Copper-platinum group element mineralization of the Midcontinent rift-related Marathon deposit, Ontario

本项目将重点关注与中大陆裂谷相关的冷井杂岩的马拉松钯存款的矿化带，特别是高铂族元素-低硫W层、低铂族元素-高硫下盘带和成分中等的主带。两名理科学生和一名PDF将整合新的岩心扫描技术，包括高分辨率化学和矿物测绘，与更传统的散装岩石和矿物化学数据，透射和反射光显微镜观察，地质测绘和岩心测井。这种整合的目的是确定矿化类型之间的关系（例如，高PGE-低硫与低PGE-高硫）和区域和矿床规模结构、岩石结构、矿物学以及矿物结构和化学。本研究的最终目标有两个方面：i）开发可访问的、经济的和可扩展的勘探策略，可用于识别和引导Coldwell复合体中的高品位铂族元素矿化; ii）进一步完善马拉松钯存款的内部一致的矿物存款模型。 通过本研究开发的矢量，沿着完善的矿物存款模型，将有助于Generation Mining在马拉松和Coldwell综合体的其他地方确定更多的Cu-PGE资源。由于这些载体是可扩展的，并以产生矿化的基本机制为基础，因此它们可以应用于勘探的各个阶段（例如，早期区域规模勘探与后期矿床规模勘探），以确定加拿大各地的镍铜铂族元素矿化。此外，在存款专家的支持下，从一个特征良好的超镁铁质-镁铁质Ni-Cu-PGE矿化系统中扫描大量岩心，将为Enersoft提供在这些技术通常不应用的环境中测试和增强其人工智能算法的机会。最终，这将增强岩芯扫描和相关技术对一系列新矿床和岩石环境的适用性。

This project will focus on the variably mineralized zones of the Marathon Palladium deposit of the Midcontinent Rift-related Coldwell Complex, specifically the high PGE-low sulfur W Horizon, the low PGE-high sulfur Footwall Zone, and the compositionally intermediate Main Zone. Two BSc students and one PDF will integrate novel core-scanning technology, including high resolution chemical and mineral mapping, with more traditional bulk-rock and mineral chemical data, transmitted- and reflected-light microscopy observations, geologic mapping, and core logging. The aims of this integration are to identify relationships between the style of mineralization (e.g., high PGE-low sulfur vs. low PGE-high sulfur) and regional- and deposit-scale structures, rock textures, mineralogy, as well as mineral textures and chemistry. The ultimate goals of this study are two-fold i) development of accessible, economic, and scalable exploration strategies that can be used to identify and vector towards high-grade PGE mineralization in the Coldwell Complex and ii) further refinement of an internally consistent mineral deposit model for the Marathon Palladium deposit. The vectors developed through this study, along with a refined mineral deposit model, will aid Generation Mining in identifying additional Cu-PGE resources at Marathon and elsewhere in the Coldwell Complex. Since these vectors are scalable and grounded in the fundamental mechanisms that generated the mineralization, they can be applied at various stages of exploration (e.g., early-stage regional-scale exploration vs. late-stage deposit-scale exploration) by Canadian resource companies to identify Ni-Cu-PGE mineralization throughout Canada. Additionally, scanning large volumes of drill core from a well-characterized ultramafic-mafic Ni-Cu-PGE mineralized system with support from experts on the deposit will provide Enersoft the opportunity to test and enhance their artificial intelligence algorithms in an environment in which these technologies are not typically applied. Ultimately, this will enhance the applicability of core scanning and the associated technologies to a new set of mineral deposits and petrologic environments.