Indicator Mineral Methods Research Articles

Review of till geochemistry and indicator mineral methods for mineral exploration in glaciated terrain

Since the 1970s, till geochemical and indicator mineral methods for mineral exploration, provenance studies and environmental research in glaciated terrain have been developed, tested and refined. This review summarizes these methods, focusing on field and laboratory methods for till geochemical, indicator mineral and boulder surveys. This review of protocols is intended as a guide for the mineral exploration industry and publicly funded agencies. It summarizes till as a sample medium, and describes the formation of glacial dispersal trains, along with methods for till sample collection, sample processing, matrix geochemistry, indicator mineral analyses, quality assurance/quality control procedures and data reporting and interpretation. The methods described here can be used to conduct reconnaissance- to deposit-scale till sampling surveys to assess mineral resource potential and establish environmental baselines. Supplementary material: Appendix A – Photographs of till types described in text; Appendix B – Logistical and geological factors to consider in till sample survey design; Appendix C – Photographs of glaciate terrain types described in text; and Appendix D – Till sample processing and analysis flow charts are available at https://doi.org/10.6084/m9.figshare.c.6786087 Thematic collection: This article is part of the Reviews in Exploration Geochemistry collection available at: https://www.lyellcollection.org/topic/collections/reviews-in-exploration-geochemistry

Stream Sediment Indicator Mineral Signatures of the Casino Porphyry Cu-Au-Mo Deposit, Yukon, Canada

Abstract Case studies around porphyry Cu deposits in the glaciated regions of the Canadian Cordillera have identified the indicator mineral signatures of these deposits in till samples and demonstrated that these are useful methods for porphyry Cu exploration. This study applies the same indicator methods to stream sediment samples around the Casino calc-alkaline porphyry Cu-Au-Mo deposit in the unglaciated terrain of west-central Yukon, Canada. It is one of the largest porphyry Cu-Au-Mo deposits in Canada and is hosted in Late Cretaceous quartz monzonite and associated breccias. Bulk (8–16 kg) coarse-grained stream sediment samples were collected in creeks around the deposit, nearby porphyry Cu occurrences and background areas. The Casino deposit has an obvious indicator mineral signature in the <2-mm heavy (>3.2-specific gravity [SG]) and mid-density (2.8- to 3.2-SG) fractions of stream sediments that is detectable at least 18 km downstream and includes gold, chalcopyrite, tourmaline, molybdenite, sphalerite, jarosite, goethite, and pyrite. In contrast, not all of these mineralogically anomalous samples have corresponding anomalous geochemical signatures in the fine fraction. The porphyry indicator minerals identified in this study are similar to those reported for glaciated terrain with the addition of molybdenite and secondary minerals. Indicator mineral methods provide physical evidence of nearby mineralization and can be chemically analyzed to provide insights about the nature of the mineralizing system. Government and exploration surveys could benefit from the addition of indicator mineral methods to routine stream sediment sampling protocols in unglaciated regions of the Yukon and elsewhere globally where porphyry Cu exploration is conducted.

Overview of surficial geochemistry and indicator mineral surveys and case studies from the Geological Survey of Canada's GEM Program

The Geological Survey of Canada carried out reconnaissance-scale to deposit-scale geochemical and indicator-mineral surveys and case studies across northern Canada between 2008 and 2020 as part of its Geo-mapping for Energy and Minerals (GEM) program. In these studies, surficial geochemistry was used to determine the concentrations of up to 65 elements in various sample media including lake sediment, lake water, stream sediment, stream water, or till samples across approximately 1 000 000 km 2 of northern Canada. As part of these surficial geochemistry surveys, indicator mineral methods were also used in regional-scale and deposit-scale stream sediment and till surveys. Through this program, areas with anomalous concentrations of elements and/or indicator minerals that are indicative of bedrock mineralization were identified, new mineral exploration models and protocols were developed, a new generation of geoscientists was trained, and geoscience knowledge was transferred to northern communities. Regional- and deposit-scale studies demonstrated how transport data (till geochemistry, indicator mineral abundance) and ice-flow indicator data can be used together to identify and understand complex ice flow and glacial transport. Detailed studies at the Izok Lake Zn–Cu–Pb–Ag VMS, Nunavut, the Pine Point carbonate-hosted Pb–Zn in the Northwest Territories, the Strange Lake REE deposit in Quebec and Labrador as well as U–Cu–Fe–F and Cu–Ag–Au–Au IOCG deposits in the Great Bear magmatic zone, Northwest Territories demonstrate new suites of indicator minerals that can now be used in future reconnaissance- and regional-scale stream sediment and till surveys across Canada.

Surficial geochemical and mineralogical signatures of Ni-Cu-PGE deposits in glaciated terrain: Examples from the South Range of the Sudbury Igneous Complex, Ontario, Canada

A till geochemistry and indicator mineral (IM) study was carried out in the South Range of the Sudbury Igneous Complex (SIC) to develop surficial mineral exploration techniques that are suitable for low sulfide, high precious metal (LSHPM) and massive sulfide Ni-Cu-PGE mineralization. Surficial exploration in this region is problematic because of heterogeneous till deposits overlain by glaciolacustrine sediments, a naturally high surficial geochemical background, and a paucity of undisturbed till for geochemical sampling due to mining-related operations. The Vermilion and Crean Hill deposits were selected for this case study because their geology and mineralogy have been extensively studied. Pathfinder elements that show a strong, positive (r2 > 0.6, n = 120) correlation with ore elements Ni, Cu, Au and PGEs (Pt, Pd, Ru, Rh, and Ir), which are derived from mineralization and present in elevated concentrations in till samples overlying mineralization are As, Bi, Co, Cr, Pb, Sb and Te. Ore minerals that survive glacial transport and post-glacial weathering and are the best indicators of Ni-Cu-PGE-Au mineralization are grains of gold, chalcopyrite, and sperrylite, predominantly recovered from the < 0.25 mm pan concentrate fraction of till. Despite challenges, this study has identified new exploration targets that warrant further investigation and demonstrates that till geochemistry and IM methods can be used to explore for Ni-Cu-PGE mineralization in established mining camps.

Automated Indicator Mineral Analysis of Fine-Grained Till Associated with the Sisson W-Mo Deposit, New Brunswick, Canada

Exploration under thick glacial sediment cover is an important facet of modern mineral exploration in Canada and northern Europe. Till heavy mineral concentrate (HMC) indicator mineral methods are well established in exploration for diamonds, gold, and base metals in glaciated terrain. Traditional methods rely on visual examination of &gt;250 µm HMC material. This study applies mineral liberation analysis (MLA) to investigate the finer (&lt;250 µm) fraction of till HMC. Automated mineralogy (e.g., MLA) of finer material allows for the rapid collection of precise compositional and morphological data from a large number (10,000–100,000) of heavy mineral grains in a single sample. The Sisson W-Mo deposit has a previously documented dispersal train containing the ore minerals scheelite, wolframite, and molybdenite, along with sulfide and other accessory minerals, and was used as a test site for this study. Wolframite is identified in till samples up to 10 km down ice, whereas in previous work on the coarse fraction of till it was only identified directly overlying mineralization. Chalcopyrite and pyrite are found up to 10 km down ice, an increase over 2.5 and 5 km, respectively, achieved in previous work on the coarse fraction of the same HMC. Galena, sphalerite, arsenopyrite, and pyrrhotite are also found up to 10 km down ice after only being identified immediately overlying mineralization using the &gt;250 µm fraction of HMC. Many of these sulfide grains are present only as inclusions in more chemically and robust minerals and would not be identified using optical methods. The extension of the wolframite dispersal train highlights the ability of MLA to identify minerals that lack distinguishing physical characteristics to aid visual identification.

Exploration Potential of Fine-Fraction Heavy Mineral Concentrates from Till Using Automated Mineralogy: A Case Study from the Izok Lake Cu–Zn–Pb–Ag VMS Deposit, Nunavut, Canada

Exploration under thick glacial sediment cover is an important facet of modern mineral exploration in Canada and northern Europe. Till heavy mineral concentrate (HMC) indicator mineral methods are well established in exploration for diamonds, gold, and base metals in glaciated terrain. Traditional methods rely on visual examination of &gt;250 µm HMC material, however this study applies modern automated mineralogical methods (mineral liberation analysis (MLA)) to investigate the finer (&lt;250 µm) fraction of till HMC. Automated mineralogy of finer material allows for rapid collection of precise compositional and morphological data from a large number (10,000–100,000) of heavy mineral grains in a single sample. The Izok Lake volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposit, one of the largest undeveloped Zn–Cu resources in North America, has a well-documented fan-shaped indicator mineral dispersal train and was used as a test site for this study. Axinite, a VMS indicator mineral difficult to identify optically in HMC, is identified in till samples up to 8 km down ice. Epidote and Fe-oxide minerals are identified, with concentrations peaking proximal to mineralization. Corundum and gahnite are intergrown in till samples immediately down ice of mineralization. Till samples also contain chalcopyrite and galena up to 8 km down ice of mineralization, an increase from 1.3 km for sulfide minerals in till previously reported for coarse HMC fractions. Some of these sulfide grains occur as inclusions within chemically and physically robust mineral grains and would not be identified visually in the coarse HMC visual counts. Best practices for epoxy mineral grain mounting and abundance reporting are presented along with the automated mineralogy of till samples down ice of the deposit.

Applications of trace element chemistry of pyrite and chalcopyrite in glacial sediments to mineral exploration targeting: Example from the Churchill Province, northern Quebec, Canada

Bedrock in arctic and subarctic regions is covered by glacial deposits making the discovery of new mineral deposits difficult. Indicator mineral methods using glacial sediment have thus been developed for mineral exploration in such drift-covered areas. However, sulfide indicator minerals have been under utilized because it was thought that they would not survive glacial transport and post-depositional oxidation during soil formation. In this contribution we show that the 0.25–1 mm non-ferromagnetic heavy mineral concentrates of Quaternary till and esker samples from the Churchill province in northern Quebec, Canada, contain thousands of pyrite and chalcopyrite grains and a few sulfarsenide grains. Accordingly, sulfide minerals do survive glacial and glaciofluvial transport, even in the relatively oxidizing environment of the eskers, and their presence indicates the potential presence of mineralized bedrock up ice. The study area is therefore ideal to test the use of sulfide mineral chemistry for mineral assessment and vectoring. The composition of the pyrite and chalcopyrite grains recovered from the glacial deposits have been determined by LA-ICP-MS and compared with known values for sulfides in magmatic and hydrothermal deposits. Although some elements (e.g. Ag, Cu, Zn, Pb, W, Ba, La, and Yb) are enriched in narrow rims on some sulfide grains, indicating their limited mobility during oxidation, most elements have not been mobilized and reflect initial sulfide compositions in bedrock sources. The binary diagram Co/Sb versus Se/As shows that most of the pyrite grains in surficial sediments are of magmatic origin although some are from hydrothermal sources. The hydrothermal pyrites are enriched in hydrothermal pathfinders (Au, Hg, Ag, Tl, Pb, Zn, Cu, and Mo). The ternary diagram Se-Cd-Ni shows that chalcopyrites from both magmatic and hydrothermal deposits are present in glacial sediments. The high Cd/Zn ratios of the hydrothermal chalcopyrites are indicative of a high crystallization temperature, typical of metamorphosed VMS or SEDEX deposits. Integrated maps combining bedrock geology, glacial transport directions, sample locations, and sulfide grain compositions and populations can be used to delineate target sectors for mineral exploration. Here sulfides have been transported over ~100 km roughly towards north, from sources in the Rachel-Laporte Zone and the Labrador Trough, where metasedimentary/metavolcanic rocks and mafic/ultramafic intrusive rocks are favorable hosts for hydrothermal and magmatic mineralization, respectively.

Indicator mineral and geochemical signatures associated with the Sisson W–Mo deposit, New Brunswick, Canada

An indicator mineral and geochemical case study was carried out around the Sisson W–Mo deposit to test modern indicator mineral and analytical methods and document glacial and fluvial dispersal from a significant W–Mo source. Indicator minerals in the 0.25 – 2.0 mm non-ferromagnetic heavy mineral fraction of till and stream sediments include the primary ore minerals scheelite, wolframite and molybdenite, as well as chalcopyrite, joseite, native Bi, bismutite, bismuthinite, galena, sphalerite, arsenopyrite, pyrrhotite and pyrite. Indicator minerals in c. 12 – 14 kg samples define glacial dispersal of at least 10 km down ice (SE) of the deposit and fluvial dispersal at least 4 km downstream. The presence of very coarse (0.5 – 2.0 mm) indicator minerals in till and stream sediments marks proximity (&lt;1 km) to the mineralized source. Indicator elements for the deposit in the &lt;0.063 mm fraction of till, the &lt;0.177 mm fraction of stream sediments, and in stream water include W and Mo, and various combinations of pathfinder elements Ag, As, Bi, Cd, Cu, In, Pb, Te and Zn. This list of elements is more extensive than previously identified for the Sisson deposit or other studies around W mineralization in glaciated terrain. The study demonstrates that indicator mineral methods, so well known for diamond and gold exploration, have a broader application that includes W–Mo exploration.

Processing of glacial sediments for the recovery of indicator minerals: protocols used at the Geological Survey of Canada

A successful method of mineral exploration in glaciated terrain is the use of indicator minerals recovered from carefully selected glacial sediments, and subsequently traced back to their bedrock source. The successful application of indicator mineral methods relies on efficient and effective recovery as well as the correct identification of a wide variety of indicator minerals. The Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) has developed protocols for ongoing and future research projects to achieve the highest quality for reporting indicator mineral data. Such protocols include the use of field duplicate samples, blank samples, and base material spiked with known numbers, morphologies, species, and sizes of indicator minerals. Field duplicate samples serve to estimate sediment heterogeneity. Spiked samples are used to monitor the accuracy of the sample processing and mineral identification methods for recovering specific minerals. Blank samples serve to detect potential carry-over contamination. In certain instances, a specific sample processing order is essential and should be communicated to the commercial processing laboratory. Ore-rich samples collected near known mineralization are to be processed last, to reduce chances of carry-over contamination. Repeated indicator mineral counts should be carried out on at least 10% of the heavy mineral concentrates to measure reproducibility (precision) of the mineral counts. All indicator mineral data, original laboratory reports, heavy mineral concentrates, unmounted picked grains, and grain mounts are now archived at the GSC, using specific guidelines.

Glacial dispersal and mode of occurrence of metals in till and esker gravel at Kumpuselkä, northern Finland

A Cu-Zn-Pb-Au mineralized quartz-carbonate vein within micaceous schist recently exposed in a gravel pit quarried into the Kumpuselkä esker (Finland) was the impetus of this study, which examines the glacial dispersal of metals in the nearby Quaternary deposits. The oldest ice flow direction in the area was to the SE–SSE, the younger flow in the ice lobe phase to the ESE and the youngest flow to the ENE. Five till and three esker gravel samples were taken for geochemical and heavy mineral studies. The concentrations of base metals in the conventional fine fraction analysis of the till samples are at background level although the samples had been taken from the very proximal part of the glacial dispersal train. Copper and Pb contents in the fine fraction of esker gravel are at higher levels than those in till fines. Base metal sulphides as chalcopyrite, sphalerite, galena and pyrite were found as some separate grains in the heavy mineral concentrates of till. More often, the Cu, Zn and Pb sulphides occur as tiny inclusions in the coarse pyrite grains. Heavy mineral concentrates of the esker gravel contain abundant pyrite grains, but no visible Cu, Zn or Pb sulphides were recovered. In one heavy mineral concentrate of till (KUM 4), Ni-bearing cobaltite and Co-bearing arsenopyrite along with pyrite, chalcopyrite and sphalerite were found. Sulphide minerals have survived even within the upper C-horizon of the till above the groundwater level and therefore sulphide minerals can be used for prospecting sulphide ores by indicator mineral methods. Some chromite grains were also found in the heavy mineral concentrates of the till samples. Their presence reflects multi-phase, long-distance glacial transport (100 km) of the older till material which have subsequently been inherited by the younger till.

Introduction to Indicator Mineral (IM) Special Issue

Indicator minerals are mineral species that, when recovered from surficial sediments, indicate the presence of a specific mineral deposit, hydrothermal alteration, or rock lithology. Ideal indicator minerals are found in few if any rocks other than the host deposit or lithology. Their physical and chemical characteristics allow them to be readily recovered from exploration sample media and make them sufficiently abundant to be useful (McClenaghan 2005). The application of indicator mineral methods to mineral exploration has a long history extending back to Roman times. In more recent times, from the 1960s to the 1980s, indicator mineral methods were commonly used worldwide to explore for tin (Zantop & Nespereira 1979; Ryan et al . 1988), tungsten (e.g. Lindmark 1977; Stendal 1982; Toverud 1984; …

Overview of common processing methods for recovery of indicator minerals from sediment and bedrock in mineral exploration

ABSTRACT Over the past two decades, the application of indicator mineral methods to mineral exploration has expanded significantly such that they are now used to explore globally for a broad spectrum of commodities. Indicator mineral suites have been identified for a variety of ore deposit types including diamond, Au, Ni-Cu, PGE, metamorphosed volcanogenic massive sulphide, porphyry Cu, U, Sn and W. Indicator minerals, which include ore, accessory and alteration minerals, are sparse in unconsolidated sediments, thus sediment samples must be concentrated in order to recover and examine them. Because most indicator minerals have a moderate to high specific gravity, processing techniques involving density separation, in combination with sizing and magnetic separation, are used to recover them from sediment samples. This paper reviews the commonly used processing methods including panning, hydroseparation, tabling, Knelson concentrators, spiral concentrators, dense media separators, jigs and various types of magnetic separators, as well as mineral selection and mineral chemistry determinations. Monitoring of quality control is essential at each stage in these processing, picking and analytical procedures. When reporting indicator mineral results, processing methods, fraction weights and size ranges, and laboratory name should all be recorded, in addition to indicator mineral abundance data.

An orientation study of the heavy mineral signature of the NICO Co-Au-Bi deposit, Great Bear magmatic zone, NW Territories, Canada

ABSTRACT An orientation study around the NICO Co-Au-Bi deposit in the Great Bear magmatic zone of NW Territories, Canada, was initiated in 2007 to establish a practical guide to geochemical and mineralogical exploration for iron oxide copper-gold deposits in glaciated terrain. Bedrock and till samples were collected up-ice, proximal and down-ice from mineralization and host rocks, to characterize their indicator mineral signatures. Results demonstrate that gold grain abundance, size and shape, as well as magnetite and hematite composition, have the best potential to fingerprint the mineralization at NICO. Pristine-shaped gold grains indicative of a local bedrock source and a short distance of glacial transport are relatively abundant in till samples collected immediately down-ice from several mineral occurrences at NICO and none were recovered up-ice. Iron oxide composition using preliminary discriminant diagrams shows some potential, using Ni/(Mn+Cr) versus Ti+V plots. In particular, magnetite and hematite from till samples collected over, or directly down-ice of, the NICO deposit have lower Ti+V compositions compared to magnetite and hematite from till collected up-ice from mineralization. Potential non-ferromagnetic indicator minerals are either not chemically stable in surface sediments (arsenopyrite, chalcopyrite, pyrite), not sufficiently coarse-grained or resistant to glacial transport (bismuthinite, tourmaline, ferroactinolite), not abundant enough in the mineralized bedrock (scheelite, molybdenite, cobaltite, allanite), or not sufficiently heavy (tourmaline) to be useful at NICO but may be at other deposits in the region or elsewhere in glaciated terrain. The development of indicator mineral methods, together with till geochemistry, will be tested with further sampling over the Great Bear magmatic zone.

Indicator mineral methods in mineral exploration

Indicator minerals are mineral species that, when appearing as transported grains in clastic sediments, indicate the presence in bedrock of a specific type of mineralization, hydrothermal alteration or lithology. Their physical and chemical characteristics, including a relatively high density, facilitate their preservation and identification and allow them to be readily recovered at the parts per billion level from sample media such as till, stream sediments or soil producing large exploration targets. Another major advantage of indicator mineral methods is that grain morphology, surface textures or mineral chemistry may be examined to obtain information about transport distance and bedrock source. Indicator minerals have become an important exploration method in the past 20 years and now include suites for detecting a variety of ore deposit types including diamond, gold, Ni–Cu, PGE, porphyry Cu, massive sulphide, and tungsten deposits. One of the most significant events in the application of indicator mineral methods in the past 10 years was the explosion in diamond exploration activity in the glaciated terrain of Canada and the resultant changes in sampling and processing methods and improved understanding of kimberlite indicator minerals. At the same time, technological advances have led to increased sophistication of determining indicator mineral chemistry for all indicator minerals. This paper provides an overview of indicator mineral methods and their application in a variety of terrains in the past 20 years, focusing on gold and diamond exploration.

Indicator mineral and geochemical methods for diamond exploration in glaciated terrain in Canada

Abstract This paper provides a summary of selected diamond exploration techniques used in the glaciated terrain of Canada, focusing on indicator mineral methods and till geochemistry but also including geochemistry of lake sediments and vegetation. Diamond exploration in Canada focuses on kimberlite, the primary host rock for diamonds in this country. Kimberlite is a mineralogically and chemically distinct point source which may yield discrete dispersal trains in glacial sediments. Understanding the ice flow history and depositional history of glacial sediments and identifying multiple till sheets in areas covered by thick glacial sediments are essential for successful sampling, interpretation and follow-up of indicator mineral and geochemical anomalies related to these rocks. Orientation studies over known kimberlites provide important information on the mineralogical and geochemical signatures of kimberlite, and the size fractions of glacial sediments that are best suited to indicator mineral and geochemical analysis. Kimberlite indicator minerals survive glacial transport over long distances and the relative abundance of each mineral in till is a function of the primary mineralogy of individual kimberlites. Indicator mineral distributions observed at a regional scale define the net effect of glacial dispersal, often along different ice flow directions. Local scale distributions define individual dispersal trains. The finer (0.25 to 0.5 mm) fraction of heavy mineral concentrates prepared from till samples is best suited for indicator mineral surveys. Till geochemistry is gaining popularity in diamond exploration because it is significantly cheaper than indicator mineral analysis and it can be performed quickly. Important kimberlite pathfinder elements that provide good contrast in till geochemical surveys include Ni, Cr, Ba, Co, Sr, Rb, Nb, Mg, Ta, Ca, Fe, K, Ti and REE, the relative importance of which will depend on kimberlite composition as well as that of the surrounding bedrock. Biogeochemical studies over kimberlites in Canada reveal geochemical signatures in vegetation despite the glacially transported substrate.

About this title

This volume describes the use of till geochemical and indicator mineral methods for mineral exploration in glaciated terrain of Canada. The principles and examples described in this volume wil have direct applications for exploration companies and prospectors exploring for diamonds, precious and base metals and uranium in glaciated parts of North America, northern Europe and Asia and mountainous regions of South America. The first two papers in this volume provide an introduction to glaciated terrain and the two styles of glaciation that have affected the world, continental glaciers in broad flat lying Shield areas and alpine glaciers in mountainous terrain. Sampling techniques are described next, followed by an introduction to the use of heavy minerals. Heavy mineral methodss have become an important exploration tool in glaciated terrain for gold and base metals and, in the last ten years, for diamonds. Lake sediments and biogeochemical methods are also included in this volume as a complement to geochemical and indicator mineral methods in glaciated terrain. A chapter on GIS has been included because data interpretation and display are important and essential parts of any regional or detailed geochemical survey. The remainder of the volume is case studies for the three main glaciated terrain tyes in Canada: Shield, Appalachia and Cordillera