Handbook of exploration geochemistry. Volume 7. Geochemical remote sensing of the sub-surface / Справочник по разведочной геохимии. Том 7. Геохимическое дистанционное зондирование подповерхностных

The search for minerals can be traced back for millennia and the search for petroleum for more than a century. Despite this difference, the early days of both relied on clear surface manifestations of the commodities sought in the near-subsurface. Over the course of time, countless gossans and oil seeps have acted as the spur for the discovery of resources at depth. Ultimately all such surface indications are exhausted, and new clues are needed if further subsurface resources are to be discovered. Enter remote sensing, the science of gathering data describing distant objects. Geophysical techniques have contributed a wealth of data for suggesting the presence of mineral deposits and petroleum (including natural gas) accumulations in the subsurface, and are set to continue to be vital exploration tools. There has been considerable scientific interest in extending geochemical methods to the acquisition of data hat aid the search for deep
mineral deposits and petroleum reservoirs. This involves studying the genesis and geochemical behaviour of elements and compounds that are naturally associated with these resources at depth and are able to migrate to the surface. This chapter considers those elements and compounds that are gases at ambient temperatures. Models of the dispersion of less volatile species are put forward in Chapters 2 and 3. <...>