Publication Type:

Journal Article

Authors:

Byron, Michael

Source:

Exploration and Mining Geology, Pergamon Press [for the] Geological Society of the Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum, New York - Oxford, International, Volume 3, Number 2, p.161-179 (1994)

ISBN:

0964-1823

Keywords:

Abitibi Belt, Canada, Canadian Shield, drilling, eastern canada, geochemical anomalies, geochemical methods, geostatistics, gold ores, haloes, Kirkland Lake Ontario, metal ores, metals, Mineral exploration, North America, Ontario, pathfinders, statistical analysis, superior province, Timiskaming District Ontario, Trace elements

Abstract:

This deposit lies approximately 14 km E of Kirkland Lake town, within Timiskaming assemblage rocks which represent the youngest supracrustal unit of the Archaean Abitibi greenstone belt. A lithogeochemical study of the alkaline intrusive and volcanic rocks associated with the deposit has identified pathfinder elements that outline haloes extending up to 370 m from Au occurrences that are useful in locating areas favourable for Au mineralization. Pathfinder elements, and their threshold values are: Au 20 ppb, As 10 ppm, Na 30 000 ppm, Sb 1.4 ppm, Rb 75 ppm, W 4 ppm, and Mo 5 ppm. Discriminant analysis of these data permits the accommodation of all pathfinder elements in defining the size and character of the mineralized aureole. Contoured probability maps were generated to illustrate areas that have potential for Au mineralization. Use of this exploration technique could be effective in locating new exploration targets based on Au pathfinder element values; they could also be used to help overcome exploration problems related to Au 'nugget' mineralization, as well as in helping to locate faulting portions of Au zones.

Notes:

GeoRef, Copyright 2018, American Geological Institute.<br/>1994-046484<br/>Upper Canada Deposit