Case Histories and Quantitative Calculations in Gravimetric Prospecting

Abstract

Of the four papers that comprise this TECHNICAL PUBLICATION, three are casehistories of individual geophysical prospects, subsequently tested bydrilling. The bibliography of Dr. Barton's published scientific papers includesinvestigations in physiography and surface geological mapping, as well as hisgeophysical papers, and from this list it is to be observed that he earlyrecognized the place of different types of geophysical prospecting methods inthe search for geological structures of economic importance. Moreover, hisviewpoint was not merely that the structures should be found, but that thegeophysical data should be examined quantitatively to determine the geometry ofthe structures. In other words, that although these data are insufficient todeduce a unique form for the structure that caused the effects measured in thedata, the engineering computations should be carried out to give as much of adefinite configuration to the structure as the data permitted, in order thatthe testing of the structures could be conducted in the most economical mannerand with the idea that the experience so gained could be later incorporated inthe study of structures subsequently found. Dr. Barton continually emphasized the quantitative use of geophysicalobservations, whereas at the time that he began his specialization ingeophysics it was considered sufficient to use observations only qualitatively.He, more than anyone else, was responsible for the first volume on geophysicalprospecting issued by the Institute in 1929, and his three articles in thatvolume stressed the quantitative use of geophysical prospecting. The fourth article in this present TECHNICAL PUBLICATION is a furthercontribution to this branch of geophysical interpretation, and is a supplementto the paper in the 1929 volume, "Calculations in the Interpretation ofObservations with the Eotvos Torsion Balance." T.P. 1760