A SMALL INTEGRATED GEOPHYSICAL INSTRUMENT FOR THE FIELD MEASUREMENT OF THE MAGNETIC AND ELECTICAL PROPERTIES OF ROCKSAMPLES

GEOPHYSICAL PROSPECTING FOR MINERAL DEPOSITS DEPENDS ON THE PHYSICAL PROPERTY CONTRASTS BETWEEN VARIOUS ROCK UNITS AND MINERAL DEPOSITS. A BROADER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE OF THE EARTH CAN BE REALIZED FROM ROCK SAMPLE PHYSICAL DATA. A SMALL POCKET SIZED INSTRUMENT TO MEASURE THE MAGNETIC AND ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF ROCK SAMPLES UNDERFIELD CONDITIONS WOULD BE AN IMMENSE AID TO EXPLORATIONISTS. THIS NEED CAN NOW BE FULFILLED UTILIZING MODERN MICROELECTRONIC TECHNOLOGY. THE RESEARCH OBJECTIVE IS TO DEVELOP A SMALL INTEGRATED METER FOR FIELD USE BY EXPLORATIONISTS. YEARS OF EXPERIENCEIN PHYSICAL PROPERTY STUDIES AND INSTRUMENTATION BY OUR FIRMCAN MAKE THIS REALIZABLE, RESULTING IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF SUCH A METER AND DEMONSTRATE ITS SCIENTIFIC USEFULNESS IN GEOPHYSICAL EXPLORATION. THE CRITICAL DESIGN MUST PROVIDE CONVERSION OF THE OUTPUTS OF MAGNETIC AND ELECTRIC SENSORS FOR PROCESSING INTO MEANINGFUL GEOPHYSICAL DATA. INNOVATIVE DESIGN WILL CONSIST OF A MULTIPLICITY OF SENSORS INDEPENDENTLY ATTACHED TO A MASTER MICROPROCESSOR CONTROLLED SYSTEM THAT ARE INTERCHANGEABLE IN THE FIELD FOR SEPARATELY MEASURING THE MAGNETIC AND ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES OF ROCK SAMPLES. RESEARCH WILL DETERMINE THE BEST MEASUREMENT TECHNIQUES, SENSOR DESIGNS, AND INTERFACING SCHEMES CONSISTENT WITH OPERATIONAL DEMANDS. THE EFFORT PROPOSED WILL BE DIRECTED TOWARD SOLVING THESE OBJECTIVES.