Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Today's society is challenged by growing demand for critical minerals needed for the energy transition. Those minerals are found in ore deposits that are increasingly difficult to find. Our research is developing new models to understand how and where those deposits formed. Some of the most important deposits of base metals, such as copper and zinc, were originally formed in ancient oceans, specifically at continental margins, in back-arc basins, and in intracratonic rifts. Modern analogs of these settings are of increasing scientific interest as locations where the active tectonic, magmatic and hydrothermal processes leading to ore formation can be studied directly. New opportunities to map and explore modern submarine continental rifts are revealing previously unrecognized microplate dynamics that regulate crustal growth and related magmatic-hydrothermal activity. This knowledge is dramatically improving exploration for ancient ore deposits on land, providing clues to the possible locations of the largest and richest deposits. My work with students at uOttawa employs state-of-the-art deep-sea mapping technologies to reconstruct large-scale mineral systems in the oceans where significant metal accumulation is taking place. We combine acoustic, seismic, magnetic and gravity data to create detailed maps of the ore-hosting basins and trace the ore elements back to their crustal and mantle sources. Some of the largest modern submarine magmatic-hydrothermal systems in the world are found at the Indo-Australian margin in easternmost Papua New Guinea; at the African and Eurasian plate boundary in the Tyrrhenian and Aegean Seas; and along the actively rifting Arabian-Nubian shield in the Red Sea. These areas host the giant metalliferous brine-pool deposits in the Red Sea (Atlantis II Deep), high-grade polymetallic Zn-Pb-Ag deposits in the Tyrrhenian and Aegean Seas (Palinuro Seamount, Santorini-Kolumbo), and the supergiant epithermal gold deposits in the New Ireland Basin of Papua New Guinea. Because these deposits are still forming today, they provide invaluable insights into the origins of the metal-enriched melts and fluids. We are conducting new mapping projects in these areas to address a major unsolved question: Why has so much metal been added to the crust at these locations? A major goal of the research is to recognize what plate tectonic processes could have influenced the formation of similar ore deposits now preserved on land. This ambitious program relies on international cooperation that grants us access to the necessary research vessels, sea-going infrastructure and analytical facilities to conduct the research. The students are learning to apply this knowledge to ocean exploration elsewhere and to discovery on land, which could have profound implications for Canada's resource future.