72

Method of Isolines

Principles and Formulas

Isolines are curved lines joining all points of equal unit value. They

are used to graphically illustrate natural physical and chemical properties or

processes that can be expressed by unit values. A common example is a topo-

graphic map, where relief is expressed by contours of equal elevation. Iso-

lines are widely accepted in earth and engineering sciences for visual delinea-

tion and distribution studies of various physical and chemical phenomena.

Well-known applications are maps using lines to depict similar relationships

such as isothermal, isostatic, isomagmatic, isopach (or isothickness), isocal

(isocalorific values for coal), isocarb (equal content of fixed carbon),

isograde, and others. Less common are complex isolines such as linear

reserves (foot-percent, tons, per square foot, or dollars per square foot)

used in computing reserves of mineral deposits.

The method is based on the assumption that unit values, from one point to

another, undergo continuous and uninterrupted changes according to the rule of

gradual changes. To construct isolines, intermediate values are determined by

interpolation between points of known values; as a result certain properties

of mineral bodies may be presented graphically on a plan or section by a sys-

tem of isolines. In aggregate such a system constitutes an imaginary surface

similar to a topographic map. These "toposurfaces" are graphic expressions of

numbers and, thus, may be used according to the principles of solid and analyt-

ical geometry.

The theory of the method of isolines for use in mining and engineering

was developed by Sobolevsky (37, 53). He disclosed that the toposurfaces can

be added, subtracted, multiplied, and divided and that even more complex oper-

ations, such as extraction of roots, involution, differentiation, and integra-

tion, could also be made. Practical applications of this method in geology

and mining are varied. Detailed discussion of these applications is beyond

the scope of this paper.

Common cases are computations of average thickness, average grade, and

average value of a mineral deposit from appropriate isoline maps (b_, 11).

Only an isopach map is needed to compute volume and tonnage of mineral ore

reserves. A unit of volume reserves at a given point on such a map is a

product of height, equal to the thickness of the body, and area, equal to a

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unit value (square foot, square yard, square meter, etc.). A unit of tonnage

ore reserves is a division of volume reserves and volume-tonnage factor. To

compute the weight of metal or other valuable component in the deposit, iso-

lines of linear metal reserves (product of linear ore reserves and grade) are

constructed.

Let us examine a portion of an isopach map (fig. 46). The mineral body,

confined in nature by irregular surfaces, is transformed for computations to

an equivalent body limited on one side by a flat plane base and on the other

by a complex surface represented by a series of isolines of equal thickness

or height. Thus, the isopach map gives a distorted picture of the mineral