A mineral resources quantitative assessment and 3D visualization system

Two-dimensional GIS are extensively applied to mineral potential mapping on a regional scale. However, these systems are unable to represent underground geological information in three spatial dimensions. The objective of this article is to overcome this defect and to develop a prototype system to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze underground mineral resources on the local scale, based on spatial data mining methods and three-dimensional GIS. The presented approach is based on 3D geological model established by the three-dimensional geological modeling software, such as Micromine, and is characterized by three-dimensional visualization, data management, and functionality for mineral resources prospectivity and quantitative assessment integrating weights-of-evidence model and case-based reasoning. The resulting system enables geologists to more accurately analyze the prospectivity and reserves of unknown mineral resource on the local scale.