Geologic maps aid mineral exploration

Two case studies using updated, higher resolution maps in Canada found that they made mineral exploration campaigns "more efficient, more effective, and less risky than old, coarser resolution maps." The analysis found they located 60% more targets with an exploration campaign that is 44% more efficient. The joint publication of the USGS and the Geological Survey of Canada (http://pubs.usgs.gov/pp/pp1721/) reports that the mapping produced a multiplier value of up to more than eight times what it cost to produce.

The report is: "Analysis of Improved Government Geological Map Information for Mineral Exploration: Incorporating Efficiency, Productivity, Effectiveness, and Risk Considerations" by R. L. Bernknopf, A.M. Wein, M.R. St-Onge, and S.B. Lucas, U.S. Geological Survey Professional Paper 1721 and Geological Survey of Canada Bulletin 593.