Combined Interpretation of ERT, SP and VLF-EM Data for the Identification of Manganese Deposits

Summary The signature of a mineral deposit can vary to different geophysical methods, depending on its mineral concentration, size and depth. For this reason, a single geophysical method in several cases could be insufficient, if the expected geophysical response is weak or the interpretation is not unique. Combined interpretation of different geophysical methods can contribute to this problem in two ways. In the first place, the existence of a mineral deposit is verified by the fact that different geophysical methods point to a certain location. In addition, geophysical signatures can be related to the characteristics of the mineral deposit and contribute to its qualitative evaluation. In this work we apply the Very Low Frequency electromagnetic (VLF-EM), Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT) with Direct Current (DC) and Induced Polarization (IP) data and Self-Potential (SP) geophysical methods over surficial manganese mineralization located in Piavitsa area (Chalkidiki, Northern Greece). For the final interpretation of geophysical data, information from geological maps and borehole data have also been used. Results over the same profile are presented, where each method has a very good response over the mineralization body. Moreover, the characteristics of the geophysical models are related to the properties of the mineralization.