Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits are important sources of metals (zinc, lead, copper, gold, silver) to the Canadian and global economy. Despite millennia of mining, and decades studying these deposits, there are still fundamental questions that remain regarding what controls the size (tonnage) and abundance (grade) of mineralization. In particular, high-value deposits are often large and/or have high grades of metal, yet the controls on grade and tonnage are not fully understood. This research program will focus on rocks in the Canadian Cordilleran and Appalachian mountain belts, looking at the compositions of rocks and minerals associated with VMS deposits as a function of deposit tonnage and grade to evaluate the potential role that magmas play in deposit genesis, and to evaluate the role that the oxygen content of ocean waters in the past has played in deposit localization and metal abundance. The proposed research will create new knowledge that will contribute scientifically, but also provide mineral exploration parameters that may help geoscience practioners to become better explorers and to rank exploration and development targets. Moreover, it will train numerous students with skills that will make them able to enter the Canadian geoscience profession upon completion of their degrees.