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*Wyoming State Geological Survey*
June 26, 2025

******FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE******

* Media Contact:* Bryce Tugwell, Media and Communications Manager [email protected]
Wyoming State Geological Survey Office: (307) 745-2236 Cell: (307) 703-0761 [link removed] 

 

*WSGS Releases Public Information Circular on Airborne Geophysics in Wyoming*

LARAMIE, Wyo. — A new publication from the Wyoming State Geological Survey (WSGS) discusses recent acquisition of airborne magnetic, radiometric, and electromagnetic surveys in Wyoming. Geophysical surveys are key tools for geological mapping, mineral exploration, evaluating geological hazards, and better understanding the distribution of groundwater in the subsurface.

Cover: Airborne Geophysics in Wyoming: Methods for Exploring Subsurface Geology“I can’t emphasize enough the importance of these baseline, high-quality, publicly available geophysical data,” says WSGS Director and State Geologist Dr. Erin Campbell. “With the completion of these surveys, approximately 20 percent of Wyoming will be covered by Rank 1 data that will allow for interpretation of the framework geology, furthering our understanding of the geologic structure and mineralogic composition of Wyoming.”

The majority of the recent geophysical surveys in Wyoming involve the simultaneous collection of magnetic and radiometric data. These magnetic and radiometric datasets are particularly useful for locating certain types of critical mineral deposits. The airborne geophysical surveys discussed in this publication are either completed, currently being flown, or will be flown in the near future.

“Collection of these data has been a productive collaboration between the USGS and the WSGS,” added Campbell. “Our geoscientists are working together to identify the highest-priority areas in Wyoming in need of Rank 1 geophysical data. We are pleased to see that the mineral industry is already using the datasets for exploration.”

Airborne geophysical surveys measure physical properties of the earth using instruments mounted in aircraft that fly over a predetermined survey area. Airborne magnetic surveys measure the total magnetic field intensity as the aircraft flies in evenly spaced lines over the ground surface. These surveys can detect magnetic signals emanating from deep within the earth’s crust. Magnetic surveys can effectively map otherwise hidden geological variation, along with locating deposits rich in magnetic minerals, commonly associated with critical mineral deposits. Radiometric surveys measure gamma radiation released through the radioactive decay of potassium, thorium, and uranium within the top few centimeters of the ground surface. This type of survey can be used to constrain surficial geologic processes, along with mapping exposures of certain types of mineral deposits.

Public Information Circular 49, Airborne Geophysics in Wyoming: Methods for Exploring Subsurface Geology [ [link removed] ], provides an update on the current status and geographic distribution of airborne geophysical surveys in Wyoming. The circular also provides a broad overview of how these geophysical data are collected, and what the various types of data represent. Lastly, the publication discusses geophysical data from completed and published geophysical surveys that cover the South Pass–Granite Mountains region and the Medicine Bow Mountains.

This circular is available for free download from the Wyoming State Geological Survey website. The published geophysical data discussed in this publication can be downloaded from the U.S. Geological Survey’s website (South Pass–Granite Mountains [ [link removed] ], Medicine Bow Mountains [ [link removed] ]).

 

Cover of Airborne Geophysics in Wyoming: Methods for Exploring Subsurface Geology

 

 

 

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