Characterizing enigmatic tube-shaped igneous intrusions, called chonoliths, that host the majority of known magmatic sulfide deposits: contribution to exploration targeting

岩浆成因的镍、铜、钴、铂、钯、Au等硫化物矿床的开采（即，岩浆硫化物矿床）每年为加拿大经济贡献超过50亿美元（NRCan，2018）。 加拿大已知资源的产量将萎缩，因为矿工们将矿石开采到更深的地方，那里的技术挑战带来了成本的增加。 未来岩浆硫化物矿床的发现将在被覆盖的区域内，使他们对勘探技术“视而不见”，并在地球物理数据集中掩盖其特征。由于在覆盖区勘探这些高价值矿床的成本很高，因此提高对硫化镍矿化系统的了解至关重要，以便让行业更好地预测这些矿床的发生地点。对岩浆硫化物存款形成的理解的一个关键差距是一种称为球粒陨石的罕见侵入体类型的形成，这些存款通常在其中发现，并且是大火成省管道系统的一部分。 拟议的研究将使私营部门地质学家的经验和知识与学术专家的技术专长相匹配。 这将是第一个将岩浆流体动力学和寄主岩石力学的联合收割机模型与最复杂的岩浆化学和性质的现有热力学模型相结合，以评估各种各样的概念模型。 我们将根据它们的几何形状和起源建立一个分类方案，并建立指导原则来解释围绕它们形成的物理学;其结果将是一个精炼的矿石存款模型，可用于为勘探计划提供信息，并清楚地了解预期的结构环境，预计可以发现球粒陨石。必和必拓将为博士后研究员提供行业背景，将在这项研究计划中就业，促进基础地球科学研究与其直接应用于工业之间更紧密的联系，并发展一个早期的职业研究人员谁将学习如何在工业和学术界之间的接口工作。

Mining of ore deposits of sulfide ores of Ni, Cu, Co, Pt, Pd, and Au derived from magmas (i.e., magmatic sulfide deposits) contributes over $5B to Canada's economy annually (NRCan, 2018). Canadian production from known resources will shrink as miners pursue ore to greater depths where technical challenges pose increasing costs. Discoveries of magmatic sulfide deposits in future will be under areas that are covered, rendering them 'blind' to prospecting techniques, and masking their signatures in geophysical datasets. As exploration for these high value deposits in covered areas is expensive, it is critical to improve the understanding of the nickel sulfide mineralising system to allow industry to better predict where these deposits occur. A key gap in understanding of magmatic sulfide deposit formation is the formation of a rare type of intrusion called chonoliths, in which these deposits are usually found, and which are part of the plumbing system for Large Igneous Provinces. The proposed research will match the experience and knowledge of private-sector geologists with the technical expertise of academic specialists. It will be the first to combine models of fluid dynamics of magmas and mechanics of host rocks with the most sophisticated available thermodynamic models of magma chemistry and properties to assess a variety of conceptual models for chonolith formation. We will erect a classification scheme for chonoliths based on their geometry and origin, and establish guiding principles to explain the physics surrounding their formation; the result of this will be a refined ore deposit model that can be used to inform exploration programs with a clear idea of the anticipated structural settings in which chonoliths can be expected to be found. BHP will provide industry context to the postdoctoral fellow who will be employed in this research program, fostering stronger links between fundamental geoscience research and its direct application to industry, and developing an early career researcher who will learn how to work at the interface between industry and academia.