SIMSAG: Integrated computer system for use in evaluation of mineral and energy resources

Abstract

A system of interactive graphic computer programs for multivariate statistical analysis of geoscience data (SIMSAG)has been developed to facilitate the construction of statistical models to evaluate potential mineral and energy resources from geoscience data. The system provides an integrated interactive package for graphic display, data management, and multivariate statistical analysis. It is specifically designed to analyze and display spatially distributed information which includes the geographic locations of observations. SIMSAG enables the users not only to perform several different types of multivariate statistical analysis but also to display the data selected or the results of analyses in map form. In the analyses of spatial data, graphic displays are particularly useful for interpretation, because the results can be easily compared with known spatial characteristics of the data. The system also permits the user to modify variables and select subareas imposed by cursor. All operations and commands are performed interactively via a graphic computer terminal. A case study is presented as an example. It consists of the construction of a statistical model for evaluating potential areas for explorations of uranium from geological, geophysical, geochemical, and mineral occurrence map data quantified for equalarea cells in Kasmere Lake area in Manitoba, Canada.