Papers - General - Research Needed in Economic Geology (with discussion)

An economic geologist is concerned primarily with finding deposits of economic value, estimating their tenor and quantity, their shape and position. Thus the primary problems can largely be lumped under three headings: position, character and quantity; and all three are phases of the broader problem of genesis. Distribution, tenor and quantity are of immediate practical importance and are studied constantly by all who exploit mineral deposits. Although the emphasis changes from year to year, the problems of genesis seem more remote and rarely get the serious consideration from the field man that the other three do. Our understanding of the problems of the genesis of mineral deposits has come largely as a by-product of more evidently utilitarian work in the past, and probably will continue to grow in the same manner lor many years to come. However, it might be economically fruitful for the producers to have many competent investigators spending their time chiefly on the problems of genesis of mineral deposits. Many years ago, when first engaged in work for the United States Geological Survey in Colorado, I expressed a conviction which was just then dawning on me by saying that economic geology was turning out to be 80 per cent structural geology, to which Mr. B. S. Butler replied, "Yes, and more than 80 per cent of structural geology is lithology." At the present time there seems to be a widespread feeling among economic geologists that the problems of position or distribution are largely problems of structure and rock types. Types of Research Ptesearch in any branch of geology can be conveniently divided into two types: field research and laboratory research. Ideas are usually dug up in the field, pruned or developed in the laboratory, and taken back to the field for proving. For either the first or last step the field data should he as complete as possible, and the structural geology of nearly all our mineral deposits still needs more detailed delineation. In general, this means mapping on larger seales. Ideally the structural map should give a factual picture of a11 visible effects of stress; there is still room for vast improvement in the technique of presentation. Information that is much