Geology can be defined as the scientific study of the Earth and especially the rocks and soils that make up the Earth: their origins, nature and distribution, and the processes involved in their formation. Engineering geology then may be defined as the scientific study of geology as it relates to civil engineering projects such as the design of a bridge, construction of a dam or preventing a landslide. Engineering geologists need to identify the local rock and soil conditions at a site and anticipate natural hazards such as earthquakes so that structures can be designed, constructed and operated safely and economically. He (or she, throughout) needs to work with civil engineers and understand what they are trying to do and the constraints under which they work. His remit and responsibilities can be extensive, covering all of the Earth Sciences, including geophysics, geochemistry and geomorphology. <...>

This book is aimed at postgraduates, undergraduates and workers in industry who require an introduction to geostatistics. It is based on seven years of courses to undergraduates, M.Sc. students and short courses to industry, and reflects the problems which have been encountered in presenting this material to mining engineers and geologists over a wide age range, and with an equally wide range of numerical ability. The book would provide the foundation of a course of about 20 to 30 hours, or of a five-day short course.

Mineral resource and ore reserve classification defines the risk associated with quoted resource tonnes and grades, allowing the interested party to make a judgement as to the ‘worth’ of the resource statement. The JORC Code and Guidelines (1992) are now well entrenched as the foundation upon which gold and base metal deposits in particular are publicly reported. There are three categories of resource, namely Measured, Indicated or Inferred reflecting decreasing levels of confidence. The ore reserve, that is the economically mineable part of the resource, is classified as Proven or Probable and can only be drawn from the Measured and Indicated resource categories. <...>