Abstract
This paper provides a summary of traditional, current, and developing exploration techniques using indicator minerals derived from glacial sediments, with a focus on Canadian case studies. The 0.25 to 2.0 mm fraction of heavy mineral concentrates (HMC) from surficial sediments is typically used for indicator mineral surveys, with the finer (0.25–0.50 mm) fraction used as the default grain size for heavy mineral concentrate studies due to the ease of concentration and separation and subsequent mineralogical identification. Similarly, commonly used indicator minerals (e.g., Kimberlite Indicator Minerals—KIMs) are well known because of ease of optical identification and their ability to survive glacial transport. Herein, we review the last 15 years of the rapidly growing application of Automated Mineralogy (e.g., MLA, QEMSCAN, TIMA, etc) to indicator mineral studies of several ore deposit types, including Ni-Cu-PGE, Volcanogenic Massive Sulfides, and a variety of porphyry systems and glacial sediments down ice of these deposits. These studies have expanded the indicator mineral species that can be applied to mineral exploration and decreased the size of the grains examined down to ~10 microns. Chemical and isotopic fertility indexes developed for bedrock can now be applied to indicator mineral grains in glacial sediments and these methods will influence the next generation of indicator mineral studies.
Highlights
Most new mineral deposits yet to be discovered are likely concealed underneath cover rocks or unconsolidated sediments
We present an overview of the current methods for, and applications of, indicator mineral chemistry with examples from the glaciated terrain of Canada, and in particular for till—the optimal indicator mineral sample medium in glaciated terrain [5]
This paper presents an overview of the current methods for, and applications of, indicator mineral chemistry to mineral exploration in the glaciated terrain of Canada
Summary
Most new mineral deposits yet to be discovered are likely concealed underneath cover rocks or unconsolidated sediments. Over the past 30 years, indicator mineral methods in Canada have advanced such that they can be used to detect a broad spectrum of mineral deposit types that are covered by glacial sediments (Table 1). [35]; McClenaghan and Cabri (2011) [36]; Sarapää and Sarala (2013) [37]; Manéglia et al. Ni, Cu, PGE pentlandite, chalcopyrite, pyrite, millerite, PGM, chromite, Cr-diopside, enstatite, olivine, Cr-andradite. Lehtonen et al (2015) [46]; Sarapää and Sarala (2013) [37]; Mao et al (2016) [47]; Mackay et al. Cu, Mo, Au, Ag chalocopyrite, chalcocite, pyrite, molybdenite, gold, silver, epidote, tourmaline, apatite, andradite, barite, monazite, rutile, titanite, zircon, jarosite, malachite, pyrolusite, magnetite.
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