Claims
- 1. A method of geochemical prospecting for buried sulphur mineralization which comprises:
- (a) collecting at least one soil sample from a depth beneath the zone of high plant and organic matter contribution to the composite soil;
- (b) generating carbon dioxide gas from the carbon in the carbonate fraction of said soil sample; and,
- (c) analysing the proportion of carbonate carbon-12 and carbonate carbon-13 in said carbon dioxide gas to determine the presence of buried sulphur mineralization.
- 2. A method according to claim 1, wherein said buried sulphur mineralization is sulphur ore.
- 3. A method according to claim 1, wherein analyzing the porportion of carbon-12 and carbon-13 in said carbon dioxide has is accomplished by mass spectrometry.
- 4. A method according to claim 1, wherein said proportion of carbon-12 and carbon-13 in anomalous samples is at least two del units greater than the background.
- 5. A method according to claim 1, wherein said buried sulphur mineralization is a sulphide deposit.
- 6. A method according to claim 1, wherein said carbon dioxide gas is generated by treating said soil sample with an acid.
- 7. A method according to claim 6, wherein said acid is phosphoric acid.
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of my copending application Ser. No. 265,644, filed May 20, 1981 which issued as U.S. Pat. No. 4,377,640.
US Referenced Citations (5)
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
265644 |
May 1981 |
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