Grant: Alliance Grants

This project will focus on the Volcanic Massive Sulphide (VMS) and gold mineralization of the Lundmark-Akow portion of the North Caribou Greenstone Belt (NCGB) in the northern Superior Province. Two MSc students and up to three BSc students will use fundamental geological mapping and logging, combined with traditional and state-of-the-art analytical techniques, to characterize the mineralized systems in this poorly understood portion of the NCGB. One student will characterize the >11 km long alteration pathway/zone of coarse-grained staurolite-garnet+/-biotite-sericite schists that show geochemical characteristics typical of VMS related systems. The second will focus on characterizing the two styles of gold mineralization in the Lundmark-Akow Lake area to assess what, if any, relationship they have with the VMS mineralization. The proposed research will combine basic field and petrographic studies with well established (whole rock geochemistry, stable and radiogenic isotopes) and novel (e.g., mineral chemistry from LA-ICP-MS, EMPA, in situ isotope studies) geochemical techniques to fully characterise the paragenesis and alteration of the mineralization and the rocks that host them.The data generated in this study will be used by Romios Gold Resources Inc., to enhance their exploration efforts, and hopefully lead to increased mineral production. This project will contribute to our understanding of the NCGB and characterize the mineralization so as to develop models that can be used to target high-grade zones of mineralization. We will develop tools that can be applied by Canadian companies to aid in generating future discoveries. The discovery and development of new mineral resources is critical to the well-being of Canada's economy and this project will lead to greater efficiencies in that process.