Recipients

2019 Peter Howe Bursary Recipient

James Kidder

James Kidder
PhD Candidate, Queen's University

The decreasing discovery rates of large, near surface ore bodies is forcing explorers to consider non-traditional search spaces, including increasingly deep targeting or areas of significant post-mineral cover. To meet this challenge, explorers need new geochemical tools. This project aims to aid exploration through the development of a suite of high confidence hydrogeochemical vectors for targeting as well as a series of guidelines for hydrogeochemical mineral exploration.

Research will utilize trace element geochemistry along with stable and non-traditional isotope geochemistry; including the characterization of δ34S, δ18O, 87Sr/86Sr, δ98Mo, and δ65Cu of natural groundwaters collected from deposits in two world-class metallogenic belts, including: (1) The Central African Copper Belt (Zambia); and (2) The Domeyko Fault System (Chile). Achieving this will involve the development of new methods for Cu separation from complex groundwater matrix at low Cu concentrations.

This study will also characterize the hydrogeochemical footprints from many Cu deposit types (porphyry, epithermal, exotic, IOCG, and Sediment-hosted) in varied geological and hydrogeochemical settings as well as model the thermodynamic and kinetic controls of the rock-water interactions that govern element mobility. Ultimately the results from this project will contribute to further the understanding of element behavior in low-temperature hydrogeochemistry systems.

2019 Joan Bath Bursary Recipient

Rebecca Montsion

Rebecca Montsion
PhD Candidate, Laurentian University

Modern mineral exploration requires development of innovative approaches and new technologies as discovery rates are declining. This study seeks to enhance exploration success through the integration of specialist knowledge and computer-based techniques to identify and understand variables that control base and precious mineral endowment in Precambrian greenstone belts.

This research will leverage geological and geophysical knowledge, multi-disciplinary geoscientific data, 3D implicit modelling, and predictive analysis to compare factors controlling mineralization in greenstone belts of the Superior Province. Crustal-scale 3D models will be generated to explore regional architecture and topological relationships relevant to each type of mineral systems (orogenic and intrusion-related Au, volcanogenic massive Cu-Zn sulfide, Li-rich pegmatite, etc.).

Knowledge-based and data-driven prospectivity analyses will then be applied to highlight key factors that control mineral endowment. Model and prospectivity uncertainty will be quantified by building a new workflow upon existing calculation tools. This workflow will improve efficiency in mineral targeting, provide insight on current geologic understanding, and highlight knowledge gaps. Development of these new methods will benefit fundamental science by characterizing whole mineral systems in 3D, encourage exploration in challenging greenfield areas, and help increasing discovery rates to meet rising domestic and global demand.