McPhie Volcanology professional training helps participants develop the knowledge and skills required for exploring, mining or researching in volcanic terrains. Participants learn how to name, describe and log volcanic facies, and how to choose appropriate codes, symbols and descriptors for digital logging of volcanic rocks.

Professional training courses are intended for teams engaged in regional- or deposit-scale mapping or in drilling programs for the purpose of mineral exploration, geological surveys embarking on mapping projects in volcanic successions, companies exploring the modern seafloor for volcanic-hosted mineral deposits, and research teams working in volcanic successions.

Delivery

Professional training can be:

o   customised to suit the client

o   delivered on site or at a venue chosen by the client

o   designed to include field work and/or practical exercises using available drill core and outcrops.

Content

Practical skills in naming, describing, logging and interpreting volcanic rocks are developed using the client’s exploration licence area or drill core archive or other convenient area. The content can be tailored to focus on the specific needs of the operation. Training may include lectures on how volcanoes work and what they produce, important volcanic textures, different kinds of volcanoes, naming and describing volcanic rocks in outcrop and drill core, graphic logging and correlation in volcanic successions, and the effects of alteration on volcanic rocks.

EXAMPLES

Clink on the links below to read more about professional training: 

Volcanoes and their products

A four-day professional training course on volcanoes and their products for the entire exploration geology team (25 geologists) of a company operating in diverse volcanic successions that host epithermal and porphyry deposits.

Participants varied widely in experience and most had no prior volcanology training.

Lectures covered eruption styles on land and under water, the characteristics of the products of eruptions, different kinds of volcanoes, the effects of hydrothermal alteration on volcanic rocks, and breccias in mineralised volcanic successions.

A third of the course was devoted to practical exercises conducted on natural exposures close to the venue. These exercises focussed on how to name, describe, record and interpret volcanic and other facies.

 


Rhyolitic volcanoes and their products

A nine-day professional training course on rhyolitic volcanoes and their products for the exploration geology team (six geologists) of a company exploring in a poorly understood subaerial rhyolite-dominated volcanic succession.

Participants varied widely in experience and had no prior volcanology training. Two days of lectures covered:

(1) how eruptions of rhyolitic volcanoes work and what they produce

(2) the size, scale and architecture of rhyolitic volcanoes

(3) how to name and interpret common kinds of rhyolitic volcanic facies.

Practical training followed in the context of seven days fieldwork involving all the major exploration projects. Company geologists received detailed feedback and coaching on project areas they had mapped.  

 

Introduction to volcanology

A four-day professional training course on volcanology for the geology team (15 geologists) of a company mining and exploring in complex volcanic successions that host epithermal deposits.

Participants varied widely in experience and had no prior volcanology training. Morning lectures alternated with afternoon practical exercises conducted on mine exposures and drill core.

Lectures covered how volcanoes work on land and under water, how the products of eruptions reflect the eruption style, different kinds of volcanoes, the effects of hydrothermal alteration on volcanic rocks, and breccias in mineralised volcanic successions.

Practical exercises focussed on how to name, describe, log and interpret volcanic and other facies. 

 

Submarine volcanic eruptions and their products

A two-day professional training course on submarine volcanic eruptions and their products for a team of ten geologists engaged in modern seafloor exploration.

Lectures included eruption styles under water, characteristics of submarine lavas, products of submarine explosive eruptions and different kinds of seafloor volcanoes.

Short practical exercises dealt with skills in naming, describing and interpreting common seafloor volcanic facies using the client’s drill core.