Grant: Discovery Grants Program - Individual

Volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) ore bodies are rare and incredibly valuable accumulations of sulphide minerals from which important industrial and precious metals such as zinc, copper, silver and gold are produced. They form during submarine volcanism where hot (>300 C), evolved, metal- and sulphur-bearing seawater, perhaps with a component derived from magmas (magmatic fluid), is discharged onto the seafloor within ancient and modern volcanoes and, due to rapid cooling, deposited sulphide minerals at, and immediately below the seafloor. The objectives of this research are to: 1) determine why some submarine volcanic successions contain VMS deposits, whereas most do not, by examining large scale features such as differences in geodynamic setting, volcanic and intrusion architecture and history, the origin of the magmas, the type and thickness of underlying ocean crust, and the depositional environment; 2) determine the importance of magmas and magmatic heat in generating and driving hot VMS hydrothermal systems by understanding the role of subvolcanic intrusion architecture, history, composition-temperature, and longevity; 3) determine the usefulness of volcaniclastic lithofacies to decipher VMS basin morphology in order to determine controls on the location and formation of the VMS deposits on the seafloor; and 4) to educate and train highly qualified personnel to replace those in an aging exploration work force, and/or to continue in research. Results of this research will benefit those who explore for VMS deposits and, as such, the Canadian mining industry will be a direct beneficiary of this research and, indirectly, so will the non-urban, northern Canadian, mining communities whose survival, growth, and prosperity are closely linked to successful exploration and responsible mining. The research will also benefit those who study the evolution of our planet through analysis of ancient and/or modern seafloor volcanoes and their contained VMS deposits.