Further development and application of GIS technology and geostatistics to assist in the exploration for uranium in western North America

Microcomputer technology has been applied in a multidisciplinary approach to uranium exploration in a study area in the Northern Rocky Mountain Physiographic Province. Several techniques for multi-data set manipulation were evaluated and the problem of varying intrinsic data resolutions considered. Geostatistical methods, including two-dimensional variogramming applied to geochemical and geophysical data sets yielded interesting results which were used to outline zones of influence and to predict the occurrence of otherwise of anomalies. Image processing methods were applied to TM, geophysical, geochemical and topographic data sets in the context of a simple image based GIS system. Several unreported geological features related to uranium mineralization were found. The study data set has been integrated on local scale and in relation to regional magnetic and gravity images. GIS-style studies suggest a combination of deeply penetrating zones of weakness, deepseated igneous activity, and hydrothermal activity to produce most of the known uranium occurrences in the test area. Based on the these ideas, several target areas were delineated for further investigation