GPR - Ground Penetrating Radar investigations were carried out on Santa Bárbara and Bom Futuro Mining Districts (The Rondônia Tin Province). The main purpose of this study was to check a new application of this method directed towards the detection of primary and secondary tin deposits, and to optimize detailed exploration costs. The GPR profiles were acquired with antennas of 25, 50 and 100 MHz, that allowed to investigate the subsurface down to 30 meters depth. Greisen bodies at the Santa Bárbara and Bom Futuro primary tin deposits were easily detected through the GPR survey. In Bom Futuro mining district, a paleochannel structure at the bottom of the alluvial sedimentary sequence was also identified. The geophysical results show an excellent agreement with borehole log geological informations, which prove the relevance of this new application of GPR method for tin exploration. It is suggested that this method might be successfully applicable to similar geological environments within the Amazon Cráton. Moreover, the exploration expenditures might be optimized if the GPR investigations were conducted before drilling campaign.
GPR - Ground Penetrating Radar - Georadar Geophysical Prospecting; Primary and Secondary Cassiterite Deposits; Santa Bárbara and Bom Futuro Mining Districts; Rondônia Tin Province
