Location: Laurentian University, Sudbury, Canada
Includes the following fieldtrips:
PGE mineralisation in the Nipissing and East Bull Lake intrusive suites
Date: 16th-19th June
Leaders: Michael Easton (mike.easton@ontario.ca), Richard James (rjames@laurentian.ca), Scott Jobin-Bevans (Caracle Creek International Consulting), Richard Sutcliffe (URSA Major Minerals)
The Palaeoproterozoic Southern Province encompasses a variety of mafic intrusions hosting Cu-Ni±PGE mineralisation, the most famous of which is the Sudbury Igneous Complex. This 4-day field trip will focus on the geology, stratigraphy, and contact-style Cu-Ni±PGE mineralisation hosted in two other areally-extensive mafic intrusive suites located within the Southern Province: the 2.48 Ga East Bull Lake Intrusive Suite and the 2.2 Ga Nipissing Intrusive Suite. Rocks of the East Bull Lake Intrusive Suite were once part of the same Palaeoproterozoic craton that included rocks of similar age and composition now located in Finland, Russia, Wyoming, and Ontario. Day 1 stops will view the major stratigraphic units and typical mineralisation present in the River Valley Intrusion (East Bull Lake Suite), which has been affected by varying degrees by Grenville (1.0 Ga) metamorphism, followed by travel to Espanola. Day 2 stops will visit the classic East Bull Lake Intrusion, viewing all major stratigraphic units as well as typical mineralisation, returning to Espanola in the evening. Day 3 stops will compare and contrast rock units and mineralisation styles between rocks of the East Bull Lake Intrusive Suite and Ursa Major's 2.2 Ga Shakespeare deposit (Nipissing Suite). Day 4 stops will examine rocks of the Agnew intrusion (East Bull Lake suite), returning to Sudbury in time for the welcoming reception. Cost: $650 for non-students, $400 for non-students (max. 3 at that rate), includes 3 breakfasts, 4 lunches, 3 dinners, and 3 nights (16-18 June) shared accommodation, ground transportation, guidebook, and geological maps. Departs: Sudbury 8AM on Wednesday 16 June. Returns: Sudbury 5PM on Saturday 19 June. Maximum: 18 participants, Minimum: 10 participants.
Geology of the Duke Island Complex, Alaska
Date: 16th-19th June
Leaders: Curt Freeman (Avalon Development Corp.), Ed Ripley (ripley@indiana.edu)
The Duke Island Complex is a Ural-Alaskan intrusion that occurs in the Alexander Terrane of southeast Alaska. Rock types in the Complex include dunite, wehrlite, olivine clinopyroxenite, hornblende-magnetite clinopyroxenite, hornblendite and hornblende-plagioclase pegmatite. Emplacement occurred between 106 and 112 Ma, just before the onset of Mid-Cretaceous thrust faulting in the Alexander Terrane. Debate continues as to whether the Complex fits the description of a concentrically zoned ultramafic complex or if "cumulate" processes overshadowed reactive melt-rock interaction. What is not debated is that the Complex contains some of the most spectacularly layered igneous rocks on Earth. Cu-Ni-PGE sulphide mineralisation has recently been discovered, primarily in the olivine clinopyroxenites. The trip will include two days devoted to examining rocks of the Complex, as well as country rocks. Lodging will be in Ketchikan, Alaska, with helicopter/float plane transport to the island each morning and helicopter transport on the island and for the return to Ketchikan each evening. NOTE: Participants will require passports and possibly also visas to enter the US.Cost: $2225 for non-students, $1500 for students (max. 1 at that rate), includes 3 nights (16-19 June) single lodging in Ketchikan, helicopter/float plane transport to and from Duke Island, 2 lunches and mid-morning coffee/snacks (17-18 June), and guidebook. The hotel serves a continental breakfast, but there are other options for breakfast, as well as dinner, in Ketchikan. The trip does not include transportation between Ketchikan and Sudbury. Actual trip dates: Thursday 17 and Friday 18 June. Participants should make arrangements to arrive in Ketchikan on 16 June and to depart for Sudbury on 19 June. Maximum: 10 participants, Minimum: 10 participants.
Physical volcanology of komatiites and associated Ni-Cu-(PGE) mineralisation in the western Abitibi greenstone belt, Ontario
Date: 25th-29th June
Location: Michel Houle (Michel.Houle@NRCan-RNCan.gc.ca), Sonia Prefontaine (sonia.prefontaine@ontario.ca), Brian Atkinson (Ontario Geological Survey)
The Abitibi Subprovince hosts a variety of komatiitic lava flows, subvolcanic sills, and intrusions hosting Ni-Cu-(PGE) mineralisation. This 5-day field trip will focus on the stratigraphy, the physical volcanology, and the Kambalda- and Mt. Keith-style mineralisation hosted in two extensive lithotectonic assemblages located within the Abitibi Greenstone Belt, the 2719-2711 Ma Kidd-Munro assemblage and the 2710-2704 Ma Tisdale Assemblage. Komatiitic rocks in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt are among the best-preserved mineralised komatiites in the world. Day 1 will be used to drive from Sudbury to Kirkland Lake (~5 hours). On the way to Kirkland Lake, an atypical komatiite-hosted nickel occurrence will be visited; the C-Zone mineralisation is associated with a heterolithic komatiitic breccia in Bannockburn Township. An evening lecture will be presented to introduce participants to the general geology of the Abitibi Greenstone Belt. Day 2 stops will be devoted to the physical volcanology of komatiite by examining typical volcanic facies at classic exposures such as Pyke Hill and Lava Lake at the Potter Mine in Munro Township. VMS-style mineralisation closely associated with this mafic to ultramafic volcanic succession and an ultramafic to mafic layered intrusion will also be examined (if time permits). Day 3 stops will look at the subvolcanic-volcanic architecture of the Shaw Dome, prolific for its nickel mineralisation associated with komatiites, by comparing and contrasting physical volcanology and mineralisation styles between extrusive and intrusive mineralised environments (DDHs at Hart, McWatters and Redstone). Day 4 will focus on the physical volcanology of komatiites in Dundonald Township and its implication for komatiite-associated Ni-Cu-(PGE) deposits. Day 5 stops will examine rocks of the Bartlett Dome (Serpentine Mountain, Texmont mine) and the Halliday Dome (Sothman deposit), returning to Sudbury late afternoon. Travel will be by mini-vans, accommodations will be in motels in Kirkland Lake and Timmins. Cost: $900 for non-students, $550 for students (max. 2 at that rate), includes 4 breakfasts, 5 lunches, 4 dinners, 4 nights shared accommodation (25-28 June) in Timmins, ground transportation, and guidebook. Departs: Sudbury ~830AM on Friday 25 June, Returns: Sudbury ~6PM on Tuesday 29 June. Maximum:18 participants, Minimum: 10 participants.
Ni-Cu-(PGE) mineralisation in mafic intrusions of the Lake Superior region
Date: 24th-30th June
Leaders: Jim Miller (mille066@tc.umn.edu), Mark Smyk (mark.smyk@ontario.ca), Peter Hollings (pnhollin@lakeheadu.ca)
This 6-day trip will investigate field exposures and drill core of Cu-Ni-PGE deposits hosted by various 1.1 Ga Midcontinent Rift-related, mafic and ultramafic intrusions in the western Lake Superior region. Mineralised intrusions to be visited include the Coldwell Complex near Marathon, Ontario, several small ultramafic bodies in the Lake Nipigon-Thunder Bay, Ontario area, the South Kawishiwi and Partridge River intrusions of the Duluth Complex in northeast Minnesota, and the Eagle Intrusion in Upper Michigan. The trip will also visit the Pd-mineralised Archean Lac des Isles Complex near Thunder Bay. Travel will be by coach bus and accommodations will be in motels in Marathon and Thunder Bay, Ontario, Biwabik and Duluth, Minnesota, and Marquette, Michigan. NOTE: Participants will require passports and possibly also visas to enter the US.Cost: $1475 for non-students, $1000 for students (max. 3 at that rate), including all meals, 6 nights (24-29 June) shared accommodation, motor coach transportation, and guidebook. Departs: Sudbury ~1PM on Thursday 24 June, Returns: Sudbury ~3PM on Wednesday 30 June. Maximum: 45 participants, Minimum: 30 participants.
PGE mineralisation in the River Valley intrusion (East Bull Lake Intrusive Suite)
Date: 25th June
Leaders: Michael Easton (mike.easton@ontario.ca), Richard James (rjames@laurentian.ca), Scott Jobin-Bevans (Caracle Creek International Consulting)
The Palaeoproterozoic Southern Province encompasses a variety of mafic intrusions hosting Cu-Ni±PGE mineralisation, the most famous of which is the Sudbury Igneous Complex. This 1-day trip will view the major stratigraphic units and typical contact style PGE±Cu-Ni mineralisation present in the River Valley Intrusion, typical of that found throughout the 2.48 Ga East Bull Lake Intrusive Suite, as well as the effects of Grenville metamorphism (1.0 Ga) on rocks of the intrusion. Rocks of the East Bull Lake Intrusive Suite were once part of the same Palaeoproterozoic craton that included rocks of similar age and composition now located in Finland, Russia, Wyoming and Ontario. Cost: $80 for non-students, $50 for students (NOTE: maximum of 2 at that rate are already filled),includes lunch, ground transportation, and guidebook. Participants are responsible for making their own accommodation, breakfast, and dinner arrangements on 25 June. Departs: Sudbury 7AM on Friday 25 June 25, Returns: Sudbury 7PM on Friday 25 June 25. Maximum: 18 participants, Minimum: 10 participants.