Prospecting

Prospecting, process of searching for minerals worth exploiting economically. The simplest technique is direct observation of the local surface features characteristically associated with specific mineral deposits. This is often done by prospectors on the ground, but aerial photography is increasingly employed. Other techniques include examining the seismic waves caused by explosions (which supply information about the structures through which they have passed); testing local magnetic fields to detect magnetic metals or the metallic gangues associated with nonmagnetic minerals; and, especially for metallic sulfides, testing electrical conductivity.