BlueCap Australia
Choose a survey
Start with the decision you need to make. Then choose the observation that can contribute useful evidence.
A practical beginner guide
What are you trying to understand?
Pick the project question first. Each guide shows the observation to discuss, what it can contribute and the next decision it can help make.
Start with the decision
- Mineral explorationBuild geological context, trace possible structures and choose sensible field follow-up.
- Geological & regolith mappingUnderstand surface materials, landforms and the broader geological framework beneath cover.
- Infrastructure & site investigationFrame a corridor or site, understand terrain and identify whether a scoped ferrous-target question is relevant.
- Flood, erosion & terrainDocument landform and elevation evidence for planning, repeat comparison or specialist modelling.
- Forestry & vegetationMap canopy structure and terrain beneath vegetation, then connect the data to field-based inventory work.
- Soil & land managementMap variability to plan sampling, interpret terrain and test local relationships with field data.
- Environmental site screeningSeparate a ferrous-object question, a natural gamma question and a terrain or rehabilitation question.
Three methods, three different observations
Magnetic
- Start with
- Where do magnetic rock units, structures or suitable ferrous targets differ from their surroundings?
- Discuss
- Corrected magnetic observations, quality records, grids and agreed interpretation products
- Does not establish
- Ore grade, economic resources, every buried service or uniquely determined geology
LiDAR
- Start with
- What is the shape of the ground, vegetation and exposed features?
- Discuss
- Classified point clouds, terrain and surface models, contours and agreed derivatives
- Does not establish
- Geology beneath the ground, soil strength, dam safety or underwater terrain with an ordinary topographic system
Radiometric
- Start with
- How do near-surface radioelement responses vary across the area?
- Discuss
- Corrected spectra, potassium, equivalent uranium, equivalent thorium and agreed maps
- Does not establish
- Deep ore bodies, a universal soil-property result, or radiological clearance from an unqualified map
These are different physical measurements. A magnetic survey measures variations in the Earth's magnetic field; it is not an electromagnetic (EM) survey. Gamma-ray spectrometry records naturally emitted gamma responses from near-surface material; it is not deep imaging. Ordinary topographic LiDAR describes land above water, whereas bathymetry requires a separately suitable method. See Geoscience Australia's magnetics overview, radiometrics overview and bathymetry methods.
When combining methods helps
For exploration, magnetic contrasts can help trace structures, radiometric patterns can add surface geological context, and a terrain model can support field planning. The observations are complementary; agreement does not prove a deposit.
For a floodplain or forestry question, a suitable LiDAR terrain or canopy dataset may be the useful starting point without adding magnetic or radiometric acquisition. For a suspected non-ferrous utility, a magnetometer is not a substitute for a properly scoped EM investigation. The right combination follows the decision and site conditions.
What makes a survey fit for purpose?
Agree the target, smallest feature that matters, existing information, site conditions, required outputs and checks before choosing acquisition settings. A visually detailed map does not automatically resolve a small target. Sensor height, line spacing, vegetation, interference and processing matter differently for each method.
Send the question with the boundary
A useful brief includes:
- the project boundary and coordinate reference system;
- the decision you need to make and the smallest feature that matters;
- known geology, assets, existing survey data and likely interference;
- access, vegetation, terrain, water and airspace constraints;
- required outputs, formats, timing and the people who will use the result; and
- any field validation, specialist modelling, engineering or regulatory work that sits outside the survey itself.
BlueCap can assess whether a proposed scope is suitable for the question. Educational coverage in this guide is not a promise that every sector or specialist service is currently available; project scope and availability are assessed case by case. Contact the BlueCap team with the question and boundary.
Start with a detailed application guide
- Mineral exploration: build an evidence-led target model
- Geological and regolith mapping: interpret materials, structure and landform
- Infrastructure and site investigation: terrain and appropriately scoped target questions
- Flood, erosion and terrain: document the surface before a modelling or planning decision
- Forestry and vegetation: canopy structure, terrain and field-calibrated inventory
- Soil and land management: variability, terrain and local sampling
- Environmental site screening: choose the right anomaly question
For method-specific information, see the existing drone magnetic survey, LiDAR survey and terrain mapping and radiometric survey pages.
Project enquiry
Let’s plan your survey
Start with your survey area and the data you need. We’ll help define the scope, review terrain-aware 2D and 3D flight plans, and keep field progress, processed data and deliverables together in the BlueCap Survey Portal.
No software subscription fee for BlueCap service projects.
