Volcanogenic massive sulphide exploration in glaciated terrain using till geochemistry and indicator minerals

Abstract

Volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) deposits are a significant exploration target in Canada because they account for 27% of Canadian Cu, 49% of Zn, 20% of Pb, 40% of Ag, and 3% of Au production (http://www.nrcan.gc.ca/minerals-metals/home). Over 97% of Canada's land mass was covered by glaciers during the Quaternary and as a result drift prospecting using till geochemistry and indicator minerals is an important exploration method for VMS deposits in Canada. The application of till geochemical methods to VMS exploration in Canada has a 50+ year history (e.g., Drieimanis 1958, 1960; Fortescue and& Hornbrook 1969; Shilts 1975; Hoffman and Woods 1991; Kaszycki et al. 1996; Parkhill and& Doiron 2003). In the past 10 years, indicator mineral recovered from glacial sediments have also been used to explore for VMS in the glaciated terrain of Canada. This abstract provides an overview of till geochemical and indicator mineral methods that can be used for VMS exploration. Topics addressed include appropriate size fractions of till to analyze, processing and analytical techniques, VMS pathfinder elements and indicator minerals, as well as case histories from different regions across Canada. Much of the information about VMS till geochemical methods summarized here is from a detailed review of the application of till geochemical methods to VMS exploration by McClenaghan and Peter (in press).