Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book draws together disparate technical fields relating to computer databases, statistical analysis, geology, mining engineering and operations research within the context and limitations of few popular software packages. It describes that map data are commonly included in the database by digitizing older aerial or ground surveys or by using digital aerial surveys. The book introduces the concept of using estimation algorithms for surface modeling. It explains the details and application of these algorithms. The book discusses an alternative approach is to represent a geologic structure directly from the data using triangles (2D) or prisms based on the triangles (3D), but this is a surface modelling method. It explores that long and short term production scheduling is closely associated with the procedures used for mine design.