Systematic examination or investigation []
Main articles: Science and Prospecting Systematic investigation is done in an orderly and organised manner, generally
following a plan, though it should be a flexible plan, which is amenable to rational
adaptation to suit circumstances, as the concept of exploration accepts the possibility of
the unexpected being encountered, and the plan must survive such encounters to
remain useful.
[
citation needed ]
Prospecting for
minerals
is an example of systematic investigation and of inspective
exploration. Traditionally prospecting relied on direct observation of mineralisation in
rock outcrops or in sediments, but more recently also includes the use of geologic,
geophysical, and geochemical tools to search for anomalies which can narrow the
search area. The area to be prospected should be covered sufficiently to minimise the
risk of missing something important, but can take into account previous experience that
certain geological evidence correlates witha very low probability of finding the desired
minerals, and other evidence indicates a high probability, making it efficient to
concentrate on the areas of high probability when they are found, and to skip areas of
very low probability. Once an anomaly has been identified and interpreted to be a
prospect, more detailed exploration of the potential reserve can be done by soil
sampling, drilling, seismic surveys, and similar methods to assess the most appropriate
method and type of mining and the economic potential.
[16]
Diagnostical examination []
Main articles: Science , Medicine , and Forensics Diagnosis
is the identification of the nature and cause of a given phenomenon.
Diagnosis is used in many different
disciplines
, such as
medicine
,
forensic science
and
engineering
failure analysis
, with variations in the use of
logic
,
analytics
, and
experience, to determine
causality
.
[17]
A diagnostic examination explores the available
evidence to try to identify likely causes for observed effects, and may also investigate
further with the intention to discover additional relevant evidence. This is an instance of
inspective and extrinsic exploration.
This section