework and by evaluating the potential of the 11 noneconomical mineral occurrences, which have already been discovered in the country. The geology of Israel was compared to 12 other regions; of these Egypt, Libya, Sudan, and Sinai were found to be most similar to Israel, each having 8 or 9 time-petrographic rock types in common with Israel, 7 of which are identical. Based on these comparisons and on additional information from other sources, it appears that the commodities that are more likely to be produced in the foreseeable future include manganese, feldspar, uranium (from phosphates),lignite, oil shale, and iron. The mineral industry of Israel accomplished quite significant achievements in the course of its modern history of only 35 years. These resulted from concerted national exploration and development efforts, which were supported by massive governmental capital investments. The areal value method of mineral resources appraisal is based on a cybernetic black box system model in which the degree of commitment derived from the socioeconomic infrastructure is viewed as the driving agent in converting the inherited geological characteristics of the region into economic marketable mineral commodities. The case history of Israel provides a strong substantiation for this generalized system model.     

我国矿产资源储量管理已与国际接轨

我国原固体矿产资源储量分类标准存在着储量的涵盖太宽泛，可行性评价程度低，经济意义不突同等问题，不适应市场经济的需求，难以与国际分类对比，新分类标准根据经济意义，可行性评价阶段和地质可靠程度，把固体矿产资源储量分为储量，基础储量，资源量三大类16种类型，其最大特点是对矿产资源储量赋予了经济意义。     

东南亚地区重要矿床地质特征及找矿潜力

东南亚地区矿产资源十分丰富,特别是铜、镍、铬、钾盐、铝土矿等矿产资源与中国有较强的互补性,受到中国地质学家和矿业界的广泛关注。东南亚地区总体矿产勘查、开发程度低,随着东南亚地区经济的快速发展和找矿技术方法的提高,该地区一大批新矿床的发现和一系列新矿山的陆续建成投产必将为全球经济发展和社会进步注入新的活力。通过对东南亚地区产出的大型-超大型或代表性重要矿床地质特征和分布规律进行总结,对其产出环境和找矿潜力进行讨论,旨在为中国地质学家、矿业企业了解该地区重要矿床的地质特征、时空分布规律、找矿潜力和找矿模型提供有益信息,为中国地勘单位和矿业企业"走出去",在东南亚地区开展综合性找矿评价提供参考依据,同时也为在中国西南三江成矿带开展勘查找矿工作提供对比依据。     

宜昌市矿产资源特点研究

简要叙述了宜昌市自然经济状况,初步分析了区内矿产资源的区域成矿地质背景,并总结了其时空分布规律,重点从数量、质量、价值、分布以及它们在宜昌市国民经济和社会发展中的地位等方面总结了区内矿产资源的特点,从而筛选出优势矿产与潜在优势矿产。     

矿产资源与区域可持续发展

对可持续发展战略的形成进行了简单的回顾,并结合我国矿产资源特点和形势分析了研究矿产资源与区域可持续发展的重要意义,详细地探讨了通过利用矿产资源实现区域可持续发展目标的５条途径：（１）正确进行了矿产资源区划;（２）制定合理的区域矿业发展战略;（３）改革矿权制度,实现两权流转;（４）改善投资环境,吸引外资,促进矿业发展;（５）进一步加强资源与区域可持续发展关系的理论研究。     

地质统计学在固体矿产资源／储量分类中的应用

讨论了地质统计学（空间信息统计学）在固体矿产资源／储量分类中的若干问题，主要包括：1）矿产资源／储量估计方法的选择；2）两个重要概念－估计方差及离差方差；3）支持效应及其在矿产资源／储量评估中的重要作用；4）特异值（特高品位）的识别及处理方法；5）关于吨位－品位曲线；6）确定最优勘探网度及取样间距（及位置）的地质统计学方法；7）地质统计学在确定最优矿床工业指标中的应用；8）储量计算及固体矿产资源／储量分类的地质统计学实施方案。     

国家级矿产实物地质资料的筛选和管理意义

国家级矿产实物地质资料是反映中国矿产资源成矿特点、展现全国矿产勘查与科技工作水平的实物地质资料。国家级矿产实物地质资料由国家实物库永久收藏管理,因此实物地质资料需要筛选。筛选包含2层含义,一是矿床的筛选,即具有典型性、代表性、特殊性的矿床;二是钻孔实物的筛选,即入选矿床最具有代表性的钻孔岩矿心。笔者对2层含义的筛选分别进行了阐述并制定了筛选依据和工作方法,使国家级矿产实物地质资料的筛选有章可循,具可操作性。最后,对全国矿产实物地质资料的管理提出了建议。     

Dispersion patterns of carbonyl sulphide above mineral deposits

Thermodynamic calculations and experiments in vitro have pointed to the potential value of carbonyl sulphide (COS) as a gaseous pathfinder for sulphide mineral deposits concealed beneath overburden. Convenient sampling and analytical techniques have, therefore, been developed for the determination of COS in overburden materials. In temperate regions, samples of soil are taken below the normal rooting depth of vegetation; in arid and semi-arid regions the surface microlayer is collected. The analytical procedure involves the selective thermal desorption of COS from the < 150 μm fraction of overburden materials and quantitative determination by a rapid gas chromatographic method.Field studies of surficial dispersion patterns of COS have been carried out in the vicinity of replacement-type Cu (-Zn) and porphyry Cu deposits in the southwestern U.S.A., meta-sedimentary Cu-Zn mineralization in Saudi Arabia, volcano-sedimentary polymetallic sulphides in South Africa and stratabound Pb-Zn mineralization in Ireland, and are described here. These deposits are covered by different types and various thicknesses of overburden material. Anomalous concentrations of COS occur in the overburden above all of these deposits. The anomalies tend to be of modest but satisfactory contrast and are in some instances discontinuous or patchy.Results indicate that COS may be used as a guide to concealed mineral deposits in a variety of geologic and physiographic settings. Significant anomalies can be recognized even where mineralization lies beneath more than 90 m of transported overburden.     

西藏尕尔穷铜金矿床S、Pb同位素地球化学特征——成矿物质来源示踪

尕尔穷铜金矿为近几年在班公湖-怒江成矿带西段取得找矿新突破的与斑岩有关的矽卡岩型铜金-破碎带型铜金(铁)矿床。通过对矽卡岩型矿石中主要的金属矿物黄铁矿、黄铜矿的S、Pb同位素特征进行研究,进一步确定矿床成矿物质来源,并结合区域矿产特征对区域成矿规律给出指示。结果显示,两种金属矿物中的δ34S主要分布于-2.9‰～0.5‰之间,平均值为-1.1‰,其频率直方图具有塔式分布特征,具幔源硫特征;矿石的208Pb/204Pb主要分布于38.384～39.134之间,207Pb/204Pb主要分布于15.577～15.725之间,206Pb/204Pb主要分布于18.112～18.615之间,μ值在9.44～9.69之间,其具有上地壳与地幔混合的造山带铅特征。矿床成矿物质主要来自具幔源特征物质和念青唐古拉基底片麻岩。在班怒带西段伴随着晚白垩世南羌塘-三江复合板片与冈底斯-念青唐古拉板片之间弧-陆碰撞,在措勤-申扎火山岩浆弧内形成了与上地幔或初生下地壳重熔并受上地壳物质混染的斑岩-矽卡岩铜金矿成矿系列。     

Mineral resource appraisal and mineral deposits computer files in the Geological Survey of Canada

The Geological Survey of Canada (G.S.C.) has been involved in national appraisal of resources of certain commodities for nearly two decades beginning with a national study of iron deposits in 1955. In 1972, the first national appraisal to rapidly estimate total resources of Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Fe, Mo, and U in Canada was carried out largely by economic geologists. This exercise produced, among other things, a better definition of G.S. C. needs for building computer files in support of mineral deposits studies and mineral resource appraisal. Objectives of this paper are threefold: (1) to outline general methodology for the kind of mineral resource appraisal carried out by the G.S.C. in 1972; (2) to identify types of information required in that appraisal; and (3) to indicate types of information on mineral deposits for which it seems advantageous for the G.S.C. to construct computer files, and how these files relate to mineral resource appraisal. Methodology is fairly straightforward for appraisal of reserves (known, measured resources), but is much more problematic for appraisal of undiscovered resources. For the latter, G.S.C. economic geologists make use of two basic concepts: the deposit model, which is a generalized deposit type, distinguished by its geological attributes and host rock environment, and containing characteristic amounts of specified commodities; and the metallogenic region, which is a geographic area of more or less homogeneous geology deemed favorable for the presence of a particular deposit model. Background information required for appraisal of undiscovered resources includes the following: (a) data on distribution and geology of Canadian deposits and occurrences; (6) data on geology of important, foreign deposits; (c) knowledge of Canadian geology, commensurate with metallogenic requirements; (d) knowledge of current theories of ore-forming processes; and (e) appreciation of the amount, location, and effectiveness of past exploration in Canada. At present, only identity, location, and certain simple geological features of Canadian deposits are considered practical for a general computer file of mineral deposits. The fundamental activity of the G.S.C. in the sphere of mineral deposits is a number of broad studies on the geology of certain commodities in Canada carried out by economic geologists. Appraisal of mineral resources is based directly on the results of those studies, and is done by the same economic geologists. Construction of G.S.C. computer files is in response to needs defined by economic geologists, mainly in the context of their broad studies.This paper was presented at the International Geological Correlation Program (IGCP) Project 98 entitled Standards for Computer Applications in Resource Studies held at Loen, Norway, September 27–October 1, 1976.     

乌兹别克斯坦的矿产资源与投资前景—随中国科学家代表团访问乌兹别克斯坦考察报告之一

介绍了乌兹别克斯坦共和国的地质构造背景，已探明的和潜在的矿产资源，投资环境及可供我国利用的矿产资源。乌兹别克斯坦共和国是我国的近邻，其金，铀，钾盐，银，铜是乌兹别克斯坦的优势和矿产资源，尤其是金和铀的储量与产量在世界上占有重要的地位，应当在我国矿产资源的全球战略中占据它应有的位置。     

中国西部周边邻区构造—火山—成矿建造特征及时空分布规律

概述了我国西部周边毗邻地区主要褶皱系及该区的火山-成矿建造特征、演化趋势和时空分布规律。指出该区与火山活动有关金属矿产是丰富的,主要有铜、铅、锌、铁、金、钼和铀等。成矿时代有7个,主要分布于前苏联的哈萨克斯坦-天山、中阿富汗-巴基斯坦和中、北印度地区。该区构造-火山-成矿建造的演化趋势与时空分布规律表现了从晚前寒武纪至新生代、从西伯利亚克拉通南缘至阿拉伯海北海岸的3个有序演化。在对比我国有关地区的地质成矿条件之后,提出了我国有关地区的一些找矿远景地区。     

煤炭资源勘查误差理论研究

对煤炭资源勘查资源量与客观物质量之间差值的误差理论探讨,提出误差由真值误差、系统误差和离差3个基本部分组成,其中真值误差是不可消除的观测误差、系统误差是控制网度所决定的准确度标准、而离差是由地质构造及矿床形态的多解性产生的资源量波动。在此基础上,构筑了一个关于误差的数学模型,最后应用误差理论对现行勘查工作中常见的错误进行分析,并就如何避免错误及减少误差提出了见解。     

Spatial analysis of the mining and transport of rock minerals (aggregates) in the context of regional development

Rock minerals such as dimension and crushed stones and sands and gravels (aggregates) are indispensable materials for the building and construction industries. The growth in demand for these resources causes intensification of mining operations (and their consequent environmental impacts) and transport problems in regions abundant in rock minerals. The balanced management of these resources by regional policy-makers is difficult as it requires, among other things, comprehensive and up-to-date information on the spatial distribution and temporal changes of available reserves, demand, production, and transport. This information can be provided by means of spatial and temporal analyses through geographic information systems (GIS). In this research, the focus is on the following aspects of rock mineral (aggregates) resources and mining management in the context of regional spatial planning in the example region of Lower Silesia in Poland: the spatial and temporal changes in distribution and intensity of mining, the availability of economic reserves in active mines, the magnitude and distribution of road transport flows of aggregates, the potential of railways as an alternative means of transport, and the valorisation of undeveloped aggregates deposits to assess their suitability for future use. For the purposes of this study, cartographic models have been developed using GIS to facilitate analyses of these mineral resources, mining, and transport. The results of these analyses provide current and comprehensive information on the state of aggregates mineral resources, production and transport in the Lower Silesia region. They also give an insight into availability of rock mineral resources for the future. Knowledge of these processes is important for spatial development planning, especially physical infrastructure, conducted by national, regional, and local governments.     

An integrated method for the quantitative evaluation of mineral resources of cobalt-rich crusts on seamounts

Cobalt-rich crusts on seamounts potentially have the economic value of multiple metals. In the field of exploration, it is important to perform quantitative evaluations of mineral resources and delineate promising areas in survey regions for future mining. Accordingly, this study, based on prior knowledge, develops an integrated method to quantitatively evaluate mineral resources of cobalt-rich crusts on seamounts and gives an application example to demonstrate this method. The method includes four steps: first, defining units with certain areas and shapes on the target seamount (a 20 km² square block in the application example) and estimating characteristic values of the cobalt-rich crust for each unit with known geological survey data using a space interpolation method such as Kriging; second, presenting several model algorithms, i.e. Regional Coverage of Crusts, Suitable Slope Percentage for Mining and Fitting Area on Slopes, to extract the corresponding regional metallogenic factors for each unit by inputting regional surveying data (such as bathymetry data) into these models; third, considering both the features and regional metallogenic factors of cobalt-rich crusts in each unit to estimate their distribution of mineral resources on the entire seamount; and last, according to the distribution of the mineral resources and international social and economic requirements (such as the regulations of the International Seabed Authority), delineating a promising area for future mining.     

区域矿产资源经济综合指标体系的确定与方法选择

区域矿产资源经济综合评价是矿产普查与勘探学科和地质经济学科中十分重要的新分支.本文侧重讨论了区域矿产资源经济综合评价中的评价指标体系的构造、评价指标效果值的确定、综合评价方法和计算机评价系统的建立等问题.