Exercise:

Look at these expressions. What do you think they might mean?

A golden handshake.

The golden rule.

A golden age.

The golden gates.

A golden wedding.

A golden opportunity.

As good as gold.

Everything he touches turns to gold

(or He's got the Midas touch).

All that glitters is not gold.

Don't kill the goose that lays the

golden eggs.

A heart of gold.

A gold digger.

A gold disc.

39. Prospecting

Before a mineral deposit can be worked, that is, before it can be extracted from the Earth for use by man, it must first be found. The search for economically useful mineral deposits is called prospecting. To establish the quality and quantity of a mineral deposits, the type of country rock, etc. means to prove it and this process is called proving. Prospecting and proving are only two different stages of mining geological exploration, the latter includes drilling and driving of openings.

Prior to the 20^th century mineral deposits were found by prospectors who looked for visible evidence of mineralization. To recognize valuable minerals it was necessary to know their various distinctive physical properties. For example, gold occurs in nature as a heavy malleable yellow metal. The most important mineral of lead, galena, is dark gray, heavy and lustrous. The first ores of iron to be mined were deposits of magnetite, a black heavy mineral carable of attracting a piece of iron.

As the deposits of minerals that cropped out at the surface were mined, the search for additional supplies of minerals took place. The science of geology was used to explain the occurrence of ore deposits.

Thus, the aim of prospecting is to provide information on a preliminary estimation of the deposit and the coast of geological investigations to be made. It also indicates whether it is available to continue the exploration or not.

Prospecting work includes three stages: 1) finding signs of the mineral; 2)finding the deposits; 3)exploring the deposit.

General indications of the possibility of exposing this or that mineral in a locality can be obtained by studying its general natural conditions. Thus, in mountainous regions where fissures were formed during the process of mountain formation, ore minerals could be expected in the fissure fillings. In hilly regions, sedimentary deposits would be expected.

Certain deposits are only found in a particular type of ground. Coal seams, for example, are found in sedimentary formations mainly consisting of sandstones and shales. Veins, on the other hand, are found in crystalline rocks, and the type of country rock usually determines the type of minerals.

At present, prospecting methods to be used are as follows:

Surface geological and mineralogical - river and glacial float tracing and panning.

Geochemical - metallometric, hydrochemical, emanation, gas, biogeochemical and geobotanical surveys.

Aerial visual aerial observation and aerial photography, with geological interpretation of the data to be obtained; aerial magnetic, aerogamma, aeroelectric and combined geophysical aerial surveys.

Highly effective aerial methods of prospecting from aircraft and helicopter have come into wide use. Besides, successful development of space research has made it possible to explore Earth’s resources from space by satellites.

In modern prospecting the methods mentioned above are used together with a geological map.

Notes:

prior to the 20^th century- до 20-го сторіччя

aerial (a) - повітряний

cost (v) - коштувати

cost (n) – вартість, ціна

crop out (v) – виходити на поверхню

crop (v) – засівати, збирати врожай

drill (v) - бурити

drill (n) – буріння, бурильний молоток

drive (v) – проводити горизонтальну вибірку

emanation (n) - випромінення

explore (v) - розвідувати

exploratory (a) - дослідницікий

galena (n) – свинцевий блиск

lead (n) - свинець

open up (v) – вскриття родовища

opening (n) – розробка, гірна виробка

panning (n) - промивання

workable (a) – придатний до розробки

working (n) - разробка, гірна вибірка

country rock – корінна порода

malleable metal - ковкий метал

distinctive properties – розпізнавальні властивості.