Australia: The Victoria state government has launched its first completed 3D geological model which will allow the gold mining industry to probe new and unexplored depths. The Bendigo Zone model was developed by GeoScience Victoria and models regions 35km below the surface of the earth.
The Bendigo Zone geological model is the first component of a $2.5m Rediscover Victoria 3D initiative, which aims to support the Victorian mining industry. It brings together geological mapping and geophysical data such as gravity, magnetic and seismic data.
By using the 3D geological model, geologists and exploration managers can visualise faults and different layers of rock, which can indicate where minerals, gold and other base metals may lie. The increased accuracy will help reduce exploration time, costs and risk.
The model, covering 30,000 square km, also has applications for geothermal exploration. According to Geoscience Victoria, more than 1000t of gold may lie undiscovered in the Bendigo Zone region alone.
