Thermo Scientific NITON XL3t 500 User Manual page 51

Infilling Areas of Interest
Tracking Placer Deposits
Exploration - Drilling
Thermo Scientific
• Clear the sample area of vegetation and the top cm or so of soil to avoid
windblown contamination.
• Press the measurement window of your analyzer against the soil and take
a reading for the required sample time. This time may vary due to local
conditions and/or customer preferences. In general, the longer the test,
the more precise the result.
• Your GPS unit will log the sample location and elevation to your
analyzer.
• Clean the measurement window of your analyzer before and after taking
a sample to prevent cross-contamination.
Repeat this process at each grid intersection.
If there are areas of interest - particularly high readings of the minerals you
are looking for - you can infill the sampling by taking readings at a closer
spacing, for instance every 20 m. You may want to do this to get a better
idea of the extent of the signs of any sub-surface deposit.
Streambeds and gullies can concentrate placer deposits as markers of
minerals found upstream. It may be valuable to work up water-erosion
channels separately to find the location of these deposits. Rather than
working off a grid, such a survey would sample at a constant spacing,
working upstream from outflow to the source.
Note Be mindful of the possibility of windblown contamination, especially
if there is a working mine or processing plant upwind of the survey area.
Note Be careful not to puncture the measurement window. Replace any
punctured window immediately.
Note Keep the measurement window clean to prevent cross-contamination
from other sample areas.
Note Be careful of water content in the sample, particularly in srreambeds
and water courses. You want the sample to be dry as possible.
These techniques are used after initial surveying to identify the location,
extent, and configuration of mineral deposits. Drill holes are sunk in the
areas of mineral concentration likeliest to correlate with an underground
Analysis of Unprepared Samples – In Situ
NITON XL3 Analyzer User's Guide 1-37