Ministry of Energy and Mines
Exploration Assistant
The MapPlace - Exploration Assistant MapPlace Home

Details:  This map features 8 Analysis Tools to display information based on query selections.  Use the Location/Gazetteer to search, display and Zoom Goto Indian Reserves, Latitude - Longitude Coordinates, Mapsheet, Municipality, Place Name, Scale, or UTM Coordinate.  The Discovery Potential tool displays where deposit types are likely found (based on the Mineral Resource Assessment program).  Search and display MINFILE by commodity, deposit type, name, Mining Division or NTS Map.  Display Geology by age, lithology and terrain.  Search and display Mineral Titles by Name, Owner ID, Anniversary Date, and Acquired Date.  The Geochemistry Element section features the selection of 38 elements, from the Regional Geochemical Survey program, for display as Provincial or Mapsheet thresholds; symbols can also be resized. The Search Publications section features searches, on the GSB publications, by Author, Title, Keyword, Abstract, Year, Scale, Series, Publication ID, Map Extent and All Fields. Image Analysis Toolbox (IAT) is a framework to add, process and display a variety of multi and hyperspectral imagery. The Layer Finder helps locate any of the over 500 layers using keywords.

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Exploration Assistant Map Metadata
Exploration Assistant Map

Updates:

May 21, 2008: Added Geoscience Report 2008-7 Regional Stream Sediment and Water Geochemical Data, which contains 906 samples from 854 sites in the Pine Pass map sheet (NTS 093O). This regional geochemical survey was funded by the Northern Development Initiative Trust (through their Pine Beetle Recovery program) and Geoscience BC.

April 1, 2008: Added Geoscience Report 2008-5 data from an in-fill lake sediment and water survey which includes new samples from over 1800 sites in NTS sheets 093G, J, N and O, as well as new inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICPMS) reanalyzed results of sample pulps from a previous lake survey in the Stewart Lake area (part of 093K). This Geoscience BC project was managed by Noble Exploration Services Ltd. Geoscience BC also released Report 2008-6, which contains three preliminary PDF and geocoded bitmap images of the QUEST airborne gravity survey, which was undertaken by Sander Geophysics Ltd.

January 28, 2008: Added Geoscience BC Report 2008-3 data, which contains reanalysis of 3976 sediment stream pulps  from map sheets 093A, B, G, H, N and K. All samples have been reanalyzed using ICP-MS techniques, which provide a wide range of analytical information at improved detection levels, and also provide greater data compatibility with survey methods currently being employed. These samples were obtained from the archives of the Geological Survey of Canada and the BC Geological Survey, with the project overseen by Wayne Jackaman of Noble Exploration Services Ltd.January 28, 2008: Added new tools and SpecTIR hyperspectral imagery for analysis and download to the Image Analysis Toolbox (IAT).

November 16, 2007:  Updated Focused Geochemical Surveys and Downloads. Added Till, Lake and Multi-media data, with reports, downloads and URL links to Exploration Assistant.

September 14, 2007: Posted data for Geoscience BC Report 2007-6 "Regional Drainage Sediment and Water Geochemical Data South Nechako Basin & Cariboo Basin". The data points are located in the Regional Geochem Layers group, and are linked to reports. See also GBC Project 2006-013.

April 16, 2007: Added RGS 2007 Water Samples (ICPMS) layer (797 records form NTS 093K, 103A, 104A, H, J) to the Exploration Assistant map. The data is attached to a brief report, with links to a detailed report and a complete Excel download of selected records. The points also have a URL link to the complete record, which will pop up by double click the point. A layer with labels is available under the 1:400K scale. The complete table is also available as downloads in Shape, dBase, Excel and MS Access formats.

March 7, 2007: Added updated RGS 2007 Database layer of 53,075 records.  The data is attached to a brief report, with links to a detailed report and a complete Excel download of selected records. If available, analytical data can be viewed by analysis technique (AAS, INAA and ICPMS) and sorted by element. The points also have a URL link to the complete record. The complete table is also available as downloads in Shape, dBase, Excel and MS Access formats.

January 29, 2007: Added 100 new ASTER images (200-299) for a total of 239 images.  See Geological Fieldwork 2006, pages 315-318 for details: Kilby, W.E. and Kilby, C.E.:  ASTER Multispectral Satellite Imagery and Product Coverage, BC – Phase 2 (PDF document, 338 Kb).

October 18, 2006, added Survey Layers (Tantalis) group with Crown Grants, Survey Parcels, Survey Parcel Right of Ways, Surveyed Transport, Integrated Cadastral Fabric (ICI), No Staking Reserve and Placer Reserves Sites.  Survey Parcels are available at 1:100K scale and ICI at 1:20K scale. The layers are linked to reports with Legal Descriptions and PIN Number.  See Metadata on Survey Parcels, with link to Tantalis GATOR System for more information. Reserve sites are linked to Reserves by Year.

August 31, 2006: Published Layer Finder to Exploration Assistant. Enter a key word and select Find. Displayed layers can be toggled on/off. If the layers are not visible at the current map scale, a zoom option is available. An option is also available to turn on layers that are in a group that is not turned on. Other layers in that group will also be turned on.

July 25, 2006: Added Video Tutorials to GeoFile 2006-8 IAT Tutorial Manual and Exploring the MapPlace - Workshop Notes.

July 7, 2006: Added New Mineral Titles tools to show tenures by Name, Owner ID, Anniversary Date, and Acquired Date.

June 20, 2006: Redesigned the Publications Search Application.  Searches are by Author, Title, Keyword, Abstract, Year, Scale, Series and Map Extent. You can refine your search with additional criteria. The Map Extents option will return all publications completely enclosed by the current map view.  An abstract report is also available with the select and report tools.

June 5, 2006: Added GeoFile 2006-8: Examining ASTER Imagery with the MapPlace Image Analysis Toolbox - A Tutorial Manual, by W.E. Kilby and C.E. Kilby, Cal Data Ltd.  Geoscience BC Report 2006-3 Contribution #GBC 015.

May 16, 2006: Added new Location tools (Zoom To: Indian Reserve, Latitude - Longitude Coordinate, Mapsheet, Municipality, Place Name, Scale, UTM Coordinate).

May 12, 2006: updated Geological Maps tool on the Exploration Assistant; now uses the 2005 BCGS Digital Geology database.

April 3, 2006, added Environmental Assessment Office Layer group with EAO Projects separated into Mining, Energy and Other themes. The layers and projects are linked to reports.

March 23, 2006, added Wildlife Layers group with Wildlife Habitat Area, Ungulate Winter Range and Guide Outfitter Areas layers and reports to Main Maps.  Reports have links to LIBC Metadata at Land Information BC Discovery Service: WHA Metadata, UWR Metadata and GOA Metadata. Layers are visible below 1:1 Million scale.

January 23, 2006:  Published Phase 3 of the Image Analysis Tool, with addition of 100 new ASTER images. A new "Rocks Only" tool for identifying Iron-oxides, Silica, Sericite-Illite, and Alunite-Kaolinite was added. The imagery is also available with accompanying 3D anaglyph maps, Digital Elevation Models, stereo image pairs, and virtual worlds (VRML) user controlled fly-throughs. See Fieldwork 2005, p. 287-294 for details. To use the IAT, open the Exploration Assistant and select the Image Analysis Toolbox, an image, then Analyze Image.

January 18, 2006:  Posted updated Publications Search application. The new form is more compact and allows users to search Open Files, Bulletins and Papers by Title, Author or Year. Results can be displayed on the map, or in a table in a new window.

September 6, 2005: added NTS 093K - Fort Fraser RGS 57 geochemistry points only.

August 23, 2005: added MTO Tenure Number Zoom Goto in Mineral Titles Selection.

August 3, 2005: added NTS 104A & H - Bowser Lake & Spatsizi River RGS 58 geochemistry data.

June 13, 2005: added new MTO Report, linked to Mineral Titles Online (MTO) layers.

May 5, 2005: added Rock Geochemistry layers to the BCGS Geology, Exploration Assistant and Mineral Titles Maps.  These layers represent the data in Geofile 2005-14.  Two reports are available with these layers: Rock Excel Dump and Rock Sample Report that can be sorted by column by clicking the linked column headings.

February 10, 2005: added Mineral Titles Online (MTO) tenure layers. Double-click the tenure to link to a report. Updates will be current to previous day.

January 24, 2005: Phase 2 of the Image Analysis Toolbox (IAT) was completed with the addition of more analysis tools, imagery and imagery types. Near-complete coverage of the province with Landsat 7 (ETM+) imagery and 40 ASTER images are now available. Two new tools, the Tasseled Cap Transformation and the Spectral Angle Mapper (SAM) were added. Program enhancements were also made to the existing IAT programs to increase their efficiency and capability. See Fieldwork 2004 for details. This BC and Yukon Chamber of Mines’ Rocks to Riches program was delivered by Cal Data Ltd. and began with Phase 1, published January 5, 2003.  The IAT is a framework to add, process and display a variety of multi- and hyper-spectral imagery. The IAT includes Enhanced Satellite Imagery delivered by McElhanney Consulting Services Ltd. A description of these projects and use of the IAT are available in Fieldwork 2003, p. 209-215 and in Fieldwork 2004, p. 231-235.

September 3, 2004: Added link to Publications Search Map: The BC Geology Map Index opens with Title and Author searches of Open Files and Bulletins. This map includes footprints for Open Files, Bulletins, Geoscience Maps, and Papers.

July 16, 2004: Added Geochemistry Symbol Resizing. This feature is useful for reducing the size of the geochemistry symbols for plots.  It is available for the layers in the Regional Geochemistry Tool and the layers, except label layers, in the Regional Geochem Layers group in the legend. To resize: 1) zoom to appropriate scale; 2) turn on layer to resize; 3) click 'Symbol Layer to Resize' button, the Layer Name appears in the box and is removed from the legend (do not modify the Layer Name label); 4) adjust the Symbol Size Factor (e.g. 0.5 to reduce by half); 5) click 'Process' and the new layer is created with the resized symbol.

July 15, 2004: Added 48 new Landsat images (L21 – L68), covering most of BC. These images are available for processing using the IAT. They are not yet available as enhanced downloads.

MineMatch Geochemistry Project: This BC and Yukon Chamber of Mines’ Rocks to Riches program, delivered by GeoReference Online Ltd., integrates geology, geochemistry and mineral occurrences of British Columbia to generate high quality exploration targets.  To see the application and download the SHP file visit www.rockstorichesbc.com. For more information see Fieldwork 2003, p. 295-303 and Metadata.  The MineMatch Anomaly Clusters are available in the Regional Geochem Layer Group.  The clusters are URL linked to the best match (double click cluster), linked to a report (select and report) and shaded so the regular RGS shows through.

Some detailed geology layers (1:20,000 scale) on this map display structural information. To properly view this information the user must have the GSB Geology Symbols font set loaded on their computer. Click on this link and download the font set to your windows font folder (e.g. C:\WINNT\Fonts). Double clicking on a mineral tenure will link you to Mineral Titles On-line database. Till Data Layers are displayed on BCGS and Exploration Assistant maps as: Copper, Lead, Zinc, Moly by ICP; and Antimony, Arsenic, Gold by INA.  The Till layers are connected to table downloads to Excel.

This page was last updated May 20, 2008.