APPLIED GEOLOGY

❖ True Thickness
❖ TRUE THICKNESS

Arlene Morales
TRUE THICKNESS
• The true thickness of a mineralized zone is the width measured
perpendicular to the orientation of the ore body. Weighted
From
2 Average
To Intercept (width) Gold ppm Wt Ave

• When drill holes are not perfectly oriented perpendicular to the ore
0 1 1 0.5 0.5
1 3 2 0.7 1.4
3 4 1 10 10
body, it's necessary to calculate the true width to accurately assess
4
5
5
6
1
1
7
5
7
5
the volume and grade of the mineralized material.
6
7
7
8
1
1
3
1.5
3
1.5

• True width (thickness) can be calculated using trigonometry.

8 8.5 0.5 1 0.5
8.5 10 1.5 0.5 0.75
10 11 1 0.4 0.4
11 12 1 0.2 0.2
12 13 1 0.6 0.6
13 14 1 0.3 0.3
14 15 1 0.3 0.3
15 16 1 0.2 0.2
16 18 2 0.5 1
18 19 1 0.2 0.2
19 20 1 0.3 0.3
Total Length 20

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Wt Ave 1.66
Apparent Thickness vs True Thickness

Formula:

True Thickness = Length

of drill intercept x cos (𝛼)

Arlene Morales
Apparent Thickness vs True Thickness
Example: Cos angle = adjacent/hypotenuse
Given: Ore dip (inclination): 22° Adj= cos angle x hypotenuse
Apparent thickness= 200m

22°

Arlene Morales
Apparent Thickness vs True Thickness
Example:
Given: Ore dip (inclination): 22°
Apparent thickness= 200m

22˚
200m H
A ?

22°

Cos angle = adjacent/hypotenuse

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Adj= cos angle x hypotenuse
Apparent Thickness vs True Thickness
Example:
Given: Ore dip (inclination): 22°
Apparent thickness= 200m

Solution:
trigonometry
Cos (𝛼) = adj/ hyp
Adj=hyp x cos (𝛼)

True thickness= hyp x cos (𝛼)

True thickness= length of dh intercept x cos 22
= 200m x 0.927

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= 185.4m