Skip to main content

Magnetics Method

06 November, 2024

Purpose: Magnetic surveys are essential for identifying geological structures and mineral deposits, especially in gold and base metal exploration. These surveys detect variations in the Earth's magnetic field, which can indicate the presence of mineralization or structural features that serve as conduits for economic minerals.

Applications:

Mineral Exploration: Magnetic data help locate structural “breaks” in the subsurface that are often associated with mineralization, guiding more targeted exploration efforts for gold and other metals.

Geological Mapping: Magnetic surveys also outline geological formations and variations in bedrock, supporting both mineral exploration and environmental studies.

Technical Process: Cesium magnetometers collect data at high frequencies (10 times per second), with precise GPS navigation, enabling surveys over large areas without cut lines. Snowmobile-mounted surveys are especially effective in arctic conditions, covering extensive areas daily. Data from both ground and airborne surveys are processed using UBC-GIF Mag3D and MVI software to create 3D magnetic models of the subsurface.

Key Uses: Magnetic surveys provide crucial data for identifying mineral targets and understanding geological structures, offering high-resolution results that enhance exploration efficiency and accuracy.


  • We carry out many cesium magnetometer surveys without cut lines.  The onboard GPS navigates and positions the readings.  Cesium Magnetics Data record at 10x per second.  Therefore, lines space 50-metres apart in areas where drills are standing by.  This allows for the interpretation of ‘breaks’ in the mag which can act as conduits for gold and other economic mineralization. We position IP/resistivity survey lines to ‘target’ specific areas (e.g., breaks in the magnetics contours) to reduce costs by exploring more efficiently.
  • Scintrex EnviC Cesium Magnetometers and GEM System Overhauser Magnetometers apply to the rover and base station units respectively.
  • Snowmobile-mode magnetometer surveys use Scintrex NavMag Cesium Magnetometer sensor and Trimble AgGPS132 sensor mounted on a custom built aluminum sleigh. They separate by 1.7 metres. Post processing accounts for this layback and a 0.3 second latency for highly precise and lower-than-walking-mode heading errors. Coverage averages 60 km per day in typical arctic terrain. Joe Mihelcic carries out these surveys and has been doing so since 1998 with well over 10,000 km of coverage completed.
  • We inversion model airborne and ground magnetics data with UBC-GIF Mag3D v6 and MVI v3 software.