A person who trespasses upon the land of another to gather geotechnical data or take mineral resources is liable to the owner of the land for treble the amount of damages that may be assessed in a civil action. If the trespass is unintentional or involuntary or the defendant had probable cause to believe that the land on which the trespass was committed was the defendant's own or that of the person in whose service or by whose direction the act was done, only actual damages may be recovered.