Evaluating mineral potential of the Winter Lake greenstone belt, Slave craton, Northwest Territories

火山成因块状硫化物（VMS）矿床是在海底或海底下形成的古老的富含铜、锌、铅、银和金的矿床。它们是由海底热液沿大洋中脊沿着、岛弧内或岛弧后盆地（岛弧后形成的裂谷区）的喷口形成的。这些矿床由太古代至始新世火山岩序列所承载，这些火山岩序列形成于主要的海洋闭合和相关的海洋碰撞时期，包括晚太古代（2.8-2.69 Ga）、古元古代（1.92-1.87 Ga）、寒武-奥陶纪（500-450 Ma）、泥盆纪-密西西比纪（370-340 Ma）和早侏罗世（200-180 Ma）。西北地区（NWT）的太古宙火山弧到弧后序列拥有多个VMS矿床，是加拿大高矿产潜力的地区。本研究的目的是确定为什么一个特定的火山序列包含VMS型矿化或贫瘠;其区域背景，以及构造背景，火山建筑和相分布在VMS形成中的作用。研究小组将通过重建亚北极冬季湖绿岩带的火山，岩浆，热液，沉积，结构和构造演化来实现这些目标，该绿岩带承载VMS型矿化，但正在探索中。该研究项目将促进对Slave克拉通成矿作用的认识，并带来多重好处：1）它将促进HQP的培训，从而为加拿大采矿和矿产勘探行业提供高技能的地球科学家; 2）通过这项研究获得的新知识将直接影响负责VMS存款勘探的加拿大采矿和矿产勘探行业（历史上占加拿大相当大的基础（~30% Cu，~50% Zn，~20% Pb）和贵金属（~40% Ag，~3% Au）产量）;和3）它将有助于维持北方社区，其经济在很大程度上依赖于矿产勘探和开采。

Volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits are ancient copper-, zinc-, lead-, silver-, and gold-rich mineral deposits that form at or just below the seafloor. They form from seafloor hydrothermal venting along mid-ocean ridges, within island arcs, or in back-arc basins, which are areas of rifting that form behind island arcs. These deposits are hosted by Archean to Eocene volcanic sequences that formed during periods of major ocean closure and associated terrane collision, including the Late Archean (2.8-2.69 Ga), Paleoproterozoic (1.92-1.87 Ga), Cambro-Ordovician (500-450 Ma), Devono-Mississippian (370-340), and Early Jurassic (200-180 Ma). Archean volcanic arc to backarc sequences of the Northwest Territories (NWT) host multiple VMS deposits and are areas of high mineral potential in Canada. Objectives of this research are to determine why a specific volcanic succession contains VMS-type mineralization or is barren; its regional context, and the role of tectonic setting, volcanic architecture, and facies distribution in VMS formation. The research team will accomplish these objectives through reconstruction of the volcanic, magmatic, hydrothermal, sedimentary, structural and tectonic evolution of the subarctic Winter Lake greenstone belt that hosts VMS-type mineralization, but is under explored. This research program will advance understanding of the metallogenesis of the Slave craton and bring multiple benefits: 1) it will facilitate the training of HQP, thereby providing the Canadian mining and mineral exploration industry with highly skilled geoscientists; 2) new knowledge gained through this research will directly impact the Canadian mining and mineral exploration industry responsible for VMS deposit exploration (which historically accounts for considerable Canadian base (~30% Cu, ~50% Zn, ~20% Pb) and precious metal (~40% Ag, ~3% Au) production); and 3) it will aid in sustaining northern communities, whose economies are largely dependent on mineral exploration and mining.