The largest geophysical survey ever conducted in B.C. is underway in the west-central region, creating a three-dimensional map image indicating mineral and water resources far underground.

The Search Phase II project is being conducted with aircraft flying out of 亚洲天堂 Lake and Smithers airports. It will run through September and results are to be made public in 2017, adding to to map an area about the size of Nova Scotia.

Geoscience BC received $5 million from the provincial government for the Search Phase II project, to complete an aerial magnetic survey of a 24,000-square kilometre area between Fort Fraser and Smithers, north of Tweedsmuir Provincial Park.

The aerial surveys use a magnetometer to record local disturbances in the Earth's magnetic field caused by magnetic minerals in the upper regions of the crust.

After 10 years and 135 projects, the non-profit Geoscience BC has produced new earth science data for about half of the province's area.