Computers in exploration in the 80's

The past decade has seen a great increase in the use of computers in mineral exploration. The development of small inexpensive personal computers means that any exploration organization (including one person) can afford a computer to aid in data acquisition and analysis. In addition, the portability of these machines allows much of the computing work to be done in the field. The rapid spread of personal computers has also led to great improvements in software, particularly in allowing computers to be used without special training. Placer Development (now part of Placer Dome Inc.) has a long history of computer applications, although the way they are used in exploration has changed greatly. In 1980, efforts were just starting to modify programs designed for computer specialists to allow geologists and geophysicists to use them effectively. All computer work was done on a large mainframe computer. Starting in 1981, microcomputers came into play for recording data in the field and doing initial data checks. By about 1984, this had progressed to the point where a microcomputer was considered standard equipment in the field, and essentially all exploration data (geochemical sampling, geophysical surveys, drill-logs, etc) were entered in the computer. At the same time, software improvements continued on the mainframe computer, with the result that almost all normal computer work was run directly by exploration staff, and not handed over to computer specialists. Placer is currently undergoing a transition to the next phase of technical computing: the use of powerful individual workstations in place of a mainframe. Our new configuration is based on the UNIX operating system, which provides a much greater level of portability and adaptability than any other system. While conversion to UNIX is a major task, it enables the addition of more computing power when needed at minimal effort and expense. It also provides a wealth of software not normally considered part of an operating system. The strong emphasis on computer graphics in a UNIX workstation is another significant advantage. UNIX will undoubtedly be a standard computing environment for many years to come.