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(铁建造)中。在深埋后，富金属的热液流经铁层，形成了富含金的中心带和较大的蚀变晕，但金属含量较少。该项目研究了金矿床和周围晕中铁的形成化学，以确定金矿和蚀变晕中的铁形成化学如何与周围的铁形成不同。到那时，未来寻找新矿的目标将不再是小的富含金矿的中心，而是更大的蚀变足迹。该项目将使用一种新的方法，包括分析微量元素的铁形成，例如稀土元素，这些元素的存在水平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.