MINERAL-POTENTIAL ASSESSMENT BY CONSISTENCY-DRIVEN PAIRWISE COMPARISONS

A consistency-driven pairwise comparisons method for mineral potential assessment is presented, using a simplified case of volcanic-associat ed massive sulfide type deposits as an example. Geological, geochemica l, and geophysical criteria are considered on two levels: local and re gional. The local geological criteria are subdivided into stratigraphy , lithology, alteration and/or mineralization, and structure. The conc ept of geomerit index and a procedure for computing this index are int roduced. The method of consistency-driven pairwise comparisons can be combined with other quantitative and qualitative assessment methods, e nhancing them by incorporation of nonmeasurable geological criteria (e .g., stratigraphy or lithology) and by computation of weights. The con sistency-driven approach allows experts to refine at-times subjective judgments concerning exploration and land-use planning, and contribute s to the improvement of mineral-potential assessments. (C) 1997 Canadi an Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum.