Method and apparatus for processing geochemical survey data

A method for prospecting for subterraneous occurrence of a target material, the method comprising the steps of:

• excavating into the earth to a subterranean location to be tested for the presence of a preselected target material;
• wherein, said subterranean location had been preselected from a geochemical survey of an area, said geochemical survey comprising:
• (a) electronically evaluating similarity between survey data and reference data, said survey data comprising a plurality of data portions each corresponding to at least one property separately measured for a different one of a plurality of separate portions of a multicomponent soil gas sample;
• (b) said electronically evaluating including electronically determining whether any of said data portions of said survey data is representative of the presence in said sample of a contaminant component;
• (c) wherein said step of electronically evaluating includes electronically removing from said survey data any of said data portions determined, during said electronically evaluating, to be representative of the presence of said contaminant component in said soil gas sample;
• and
• (d) said step of electronically evaluating including electronically comparing, after said electronically removing, remaining of said survey data with said reference data.

An apparatus for comparing measured property data of a multicomponent soil gas sample of unknown composition with a known reference standard to reduce inaccuracies from the presence of suspected undesirable contaminants, the apparatus comprising:

• electronic input means for electronically receiving individual data portions of test data, with each of said data portions corresponding to at least one measured property of a different one of a plurality of separate portions of a soil gas sample;
• electronic processing means operatively electrically connected with said input means for electronically manipulating said test data said processing means including memory having stored therein reference data used during electronic manipulation of said test data;
• said processing means being capable of electronically identifying whether any of said portions of said test data is representative of the presence, in said soil gas sample, of a suspected contaminant component and being capable of electronically removing, from said test data, any of said portions of said test data identified as being representative of the presence of said contaminant component in said fluid mixture;
• said processing means being capable of electronically combining, to form a composite fingerprint, all data portions of said test data not electronically removed during said electronically removing and electronically comparing said composite fingerprint with said reference data;
• electronic output means, operatively electrically connected with said processing means, for electronically outputting results of said electronically processing of said test data.