Petrological, mineralogical and geochemical constraints of PGE-Ni-Cu mineralization in the platreef and implications for mineral exploration

金属的持续供应对经济发展和增长至关重要，因为金属是工业化社会的支柱。该项目旨在提高我们对主要含有铂（Pt）、钯（Pd）和金（Au）但也含有大量铑（Rh）、镍（Ni）和铜（Cu）的矿床的成因和分布的理解。这些金属有广泛的应用。例如，除了作为投资工具的价值外，Pt和Pd在催化过程中是必不可少的元素，并且在包括汽车工业在内的几个部门对污染控制的需求很高。**该项目提供了一个独特的机会来详细描述世界上已知的最大的铂、钯、金矿化之一：Platreef （Bushveld火成岩复合体，南非）。该项目将解决两个基本问题：(a)哪些过程控制了矿化厚度的空间分布和变化？(b)哪些特定特征可以用作“勘探向量”，以更好地确定已知矿化程度并在其他地方发现类似矿床？（在南非和世界各地，包括加拿大未开发的北部）。这些问题的答案将使矿产勘探**更有效，更具成本效益，并更成功地发现新的矿床。**该项目围绕培养高素质人才而设计，将有多名研究生（4名硕士和2名博士）直接参与该项目。除了工业合作伙伴外，该项目还得到了两项加拿大倡议的支持：女王伊丽莎白二世钻禧奖学金计划和**国际发展研究中心（IDRC）。NSERC的支持有助于实现这两所加拿大机构在促进与发展中国家的研究和合作以及在英联邦国家的大学中建立技术能力方面的目标。

A continuous supply of metals is essential for economic development and growth because metals are the**backbone of industrialized societies. This project aims to improve our understanding of the genesis and**distribution of deposits containing primarily platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), and gold (Au) but also containing**significant amounts of rhodium (Rh), nickel (Ni), and copper (Cu). These metals have a wide range of**applications. For example, in addition to their value as investment instruments, Pt and Pd are essential elements**in catalytic processes and in high demand for pollution control in several sectors, including the automotive**industry.**The project provides a unique opportunity to characterize, in detail, one of the largest known Pt, Pd, Au**mineralizations worldwide: the Platreef (Bushveld Igneous Complex, South Africa). The project will address**two fundamental questions: (a) which processes controlled the spatial distribution and variations in the**thickness of the mineralization?; (b) what particular characteristics can be used as 'exploration vectors' to better**define the extent of known mineralization and find similar deposits elsewhere? (in South Africa and**worldwide, including Canada's unexplored north). Answers to these questions will make mineral exploration**more efficient, cost-effective, and more successful in finding new deposits.**The project is designed around the training of highly-qualified personnel and several graduate students (4**MSc and 2 PhD) will be directly involved in the project. In addition to the industrial partner, the project is**supported by two Canadian initiatives: the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Scholarship Program and the**International Development Research Centre (IDRC). NSERC support contributes to fulfil the goals of the two**Canadian institutions in fostering research and collaboration with developing countries and building**technological capacity in universities of Commonwealth countries.