b'Minerals geophysics Minerals geophysicsrooms were centrally positioned and wellin another details of an upgraded patronised, and there was a wide rangehelicopter EM system were outlined. of workshops on offer both before andMT and IP also had their own dedicated after the conference itself. conference streams with some thought The conference also provided anprovoking papers.opportunity for the Preview contributingConsiderable attention was directed editors to get together and exchangeto regional geophysics, with ideas. One topic the editorial grouppapers addressing operational and thought might be of interest to Previewinterpretational aspects of regional readers was the state of geophysics inairborne gravity, magnetics and countries outside Australia. So, if you areelectromagnetics surveys, error spending time overseas and would likeidentification and correction in large Terry Harveyto let our Members know what is goingdata-sets, and organisational mechanisms Associate Editoron in your part of the world, please getfor collaborative surveys between federal forMineralsgeophysicsin touch. Continuing the overseas theme,and state governments and industry. terry.v.harvey@glencore.com.au articles from geophysical contractorsVarious aspects of the huge Northern or consultants detailing significant orAustralian AusEM airborne EM survey innovative surveys could be of interest towere considered, and one paper looked in our readers and would serve to showcasedetail at target detection implications for your expertise. We felt that Preview wasthe very wide flight line spacings used in AEGC 2019 Perth this style of regional survey.an appropriate vehicle for this type of contribution. The geophysical Mineral Case Studies The Perth 2019 Data to Discoverystreams covered a range of deposit styles conference was the second explorationAnd a thank you to the Conference conference that the ASEG has co- attendees who caught up with me toand techniques. Topics ranged from hosted with the Australian Institutediscuss past Preview articles and offersingle method successes to comparative of Geoscientists and the Petroleumsuggestions and contributions for futurestudies of a series of geophysical Exploration Society of Australia. issues. Your interest in and enthusiasmtechniques, with some interesting for Preview and mineral geophysics arepapers delving into the exploration My opinions on the structure of ourmost appreciated, and the content ofstrategy as well as technical aspects of conferences havent changed. Thefuture issues will benefit accordingly. the methodology. For something a little format is spot on, not too short anddifferent, I also sat in on several of the not too long, with an emphasis onFinally, to the conference papersindustrial and strategic minerals case technical quality in presentations andthemselves. This is necessarily a ratherstudies; not surprisingly some of the posters, and a broad range of associatedpersonal view focussing mainly ongeological settings were quite exotic.workshops. The physical focus aroundmineral and ground water geophysics.One aspect of papers presented at the the exhibitors hallhaving sessionHowever, the sometimes widely differingconference that did set me thinking breaks, lunches and end-of-day drinksapproaches to a diversity of subjectwas contrasts in content and styles. amongst the exhibitorsgreatlymatter within individual conferencePapers ranged from the very detailed, enhances the potential for interactionstreams produced some interestingelaborating on the intricacies of the between conference participantspaper juxtapositions. Ive omitted anyprocesses under discussion (at least one and exhibitors. The expanded AEGspecific referencesextended abstractspaper supplied computer code), to the Conference format continues to be anof papers and posters were madevery general, perhaps only touching excellent means for catching up withavailable to all conference attendees, andon the evidence and processes, and fellow geoscientists, finding out aboutit is hoped that the extended abstractsfocussing on the main conclusions. the latest developments in geophysicalwill be published in due course. Where appropriate, either style can be techniques and doing business. AndWith respect to geophysical techniques,valid and very effective. Both have their as geophysicists, we benefit from thethe increasing and evolving use of 3Dplace. Sometimes details are essential presence of geoscientists from otherseismics in hard rock environmentsto properly illustrate a process or to disciplines. attracted attention, as did the continuedprovide confidence that every aspect The Perth conference continued in thisimprovements in understanding IPhas been fully considered. In other cases, tradition. It was very well organised andeffects in airborne EM. Passive seismicsthe details may become a distraction, well supported, with more than 1200is now in routine use, as evidenced byshifting focus away from the important delegates and an overflowing exhibitorspapers on its application in explorationconclusions being drawn. I found both hall. The breadth of topics tackled in theprogrammes for heavy mineral sands,styles of papers to be relevantit just presentations was impressive, althoughiron ore and ground water. In newdepended on the subject matter and I would have liked to have seen a fewdevelopments, one paper updatedthe aims of the speaker. Yet another more mineral geophysics paperssomeprogress on investigations into theillustration that in our business more people are never satisfied! The posterbiased heterodyne technique, andthan one approach path can be valid.OCTOBER 2019 PREVIEW 40'