Browsing by Subject "economic geology"

The layman’s sample practice of the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) is a unique national practice in raw material exploration and research. Its main purpose is to increase knowledge related to Finnish raw material resources. The operation is quite rare on a global scale. A layman’s sample (kansannäyte) is a sample of rock, mineral, or soil sent to a geologist or other type of expert by a rock hobbyist. The Layman’s Sample Office of the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK) receives thousands of samples from all over Finland every year. The office handles ore samples, industrial minerals, dimensional stone, precious stone and gemstone discoveries, and metals of technological interest. The concept of layman’s sample reflects the action of its history and original purpose. The practice started in the 18th century and has continued uninterrupted since then. Thirtytwo of the metallic mines in Finland have been discovered on the basis of a layman's sample. Currently, further new mining operations, on which the first reference sample has been sent by the public, are being launched. In addition to the economic benefit, the practice also has other tasks. The sample office answers geology-related questions sent in by the general public and provides competent and up-to-date information on the importance of raw materials to the society. The challenge in the future is to improve the quality of the samples. Also in the future, the development of digital applications will be important including web and mobile applications, for example teaching map services and platforms. The new applications could also inspire young people to the rock hobby in general as well as increase the geological knowledge of the general public. The digital archive of layman’s samples contains information on more than 60 000 bedrock and boulder samples. Layman’s samples and metallogenic zones can be compared with each other. Geologically ore potential zones could be identified and sampled. The archive also reveals new areas with ore potential.