b'IndustryNewsE-book on geological interpretation of aeromagnetic data now free!Rick Valenta from Monash UniversityThe book in disk form achieved a and formalised a 3-day course that haswide readership and rejuvenated now been presented over 250 timesinterest in Leigh and Daves short worldwide and attracted around 3000courses. Once again, the stimulus participants. One highlight of thewas the stream of high-quality course history includes presenting toairborne data, both government 45 AGSO (now Geoscience Australia)surveys and historic, now open-file geoscientists in November 1991, anexploration company surveys. The event that Dave believes significantlycurrent, multi-million km detailed contributed to AGSOs role in there-survey of the Gawler Craton National Geoscience Mapping Accord.highlights the continued enthusiasm Courses were subsequently run in allfor high resolution aeromagnetic data mainland state geological surveys, andand the need for astute, geological the uptake from exploration companiesinterpretation. The examples used worldwide has grown steadily. Leighin the course and in the book were Rankin became the main co-presenterkindly donated from the Aerodata in 1994, after attending one of the earlyMulticlient data bases. In the 1980s courses and applying his newfoundand early 1990s these very large scale, skills to the massive South Australiandetailed (200 m line-spaced) data sets Dave Isles and Leigh Rankins classic bookExploration Initiative airborne datadrove a step change in the mineral on aeromagnetic interpretation can nowset over the Gawler Craton. Leigh hadindustrys approach to exploration, be downloaded as an e-book from theresigned from the SA Geological Surveyparticularly for gold. Young explorers ASEGs website and is freely available toand joined World Geoscience, whichand mappers these days regard this both Members and non-Members. was Aerodatas international airborneas old, regional data and expect to Dave and Leigh expect that thesurvey off-shoot. The course maintainedbe using 100 m or 50 m data in their increase in accessibly of this e-bookpopularity through the ups and downsfield programmes! Even so, 30 years will strengthen and broaden theof the exploration industry, and haslater, the original multiclient data interest in aeromagnetics, particularlybeen refined and expanded to a rangeremains a high value backdrop to new through the geological fraternity. Theof formats that remain on offer today.company surveys.book was designed to encourage aCourses continue to be run at remoteNew courses are now being offered more complete integration of geologyexploration / mining sites as well as cityby Leigh, Rick Valenta and Dave to in the interpretation process, andvenues. suit a wide range of organisations and came at a time when the explosion ofIn 2009 Dave and Leigh sought assistanceindividual professional needs. Using pre-competitive airborne magnetic/ to form a book based on the coursein-house survey data in the training radiometric surveys worldwide hadcontent so as to expand and consolidateprogrammes is now common, and reached peak levels. the reach of their methodology. Thecourses include field validation exercises The book has its roots in a course firstASEG, through then President, thewherever practicable.devised by Dave Isles and Alasdairlate Peter Elliot, immediately andDetails of the courses can be found atCooke, in 1988, while they were theenthusiastically offered substantialhttps://www.daveisles.com/courses-interpretation team for airbornefinancial support. ASEGs Phil Schmidtoverviewsurvey contractor, Aerodata Holdings.and Mike Asten also championed the With strong support from Aerodatacause and carried the authors throughand most importantly the book can be founder, Pat Cunneen, who termedthe sometimes tortuous publicationfreely downloaded fromthe endeavour Aerodata University,process. Their involvement resulted in the Dave and Alasdair teamed up withcreation of two chapters on sedimentaryhttps://www.aseg.org.au/publications/basin exploration environments and ageological-interpretation-aeromagnetic-co-publishing arrangement with the SEG.dataDavid H. Moore, who led the integrationBoth of the authors welcome questions of aeromagnetics (and other geophysicaland feedback relating to the book. Leigh data) into Victorias geological frameworkis now the main point of contact for new in the 1990s, volunteered a majorcourses,editorial role that ensured the book would be appealing to geologists as wellgeointerp@skymesh.com.auas geophysicists.and Dave continues to promote the The book was released on CD in Julyeffective use of aeromag in any way he 2013 and featured three main chapterscan.Course on interpretation of aeromagnetic data beingbased on worked, real-life, exploration-run on site. interpretation examples. disles@redgatevista.com.au17 PREVIEW APRIL 2019'