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Intermediate programme

MINING & MINERALS EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGY (Shallow Subsurface Geophysics)

Near surface geophysical methods, from survey design through acquisition to an interpretation that admits its ambiguity.

Duration
5 days
Level
Intermediate
Next date
2 to 6 November 2026
Fee from
US$995live online

Read the programme brochure

ClassroomLive onlineIn house

Overview

Shallow geophysics images the first few hundred metres, which is where most exploration drilling is aimed and where most engineering ground investigation happens. This module covers the methods, magnetics, electrical, electromagnetic, seismic refraction and ground penetrating radar, in terms of the physical property each responds to. Survey design and acquisition are covered practically, and interpretation is taught with non uniqueness front and centre, because a model that fits the data is not the only one that does.

It runs 7 times over the published calendar, in 6 cities and live online. Every date is the same programme with the same content and the same certificate.

What you will be able to do

  • Match a geophysical method to the physical property contrast expected.
  • Design a survey with appropriate line spacing and station interval.
  • Supervise acquisition and recognise poor data in the field.
  • Apply basic processing and understand what each step does.
  • Interpret a result while acknowledging non uniqueness.

Who should attend

Exploration geologists and geophysical technicians, geotechnical and environmental staff commissioning surveys, and project geologists interpreting contractor reports.

Is the level right for you?

This is an intermediate level programme. It assumes you are working in or moving into the area it covers, and it is built around your own material rather than a case study. If you are unsure, ask an advisor before registering rather than after.

Ask an advisor

How it is taught

Short input, then work. Across 5 days of roughly 6 teaching hours each, the balance sits deliberately with the second: a programme where the trainer talks for six hours produces notes rather than capability.

  • Your own material

    Exercises run on situations delegates bring, not on a case study written for a different organisation in a different decade.

  • A capped cohort

    Small enough that everybody is asked something. Executive programmes are capped tighter still.

  • Practice under scrutiny

    The difficult conversation, the challenged assumption, the decision defended out loud. Judgement is not built by watching.

  • Something to take back

    Each day ends with a thing you can use on Monday rather than a slide deck you will not reopen.

The programme, day by day

Day 1Physical properties

Physical properties

  • Magnetic susceptibility, density, resistivity and velocity
  • What creates a detectable contrast
  • Depth of investigation and resolution
Day 2Potential field and electrical

Potential field and electrical

  • Ground magnetics and gravity
  • Resistivity and induced polarisation
  • Self potential
Day 3Electromagnetic and seismic

Electromagnetic and seismic

  • Frequency and time domain electromagnetics
  • Seismic refraction
  • Ground penetrating radar
Day 4Acquisition

Acquisition

  • Survey design and coverage
  • Noise, culture and terrain
  • Field quality control
Day 5Processing and interpretation

Processing and interpretation

  • Corrections, filtering and gridding
  • Modelling and inversion in outline
  • Non uniqueness, and constraining with geology

What you leave with

  • A survey design for a stated target.
  • A processed and interpreted dataset.
  • A review of a contractor report with the right questions asked.

The certificate

A GATI certificate recording what you attended, issued after the programme has run and attendance has been taken. Attending at least 80 per cent of the days earns a certificate of completion; attending less earns a certificate of attendance stating exactly what was attended.

Every certificate carries a code that anybody can check against GATI's own record, which is what makes it worth holding. It records participation. This site will not imply one it does not have.

Questions

Who is MINING & MINERALS EXPLORATION TECHNOLOGY (Shallow Subsurface Geophysics) for?
Exploration geologists and geophysical technicians, geotechnical and environmental staff commissioning surveys, and project geologists interpreting contractor reports. It runs at intermediate level within Mining Engineering, so it assumes you are working in or moving into that area rather than meeting it for the first time. If you are unsure whether the level fits, ask an advisor before registering rather than after.
How long is it, and what does a day look like?
5 days, running to roughly 6 teaching hours a day. Sessions are built around your own material rather than a case study, so a day alternates between short input and working on something you brought. The full outline is on this page, day by day.
What does it cost, and what is included?
The next published date is Live online at US$995 per delegate. The fee covers tuition, all programme materials and the certificate. Travel, accommodation and visas are arranged by the delegate. Fees vary by city, and every published date shows its own.
Can it be delivered for my organisation only?
Yes. Any published programme can run as a private cohort, on dates that suit you, in your city or online, built around your own material. That is a different conversation from registering an individual, and it starts with what capability you are trying to build rather than with a course title.
What certificate do I get?
A GATI certificate recording what you attended, issued after the programme has run and attendance has been taken. Attending at least 80 per cent of the days earns a certificate of completion; attending less earns a certificate of attendance stating exactly what was attended. Every certificate carries a code that anybody can check against GATI's own record.
Is the online version the same programme?
Yes. The same faculty, the same material, the same cohort cap and the same certificate. It is not a recording and it is not a reduced version. It exists because travel budgets and visa timelines rule people out of a room they should be in. The classroom version runs in Durban, Nicosia, Accra, Kampala.

Want to take this further?

Register on a published date, or tell an advisor what you need and they will come back with something specific rather than a brochure.

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