Tracking gold deposits in permafrost terrains

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Exploration for gold in permafrost terrains of Northern Canada is challenging not only because of the distance from transportation infrastructures, but also because the bedrock is largely covered by perennially-frozen glacial sediments deposited during the last glaciation(s). These glacial sediments mask mineral deposits lying beneath. The glacial sediments were formed by subglacial erosion and transport of the bedrock, which included outcropping gold deposits or their alteration aureoles. The dispersal patterns in the glacial sediments therefore provide a vector towards the partly eroded gold deposits. The trace of a gold deposit can be found by analysis of the geochemical and mineralogical composition of the glacial sediments. However, current methods commonly involve shipping large samples (+10 kg in weight) to laboratories typically located in southern Canada. Shipping, sample preparation and analysis can take several months before the analytical results are available to assess the results of the mineral exploration program.