Geochemistry of banded iron formation hosting gold mineralization

加拿大的几个金矿产于富含铁的沉积岩（铁地层）中。在深埋之后，富含金属的热流体穿过铁地层，产生了一个富含金的中心区和一个较大的金属含量较少的蚀变晕。本项目研究金存款和周围的晕内的铁形成的化学，以确定金存款和蚀变晕中的铁形成的化学如何不同于周围的铁形成。未来寻找新矿的工作就可以不再寻找微小的富金矿中心，而是寻找更大的蚀变足迹。该项目将采用一种新方法，分析铁的形成过程中的微量元素，如稀土元素，这些元素的含量直到最近才被检测到。

Several gold mines in Canada occur in iron-rich sedimentary rocks (iron formation). After deep burial, the iron formation had metal-rich hot fluids pass through them, producing a gold-rich central zone and a larger altered halo with a lesser content of metals . This project examines the chemistry of the iron formation within the gold deposit and the surrounding halo to establish how the chemistry of iron formation in the gold deposit and the altered halo differs from the surrounding iron formation. Future search for new mines can then look not for the tiny gold-rich center but for the larger alteration footprint. The project will use a new method involving analysis of the iron formation for trace elements such as the rare earth elements which are present at levels which were not detectable until very recently.