GEOBOTANICAL AND

BIOGEOCHEMICAL SURVEY
VEGETATION
 UPTAKE OF MINERAL MATTER BY PLANTS

The factors that must be considered in the development

of plant anomalies are

• Plant Nutrition: many metals

• Availability of elements in soil
• Reaction in the root tips of plants
• Movement and storage within plants
Diagram illustrating cation exchange reactions near root tips
Relationship between the element concentration of plant
ash and associated soil
 GEOBOTANICAL INDICATORS
Geobotany is the study of plants as related specifically to
their geologic environment. Visual and physical observation
of plants when applied for burried ore is called as
geobotanical prospecting.

Four aspects of plant appearance and distribution are

useful in mineral exploration.
1. The distribution of individual indicator species.
2. The distribution of groups or communities of plants.
3. Morphological features of plants such as unusual size,
deformities, and colors.
4. The gross effects of one or more of the above aspects
detectable by aerial photography or other remote
sensing technique.
Morphological changes in (Mangrove)
Some geobotanical indicators in specific areas for
different mineral deposits
• Alamine violet-Zinc
• Viola Calaminaria spp-base metal
• Impatiens balsamina and Nyctanthes arbortistis (Night
Jasmine)-Pb, Zn
• Leucas aspera-Pb-Zn-Ag deposit of Rajpura dariba
• Shorea Robusta (Sal)-Dwarfing of plants over Kansa nickel
deposit
• Bryophyte mos-U mineralization in Siwalik Sandstone of
HP
• Curatella Americana L.-epithermal gold
• Augustifolia-copper
Geobotanical indicators
1. Indicators of ground water
2. Indicators of saline deposits
3. Indicators of hydrocarbons
4. Indicators of rock types
5. Indicators of ore
 BIOGEOCHEMICAL ANOMALIES
Biogeochemical anomalies are areas where the vegetation
contains an abnormally high concentration of metals.

Factors that affect the background contrast in

biogeochemical surveys include plant species sampled, plant
organ sampled, age of plant organ, depth of root system,
health of plant, factors of soil Eh, pH, temp, soil moisture etc.

• Variation between plant species

• Variation between plant parts
• Depth of root penetration
• Variation with other factors
• Contrast
• Homogeneity
• Form of anomalies
 Depth of root penetration
Distinction between phreatotypes and xerophytes shown by their occurrence in
relation to the water table
 BIOGEOCHEMICAL SUVEYING TECHNIQUES

• Orientation Survey
• Choice of Sampling medium
• Collection & processing of samples
• Choice of analytical method
• Interpretation of Data
• Advantages & Disadvantages
Orientation Survey
GEOCHEMICAL SOIL SURVEY
ORIENTATION SURVEY

FIELD OPERATIONS

INTERPRETATION OF DATA

FOLLOW UP OPERATIONS
 ORIENTATION SURVEY

• RESIDUAL SOIL
• TRANSPORTED OVERBURDEN
• CONTAMINATION
• CHOICE OF PROCEDURES
 Basic procedure for conducting an orientation
survey

• RESIDUAL SOIL
Start with the collection of a series of vertical section through the soil
profile, arranged as a traverse across the sub-outcrop of mineralized
ground.
Log the pit in details and establish the residual or transported origin of the
overburden at all depth.

• TRANSPORTED OVERBURDEN
Nature of the overburden
Mechanism of the dispersion
Basic procedure for conducting an orientation survey

• CONTAMINATION
• A thorough orientation study of a new area should also include
appropriate sampling to determine the extent of possible contamination
arising from human activity

• CHOICE OF PROCEDURES
• In choosing the optimum fraction, extractant, sampling depth, or other
parameter, both the contrast of the anomaly and the varriability of
background and anomalous value are important in addition to the
absolute value of the anomaly.
ORIENTATION PIT LOG
SPREAD & HOMOGENEITY OF RESIDUAL SOIL
 FIELD OPERATIONS
• SAMPLING PATTERN
• Determine primarily by the shape and size of the target.
• The most suitable pattern is a simple rectilinear grid of sample taken at a equal
intervals along evenly spaced lines.
• Rectilinear grid are preferred because of the ease in laying out the field work
and plotting the data.
• In the case of known strike direction the traverse line should be laid out at right
angle to the ore structure, at equal interval .
• In the case of linear elongated, or fan shaped dispersion patterns, traverse line
should be laid out at right angle to the longer dimension of the pattern.
• In the case of steep terrain sample pattern should conform to the topography.
• For hydromorphic anomalies, the sampling pattern is determine by the position
of seepage area.
Rectangular Grid

Square Grid
RIDGE-AND-SPUR SOIL SAMPLING PATTERN
BASE-TO-SLOPE SAMPLING PATTERN
 FIELD OPERATIONS
• SAMPLING PROCEDURE
SAMPLING TOOLS
Sampling of peat at the margin of bogs during winter
SAMPLER FOR TILL
 FIELD OPERATIONS
 LOCATING & IDENTIFYING SAMPLES
 Location of sample sites or sample traverse need only be accurate enough to enable
any anomalous site to be revisited in the field and to define the position relative to
other sites and geological features.

 SAMPLE PREPARATION & ANALYSIS

 The optimum system for sample preparation should be determined as part of the
orientation program.
 The order in which samples are analyzed can be important because of bias in the
analytical procedure from one day to the next, or over longer period.

 PREPARATION OF GEOCHEMICAL MAP

 Data Map- Vechicle for the chemical data
 Interpretation map- Graphical generalization of data
FALSE ANOMALY
REPRESENTATION OF GEOCHEMICAL DATA
 INTERPRETATION OF DATA
• ESTIMATION OF BACKGROUND & THRESHOLD VALUES
• RECOGNITION OF NON-SIGNIFICANT ANOMALIES

• Those anomaly which are not related to mineral deposits include.

• Barren rock types characterized by a relatively high background metal content
• Human contamination
• Sampling and analytical error
 INTERPRETATION OF DATA
• DISTINCTION BETWEEN LATERAL & SUPERJACENT
PATTERN
• Important to distinguish between the lateral or superjacent nature of the
anomaly as it may decide the economy of exploration.

• APPRAISAL OF ANOMALIES
• The principle consideration in assessing the possible economic significance
of geochemical anomaly are
• 1. The magnitude of the value.
• 2. The size and the shape of the anomalous area.
• 3. The geological setting.
• 4. The effect of local environment.
FALSE ANOMALY
 FOLLOW UP OPERATIONS
The main objective of the follow up operation is to provide
further information as to the possible significance of the
selected anomalies and to pinpoint targets for drilling or other
means of direct subsurface exploration.

The first obvious step is to visit the area with a viewpoint of

1. Confirming the cause and seeing whether there is any
evidence for local enhancement or suppression of
anomalous values.

2. Planning the follow up work and future course of action.

FOLLOW UP OPERATION