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TECK CHAIR
IN EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS 2001-2019
A
PREPARED BY
Emeritus Professor Bernd Milkereit
Final Activity Report
TECK CHAIR IN EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS | 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS OVERVIEW AND DIRECTION OF RESEARCH 2 OUTLOOK – 2019 AND BEYOND 2 PROJECT LOCATIONS 2011-2019 3 RESEARCH PROJECTS 5 STAFF AND STUDENTS 21 PUBLICATIONS ( 2016 -2018) 23 EXPLORATION 17-SEISMIC METHODS WORKSHOP 26 FIELDWORK AND CONFERENCE 28
TECK CHAIR IN EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS | 2
OVERVIEW AND DIRECTION OF RESEARCH
In 3-year phased retirement, I maintained a highly visible research program in exploration geophysics. We
combined the development of new geophysical exploration technology/methodology with drilling projects
conducted by industry (mineral exploration). By 2018, we completed three major multi-year research projects.
The NSERC-CRD “Integrated multi-parameter footprints of ore systems: The next generation of
ore deposit models” was approved in 2013 and it provided the experimental and computational
framework for advances in exploration geophysics and petrophysical studies of large Copper,
Uranium and Gold deposit in Canada. Dong Shi a PhD student in Earth Sciences, worked on 3D
seismic data from the Athabasca basin. Yue Du’s recently completed undergraduate thesis
investigate the linkage between eleastic moduli and geotechnical parameters.
“Integration of geophysical, geological and remote sensing data”: the NRCan Targeted
Geoscience Initiative (TGI-5) will supported lab and field based studies across the Cordillera in
BC. Postdoc Iris Lenauer coordinated data compilation from various provincial and federal
databases (and international remote sensing / satellite data). In Earth Sciences, the project
supported undergraduate research by William Mcneice (2017) and Alex Furlan (2018).
Integration of magnetic and electromagnetic (EM) Data from Central Slave Craton Area –
supported by the NWT Government. The goal is to develop multi-parameter geophysical
models to help mineral exploration companies better understand the the range of geophysical
signatues associated with kimberlites in the Slave Province. ES undergraduate Alex Furlan
presented first results at the Resources for Future Generations (RFG) conference in Vancouver
(June 2018).
OUTLOOK – 2019 AND BEYOND
In retirement, I plan to raise funds from industry to support field-based undergraduate research projects,
MSc students (if available) and post-doctoral researchers. In 2019, we expect to renew a base metal exploration
project (in New Brunswick), “Geophsical Imaging of a Devonian Rift System (New Brunswick)”.
TECK CHAIR IN EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS | 3
PROJECT LOCATIONS 2011-2019
We combine development of new geophysical exploration technology/methodology with the drilling projects
conducted by industry (mineral exploration in Canada) or International Continental Drilling Projects (ICDP) (gas
hydrates, impact craters and hydrothermal systems). Recent research projects focus on unique pressure-
temperature conditions related to meteorite impacts (Chicxulub, Mexico; Sudbury and Canada) the physical
properties of permafrost and gas hydrates (Mackenzie Delta, Canada) and 3D seismic & rock physics research
projects for mineral exploration (Ontario, Québec, Northwest Territories,British Columbia, New Brunswick and
Athabasca Basin) (Figure 1 and Table).
Figure 1: Location map of past, current and future scientific drilling projects, seismic and borehole geophysical
studies conducted between 2011 and 2019.
D
TECK CHAIR IN EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS | 4
Location Project
A Sudbury, Ontario, Canada Neotecnoics Impact
Physical Rock Properties
Borehole Geophysics
B Bathurst Mining Camp, NB, Canada Physical Rock Properties of
Massive Sulfides
C Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan,
Canada
Borehole Geophysics
Vertical seismic profiling (VSP) Mineral
Exploration.
3D-3C Seismic Imaging
D Malartic, Québec, Canada 3D Borehole DC/IP Imaging
E HVC (Highland Valley Copper), B.C.,
Canada
Near Surface Seismic Imaging
F Northwest Territories, Canada Airborne geophysics and remote sensing for
expense
G Cordillera, BC, Canada Integration of remote sensing, geophysics
and geology for copper deposits
TECK CHAIR IN EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS | 5
RESEARCH PROJECTS
Imaging volcanic stratigraphy beneath glacial cover using magnetic field methods and
petrophysics (E. Veglio et al., 2017)
In New Brunswick, Canada, Devonian age bi-modal volcanic- sedimentary rocks provide a favourable
geological setting for base metal exploration. Much of the study area is densely vegetated and covered by
glacial sediments of up to 25 meters. A large comprehensive database of geophysical, petrophysical, and
petrological information exists for an area of known base metal mineralization. Combined data includes those
obtained from airborne, surface, and drill core surveys, producing a range of resolutions and physical rock
properties of the study area. The few occurrences of bedrock outcrops on the property confirm occurrences of
rhyolites and tuffs, as well as the presence of mineralization. There are no known outcrops of the highly
magnetic basalt flows observed in the drill core, identified as a marker unit. The integration of ground
magnetic data with magnetic susceptibility measured from drill core was combined to delineate the shallow
volcanic stratigraphy beneath cover.
Figure 2: a) regional airborne magnetic data with a uniform grid spacing of 200 m (NRCan 2016), b)
local high-resolution airborne magnetic data, east-west trending flight lines with a spacing of 150 m, c)
ground walk magnetic data of the property, black line indicates the profile seen in Figure 3, location of
boreholes are plotted as circles.
TECK CHAIR IN EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS | 6
Figure 3: Ground magnetic profile bottom along with its upward continuation, (top) for comparison with
the local high-resolution airborne magnetic data.
Fault Control of Intrusives (Lenauer et al, 2017)
A fault interpretation of the magnetic data in central British Columbia, Canada, revealed that four distinct fault
generations dominate the structural character of the area. Northeast-striking dextral faults, north-northwest
striking sinistral faults, west-northwest striking sinistral faults and north-northwest striking dextral faults each
represent a distinct tectonic event characterized by unique local shortening and extension directions. Potassic
alteration, inferred from Th/K ratio from an airborne gamma-ray spectrometer survey shows preferential
correlation with north-northwest and westnorthwest striking faults. These same fault orientations are also the
dominant orientations of faults that intersect and are peripheral to intrusive bodies, as interpreted from the
airborne magnetic data. Faults with both alteration signature and spatial association with plutons, strike
mostly west-northwest and east-northeast, indicating that faults of this orientation likely played a key role in
the localization of magmatic activity.
TECK CHAIR IN EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS | 7
Figure 4: Overview of location and topography of study area in central British Columbia, Canada. Rugged
topography and limited access favour extensive remote sensing studies prior to ground data collection.
Figure 5: Interpreted faults attributed by
relative age. Line thickness proportional to
fault length.
TECK CHAIR IN EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS | 8
A Synthetic Test of Q Tomography for Multi-Source VSP data (Shi and Milkereit, 2017)
Previous work observed an extremely strong seismic attenuation (i.e. low seismic quality factor, Q) in the
Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan, Canada. Q measured from VSP datasets through various methods confirmed
Q can be as low as 7.8 at McArthur River, and 24 at Millennium. Such condition is one of the key factors
affecting the 3D seismic image quality. The observation also suggests the strong attenuation is highly
localized, and tends to associate with sandstone alterations (i.e. argillic and/or silicic). The high contrast Q in
the Athabasca Basin provides a special case allowing the imaging of the mineral (i.e. uranium) alteration zone
though a tomographic inversion of multi-offset VSP data. To accomplish this task, seismic velocity and Q
models based on known Athabasca Basin geological and geophysical observations are utilized to generate
synthetic Multi-offset VSP datasets through full waveform viscoelastic modelling using Finite-Difference (FD)
software package SOFI3D. The Q tomography result from the synthetic datasets provides reference to verify
the future attenuation image of the field 3D multi-offset VSP data from the Athabasca Basin.
Figure 6: The 3D geological model of the Athabasca Basin with alteration extending to the surface. The
alteration can potentially increase the sandstone porosity, thus significantly affecting seismic wave attenuation.
TECK CHAIR IN EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS | 9
Figure 7: Y=500 m plane snapshots of p- and s-wave wavefield snapshots at 100 ms and 150 ms from Figure
6 ) model. Darkly shaded are low Qp and Qs zones.
TECK CHAIR IN EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS | 10
Monitoring Change: Geophysical, Petrophysical and Geotechnical studies (Milkereit, B. et al,
2017)
The objective of the SUMIT( Smart Underground Monitoring and Integrated Technologies) project was the
development of new methodology, instrumentation, and work flows for long-term, detailed study of the
stress, strain, and time-lapse geophysical responses of a well-characterized volume of rock in a deep mine. For
the SUMIT project, the selected test site was at a seismically active mine at 1-2 km depth with dedicated
boreholes (I) to characterize the 3D rock volume through core, logging, and geophysical imaging in order to
quantify the initial stress state and physical properties and then (II) to monitor the temporal and spatial
variations of these extrinsic conditions and stress and associated physical properties within the rock volume
over the following 3 years. In the process, we developed the first dynamic (time variant, time stamped) 3D
deep mine model through the integration of geology, physical rock properties, infrastructure, production and
backfill (Fig.8).
Lab measurements on drill core samples confirmed that most physical properties of crystalline rocks are
highly stress dependent. The SUMIT data showed that P- and S-wave velocities and electrical properties are
linked directly to changes in stress due to the reduction of fracture porosity. For rock mass characterization,
borehole geophysical data provide reliable estimates of geotechnical parameters such as dynamic Young’s
modulus at elevated in situ stress levels. Borehole televiewer data map the direction of minimum and
maximum horizontal compression. The continuous borehole geophysical and televiewer data confirm the
important role of geology, as elastic moduli and concentration of azimuthal stress vary with lithology at the
SUMIT test site, the first time-lapse geophysical surveys for stress monitoring were conducted in two slim
holes in the vicinity of the active mine at 1 to 2 km. Over a two year period, the large volume rock mass (of
approx. 2,000,000 m^3) in the immediate vicinity of an active mining zone exhibited reduction in resistivity,
indicating small fracture porosity reduction due to higher stress levels. In contrast, a large rock mass
surrounding a much deeper control borehole away from mining showed no change in physical rock properties
over the same period of time. Borehole-based electrical measurements are ideally suited to monitor the rock
volume around a borehole as resistivities are more sensitive to temporal stress variations than seismic
velocities (for very low fracture porosities). Within the SUMIT project, a new strain meter with multiple fibre
Bragg grating (FBG) segments was designed. For passive monitoring of temporal variations of physical rock
properties in a rock mass, the concept of H/V multi-component seismic sensor measurements was advanced.
TECK CHAIR IN EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS | 11
Figure 8.1: P-wave snapshots here represent a simulation of a blast located on the top left corner of
model, no mining activity in designated stope areas. The used source central frequency is 200Hz
Figure 8.2: The mine model shows are bodies mined out and the voids remained in stope areas.
Note strong reflections and severe attenuation of seismic signal.
Figure 8.3: Snapshots represent the mine model after orebodies are mined out and voids
cemented backfilled. Backfilled areas generate strong reflection, significant travel time changes,
and lateral amplitude variations.
TECK CHAIR IN EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS | 12
Deriving Geotechnical Parameters from Density and Incomplete Seismic Datasets
(Du,Y. et al., 2018; Kassam,A. et al., 2016)
A three-parameter configuration framwork provides a comprehensive visualization for the relationship between
density, seismic velocities, and elastic moduli such as Bulk Modulus, Young’s Modulus, and Poisson’s Ratio.
However, these constants can not be obtained with the absence of shear wave velocity measurements. With
the datasets missing shear wave measurements, the task is to carry out an error analysis and conduct a
relative range for elastic modulis, which are essential for geotechnical purposes. We achieve this by adding a
variable Vp/Vs range to the three-parameter plot.
It is important to analyze whether geophysical parameters can represent some of the mineralogical and
geotechnical parameters in order to minimize risk for the follow-up exploration progress. Density (d),
resistivity, and compressional wave velocity (Vp) data were obtained from boreholes in the Athabasca Basin.
However, the obtained data provides no information for the shear wave velocity. Without information from the
shear wave velocity, it is impossible to calculate the elastic properties precisely since they all depend on this
variable. In order to provide an estimate of the elastic properties of the host rocks in the Athabasca Basin with
the absence of the shear wave velocity, we conducted error analysis on these elastic moduli. The significance
of estimating these elastic properties is to provide essential information on whether the follow-up exploration
process would be attainable. To visualize and interpret the geophysical data, we used a three-parameter
configuration framework shown in a 3D plot. A surface representing the bulk modulus is calculated using the
empirical relationships between density, seismic parameter and bulk modulus (in compossibility). The benefit
of using such a framework is that the data obtained from all types of minerals, including the high-density
ones such as iron-oxides and massive sulfides, all fall on this theoretically surface. An estimate for the Vs
values is derived from the empirical ratio of compressional wave velocity and shear wave velocity. Typically, the
Vp/Vs ratio ranges from 1.5 to 3.0, but it can range up to 8.0 for very soft materials. Using the estimated Vs,
the data can be plotted onto the surface, with an error bar representing the range of the estimated elastic
modulus.
TECK CHAIR IN EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS | 13
The three-parameter framework is advantageous in visualizing rock characterization for various types of
minerals. The error analysis in bulk modulus and Young’s modulus due to uncertainties in shear wave
velocities provides a proxy for the realistic ranges of the attainable values in these elastic constants for
different rock types. Both the bulk modulus and Young’s modulus are positively related to the seismic
parameter. Errors in these elastic parameters due to uncertainties in Vs are more sensitive to high density and
seismic parameter materials and less sensitive to low density and seismic parameter materials. The results
provide useful information for its practicability in mineral exploration purposes.
Figure 9: Addded data from Athabasca basin (yellow) and error bars for all data points. Error percentage is obtained from
setting Vp /Vs to range from 1.7 to 2.1 and is approximately 10%. The color bar represents the Young’s Modulus of the
estimated data for the errors trends.
TECK CHAIR IN EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS | 14
Finite-difference Modeling of Seismic Wave Attenuation in the Athabasca Basin (Hebert
et al., 2017)
From the geological formation present in the Athabasca Basin, uranium deposits are observed through
unconformities between sedimentary sequence and metamorphic basement rocks. Uranium deposits formed
within fracture zones of the basin by the different stages of silicification and argilization creating high
alteration zones. This resulted in high wave attenuation (low Q values) that can be found along unconformity
where ore deposits are located making the interpretation of the sandstone basement extremely difficult.
The investigation on attenuation strength can alter seismic results and cause loss of image. Different
petrophysical profiles were used to derive the nature of the low reflectivity (high attenuation) along the
unconformity seismic profile.
The origin of the low reflectivity from McArthur River Mine hypothetically arises either from the composition
and thickness of the overburden or the overall region where silicification and argilization. Both models
produce highly contrasting seismic velocities. These models are compared to resolve the nature of the high
attenuation zone causing the loss of image in seismic results by using elaborated processing methods with
modeling software (SOFI2D).
TECK CHAIR IN EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS | 15
Figure 10: From top to bottom. P-wave and S-wave propagation for the elastic model, visco-elastic
model with high attenuation at the overburden, visco-elastic model with high attenuation at the
unconformity. All snapshot images have been computed with SOFI2D seismic software at times 150 ms
and 200 ms.
TECK CHAIR IN EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS | 16
Multi-parameter visualization of petrophysical and geochemical data for base
metal exploration (Hebert, C., et al, 2018)
A large petrophysical and geochemical dataset has been obtained from archived drill core for a base
metal exploration project located north of the Bathurst Mining camp (New Brunswick, Canada). The
integration of this large, heterogeneous dataset presents a unique opportunity for statistical analysis of
correlating and visualising multi-parameter behaviour in a bi-modal felsic/mafic geological setting. Large
variation in parameter distribution enables questioning the linkage between petrophysical and
geochemical parameters. To better characterize mineralization and alteration zones, a statistical approach
has been developed for interactive visualization of the contribution of each parameter to the exploration
model. The integration of geophysical and geochemical datasets produced robust results for imaging
wide-spread alteration zones and associated base metal mineralization.
Geophysical and geochemical parameters are considered as the foundation of mineral exploration and
exploitation. It is used in many earth science and engineering domains to interpret geological and
economical interest. This study addresses the importance of multi-parameter correlation in the context
of preliminary visualization of near surface geology. The study area for this analysis is located north of
the Bathurst Mining Camp in New Brunswick (Canada). This location has been selected due to the
extensive datasets of geophysical and geochemical parameters collected since the 1970s. The analysis
focuses on multi-parameter correlation and visualization for the facilitation of patterns and vectors in
the context of base metal mineral extraction.
Due to the large number of boreholes in the area, a unique opportunity arises in building an extensive
database of petrophysical data on drill cores. Hence, correlation between multiple parameters can be
assessed. Figure 11 represents an example of the large dataset obtained for each borehole. This example
shows the different petrophysical parameters collected from the drill core of Borehole B with a depth of
range of 100-200 meters. It is important to also consider the difference in measuring scales for each
parameter. Depending on the geophysical or geochemical method, the scale of measurement varies
from 1 centimetre to 1.5 metres. In Figure 11, consistent measurements have been made over the 100-
m interval.
TECK CHAIR IN EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS | 17
Figure 11. Example of Borehole B with petrophysical and geochemical data (obtained from drill core)
and the corresponding core boxes.
From these results, it can be concluded that it is difficult to estimate the influence of each parameter on
mineralization patterns. With the large database collected, it has been possible to map out the
distribution patterns for each parameter. The nature of the distribution for the geochemical and
geophysical properties measured in the Nash Creek area is distinguished through statistical application.
Figure 12 shows a different distribution for each parameter collected in the area.
Figure 12. Multi-parameter distribution. I) Normal distribution of density values according to lithological
units. Values from 2.2 to 3.6 g/cm3. II) Bimodal distribution of magnetic susceptibility (values of 5 to 70
x10-3), III) Geochemical distribution in percent concentration. Values ranging from 0 to 10%.
TECK CHAIR IN EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS | 18
Deep Mine Wavefront Reconstruction using true 3D Sparse Data (Carey, A. et al., 2016)
Using the two-way wave equation, energy can be propagated iteratively backwards in time through a second
order finite difference grid. Using RTM (reverse time migration) to extrapolate wavefields incrementally
backward in time offers insight into localized peak particle velocity (PPV) and peak particle acceleration (PPA)
used in hazard assessment. With conventional microseismic monitoring, event triangulation is used for source
location only, whereas using RTM would allow one to visualize and analyse the wavefield throughout
propagation, up to and including determining wave amplitudes at the origin. Microseismic monitoring arrays
used in mining typically have closer spacing than conventional monitoring arrays, but due to high variation in
attenuation and low signal-to-noise ratio resulting from small events and mining operational noise, the data
actually recorded is sparse. This makes it significantly more difficult to use migration techniques. This study
investigates a way to recreate wavefronts from sparse data, which can then be used as input for RTM. In
addition to determining source location, the wavefield may then be analysed throughout propagation for local
anomalous behaviour that could lead to potential safety hazards. By applying several straightforward steps to
sparse data, wavefronts can be reconstructed to be used as input for RTM. This allows wavefields to be
extrapolated backwards in time with true 3D geometry.
Figure 13: Model of Nickel Rim South Mine in Sudbury, Ontario. Shown are 3-component (3C) geophones as
red cubes, 1-component (1C) geophones as yellow cubes, the nickel ore body in grey, the copper ore body in
gold, and the mine infrastructure in green.
TECK CHAIR IN EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS | 19
Figure 14: a) Forward modelled wavefields at three separate time steps in a densely sampled model space. b)
Resulting wavefield from reverse-time migration, at corresponding time steps to forward
modelled results.
High Resolution Marine Seismic Imaging in the Sudbury Basin, Ontario, Canada, (Zajch, A. et al.,
2016)
The Sudbury basin has long been an area of investigation due to its unique geology and economic
deposits, however anomalous neo-tectonic activity has often been dismissed due to extensive mining
and the absence of active tectonic structures in the area. To improve the safety of current and future
economic projects it is essential to determine if neo-tectonic activity has been an ongoing, and
therefore a natural, phenomenon. Lakes provide the optimal environment for investigating neotectonics
as the selective preservation of sediments in lakes produces intact sediment records and conserves
imbedded features such as sediment slumps and offsets. Two lakes (Lake Vermillion and Fairbank Lake)
were surveyed to find evidence of changes in hydrology or sediment features indicative of neo-tectonic
activity prior to anthropogenic influence. These lakes are contained within the larger Huron basin which
includes the current Lake Huron.
High resolution marine seismic surveying provided the optimal approach for investigating the evolution
of post glacial environments in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. The work demonstrates how shallow marine
seismic surveying can be used to examine the sediment record for environmental changes and how it
can be applied to relatively time discrete events, such as seismicity.
TECK CHAIR IN EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS | 20
Figure 15: A DEM of the Sudbury basin and northern shore of Lake Huron in Ontario, Canada from the
Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (2006). The study area containing Lake Vermillion and Fairbank
Lake (red circle) lies in close proximity to Sudbury known for its mining operations.
Figure 16: Classification of acoustic facies in a sample seismic profile collected from the Huron basin
(left) and corresponding lake levels (right) provides a basis for interpretation. The four periods identified
on the seismic profile (left) by the segmented red line correlate with the four acoustic facies observed in
the Sudbury basin
TECK CHAIR IN EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS | 21
STAFF AND STUDENTS Faculty: Bernd Milkereit, Teck Chair in Exploration Geophysics (August 2001- June 2019)
Graduate Students (PhD) Ramin Saleh (2011 – present), Co-superviser Q. Liu
Ken Nurse (2011 – present)
Graduate Students (MSc) Betka Ondercova (2019 –present)
Postdoctoral Researchers Iris Lenauer (2016-2018)
Hernan Ugalde (2017-2018)
Summer Research Assistants: 2017: Camille Hébert, William McNeice, Alex Furlan
2018: Jessica Liu, Betka Ondercova, Alex Furlan
Visiting Scientists: Flora. L. Sun, China University of Petroleum, Nov-Dec 2017
RECENT GRADUATIONS
Ph.D. Completed
Dong Shi, 3D-3C seismic imaging, Athabasca Basin, Canada, Dept. of Earth Sciences, University
of Toronto, 2018
Maria Tibbo, A true-triaxial laboratory seismic velocity experiment under in-situ stress
conditions, (co-supervised with Prof. P. Young), Dept. of Physics, University of Toronto, 2018
M.Sc. Completed
Camille Hebert ,Multi-parameter geophysical imaging of base metal deposits
(co-supervisor C. Bank) 2017-2018.
Erica Veglio (2016-2017) Focused Investigation of Bedrock and associated base metal
mineralization beneath glacial cover based on geophysical, petrophysical and petrological data,
Northern New Brunswick, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto
Alexander Carey (2015-2016); 3D Seismic Wavefield Reconstruction from Sparse Data,
Department of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto
Anisa Kassam (2015-2016) Elastic Moduli Extraction from Full Waveform Sonic Data, Department
of Earth Sciences, Universiyt of Toronto
Andrew Zajch (2014-2015); An Investigation of Holoscene environments, Tectonic and
paleochannel in the Southern region of the Sudbury Basin, Ontario, Canada.
TECK CHAIR IN EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS | 22
Jianing Zhang (2014-2015); Seismic Monitoring: Organization of 3D/4D Seismic data from a
Deep Mine, Department of Earth Sciences, University of Toronto, August 2015.
Na Wang (2014-2015); 3D Elastic/Visco-elastic Modelling of Full Waveform Sonic Data,
Department of Physics, University of Toronto, August 2015.
SELECTED UNDERGRADUATE THESIS/ UNDERGRADUATE RESEARCH REPORTS
Song, Ye, Estimating the depth to magnetic sources in bedrock, Nash Creek,
NB, Canada, 21p, December 2018.
Du, Yue, An investigation of elastic and geotechnical parameters,
Dept. of Earth Sciences, April 2018.
Shuangyi (Jessica) Liu, Constraining volcanic stratigraphy in a Devonian
Half-graben using multiparameter geophysics on core, Dept. of Earth Sciences, 2018.
McNeice, W., Effect of Porosity on Elastic Moduli, Department of Earth Sciences, April 2016.
Veglio, E., Integration of Walk Magnetic and Airborne Magnetic Data, Department of Earth
Sciences, 43p, April 2016.
TECK CHAIR IN EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS | 23
PUBLICATIONS (2016 – 2018) For earlier publications, please see previous Annual Reports archived at the “Exploration Geophysics” website.
Scientific Journals and Books:
Morris, W., Underhay, S.L., Ugalde, H., Milkereit, B.,
Borehole Magnetic surveys in weakly magnetic sediments (Chicxulub impact crater) versus strongly
magnetic volcanics (Bathurst Mining Camp)" Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, 21p.,
https://doi.org/10.1139/cjes-2018-0040
Ugalde, H., Milkereit, B., Furlan, A. and Lenauer, I., Integration of Magnetic and Electromagnetic
(EM) data from Slave Carton Area, NWT Open File Data Report, 30p & online data, 2018.
Lin,C., Saleh,R., Milkereit,B., and Liu, Q., Comparison of effective media for transversely isotropic
models based on two-scale homogenization and Backus averaging: with applications to borehole
sonic logs, Pure and Applied Geophysics, 174, 2631-2647, 2017.
Milkereit,B., Xia,K., Young, P., Schmitt, D., Qian, W., Guo, K., Saleh, R., Nurse, K.,Tibbo, M., Kassam, A.,
Cai, J., Carey, A., Raghavaraju, R. and Kanoppoulos, P., Monitoring change: geophysical,
petrophysical and geotechnical studies, in: Smart Underground Monitoring and Integrated
Technology, editors: D. Duff, P. Kaiser & S. Katary, CIM, 101p, 2017.
Sun, L.F., Milkereit, B. and Tisato, N., “Analysis of velocity dispersion using full-waveform multi-
channel sonic logging data: a case study.” Geophysical Prospecling, 64, 1016-1029, 2016
Conferences Proceedings/Expanded Abstracts:
Ugalde, H., Morris, W. and Milkereit, B., FDEM & Magnetic Data Integration for Kimberlite
Exploration: Apparent Susceptibility Mapping and Constraints on Remanent Magnetization, EAGE
Near Surface Geophysics, Porto, 2018, 4p.
Hebert, C., Veglio, E, Liu, S., Sun, L., and Milkereit, B., Multi-parameter visualization of
petrophysical and geochemical data for base metal exploration, EAGE Near Surface
Geophysics,Porto, 2018, 4p.
Hebert, C., Veglio, B. and Milkereit, B., Building 3D Density Models for Exploration,
Geoconvention, Calgary, 2018, 4p.
Shi, D. and Milkereit, B., 3D Seismic Anelastic Waveform Modelling of Intrinsic and Scattering
Attenuation Effects, Geoconvention, Calgary, 2018, 4p.
Du, Y., Shi, D., and Milkereit, B., Deriving Geotechnical Parameters from Density and Incomplete
Seismic Datasets, Geoconvention, Calgary, 2018, 4p.
Shi, D. and Milkereit, B., The composite azimuthal effect of intrinsic and scattering attenuation on
3D seismic data, EAGE, Copenhagen, 2018, 4p.
TECK CHAIR IN EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS | 24
Lenauer, I, Ugalde, H Lenauer, I, Ugalde, H. and Milkereit, B., Fault Control of Intrusives, SAGA
conference, Cape Town, 5p., 2017.
Veglio, E., Ugalde, H. Lenauer, I., Bank, C., Milkereit, B., Imaging volcanic stratigraphy beneath
glacial cover using magnetic field methods and petrophysics, EAGE Near Surface Geophysics,
Malmoe, Sweden, 2017, 4p.
Shi, D. and Milkereit, B., A synthetic test of Q tomography for multi-source VSP
data,Geoconvention, Calgary, 2017, 4p.
Hebert, C., Shi, D., Milkereit, B., Finite-difference modeling of the wave attenuation in the
Athabasca Basin, Geoconvention, Calgary, 2017, 4p.
Lesher, M., Hannington, M., Galley, A., Ansdell, K., Astic, T., Banerjee, N., Beauchamp, S., Beaudoin,
G., Bertelli, M., Bérubé, C., Beyer, S., Blacklock, N, Byrne, K., Cheng, L.-Z., Chouinard, R., Chouteau,
M, Clark, J., D'Angelo, M., Darijani, M, Devine, M., Dupuis, C., El Goumi, N., Enkin, R., Farquharson,
C., Fayol, N., Feltrin, L., Feng, J., Gaillard, N., Gleeson, S., Gouiza, M., Grenon, C., Guffey, S.,
Guilmette, C, Guo, K., Hart, C, Hattori, K., Hollings, P., Joyce, N, Kamal, D., King, J, Kyser, K.,
Layton-Matthews, D., Lee, R., Lesage, G., Leybourne, M., Linnen, R., Lypaczewski, P., McGaughey, J.,
Mitchinson, D., Milkereit, B., Mir, R., Morris, W., Oldenburg, D., Olivo, G., Perrouty, S., Piercey,
S., Piette-Lauzière, N., Raskevicius, T., Reman, A., Rivard, B, Ross, M., Samson, I., Scott, S.,
Shamsipour, P., Shi, D, Smith, R., Sundaralingam, N., Taves, R., Taylor, C., Valentino, M, Vallée, M.,
Wasyliuk, K., Williams-Jones, A., Winterburn, P., Integrated Multi-Parameter Exploration Footprints
of the Canadian Malartic Disseminated Au, McArthur River-Millennium Unconformity U, and
Highland Valley Porphyry Cu Deposits: Preliminary Results from the NSERC-CMIC Mineral
Exploration Footprints Research Network , in “Proceedings of Exploration 17: Sixth Decennial
International Conference on Mineral Exploration” edited by V. Tschirhart and M.D. Thomas, 2017,
p. 325–347, 2017.
Zajch, A., Milkereit,B., Eyles, N., High Resolution Marine Seismic Surveying in the
Sudbury Basin, Ontario,Canada, EAGE Near Surface Conference, Barcelona, 2016, 4p.
Carey, A, Shi, D. and Milkereit, B., “Deep Mine Wavefront Reconstruction using True 3D Sparse
Data”, EAGE Near Surface Conference, Barcelona, 2016, 4p.
Kassam, A., and Milkereit, B., “Analysis and Visualization of Dynamic Elastic properties in 3D
space for High Density Minerals”, EAGE Near Surface Conference, Barcelona, 2016, 4p.
Milkereit, B., and Kassam, A., “A Rock Physics Framework for High Density Crustal Rocks”, SEG-
AGU Workshop on Physical Properties of Crustal Rocks, July 2016.
Shi, D., Sun, L.F. and Milkereit, B., “Seismic detection and delineation of a low Q structure”, 78th
EAGE Conference & Exhibition, 2016. Vienna, Austria 30 May – 2 June 2016.
Tibbo, M., Schmitt, D., Milkereit, B., Nasseri, M.H.B., Young, R.P., “Experimental Measurement of In
Situ Stress”, EUG, Vienna, 2016.
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Shi, D., Sun, F.L., and Milkereit, B., “Seismic Imaging in a low Q environment”, Geo Convention
Optimizing Resources, March 7 – 11, Calgary, Canada, 2016.
Kassam, A., Milkereit, B., Gerrie, V. and Drielsma, C., “Linking Seismic and Geotechnical
Parameters using the Velocity-Density Relationship”, GeoConvention, Calgary, 2016, 4p.
Carey, A., Shi, D., and Milkereit, B., “3D wave-equation based wave front reconstruction using
finite-difference reverse-time migration”, GeoConvention, Calgary, 2016, 4p.
TECK CHAIR IN EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS | 26
Exploration ‘17
Seismic Methods & Exploration Workshop, Toronto, October 26, 2017
Organized by Bellefluer, G and Milkereit, B
In many parts of the world, exploration for mineral deposits is moving progressively but
persistently to greater depths, relying on knowledge gained from previous exploration campaigns
but also on new exploration tools and techniques to efficiently guide deep and costly boreholes.
With encouraging results recently obtained in various mining camps, seismic methods continue to
make valuable contributions to deep mineral exploration worldwide. This workshop built on
successful seismic case studies presented during Exploration 17 and addressed technical aspects of
the seismic workflow with a particular focus on state-of-the-art methods that have proven impacts
and/or open new frontiers in mineral exploration. Four general topics were covered:
- New trends in seismic data acquisition and processing
- Seismic methods in ongoing exploration programs
- Rock physics and quantitative analysis
- Ambient noise and seismic interferometry
The workshop included keynote presentations covering those topics and most importantly, plenty
of time for discussion. The aim of the workshop was to bring together industry, academia, and
research funding agencies to discuss novel developments, share experiences, and generate new
way-forward ideas. Proceedings of this exciting workshop on seismic methods for mineral
exploration edited by G.Bellefluer and B. Milkereit are available on the Exploration’17 website:
(www.dmec.ca) or send request to bm@es.utoronto.ca
Seismic for Mineral Resources – a Mainstream Method of the Future, Urosevic, M., Bona, A.,
Ziramov, S., Pevzner, R., Kepic, A., Egorov, A., Kinkela, J., Pridmore, D., Dwyer, J.
Setting the Foundation – Integrating Seismic Reflection into Zinc Exploration Workflows,
Hewson, C., and Moynihan, C.
Applications of Seismic Methods as a Tool for Uranium Exploration and Mine Planning,
O’Dowd, C., Wood, G., Keller, C., and Fitzpatrick, A.
Enhancing Bandwith in Seismic Data Acquisition for Mineral Exploration, Snyder, D.B.
Seismic Interferometry: Cost-effective Solution for Minermal Exploration? Malinowski, M.,
and Chamarczuk, M.
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Developing Cost-effective Seismic Mineral Exploration Methods, Malehmir, A., Maries, G.,
Bäckström, E., Schön, M., Marsden, P.
Petrophysics and Seismic Characteristics of Host Rocks and Alteration of VMS and
Porphyry Deposits: Examples from Lalor and New Aton, Bellefleur, G., Schetselaar, E., Wade, D.,
White, D., and Dueck, P.
Active Source Seismic Imaging in the Kylylahti Cu-Au-Zn Mine Area, Finland, Heinonen, S.,
Malinowski, M., Gislason, G., Danaei, S., Koivisto, E., Juurela, S., and the COGITO-MIN Working Group.
Passive Seismic Interferometry for Subsurface Imaging in an Active Mine Environment:
Case Study from the Kylyahti Cu-Au-Zn Mine, Finland, Chamarczuk, M., Malinowski, M., Koivisto,
E., Heinonen, S., Juurela, S., and the COGITO-MIN Working Group
Seismic Imaging of the Kylylahti Cu-Au-Zn Ore Deposit Using Conventional and DAS VSP
Measurements Supported by 3D Full-waveform Seismic Modeling, Riedel, M., Cosma, C.,
Komminaho, K., Enescu, N., Koivisto, E., Malinowski, M., Luhta, T., Juurela, S., and the COGITO-MIN
Working Group.
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FIELD AND CONFERENCES
Top: Dong Shi’s 3D Seismic presentation at the
2018 EAGE conference (Copenhagen);
Right: Yue Du’s rock physics poster at the 2018
Geoconvention (Calgary);
Bottom: Jessica Liu’s borehole geophysics poster
at 2018 PDAC conference (Toronto).
TECK CHAIR IN EXPLORATION GEOPHYSICS | 29
Fieldwork in New Brunswick
(Summer 2017 & 2018):
Camille Hebert and Iris Lenauer on field site
observing outcrops and, Camille scanning
magnetic susceptibility of drill Orecore samples.
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