Geology, mineralogy, lithogeochemistry, and genesis of mineralization in the Silurian Whisker Valley Cu-Au system, Newfoundland Appalachians

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Copper, gold, and other critical elements (rare earth elements, fluorine) are essential for the global transition to a green economy and renewable energy. Current and pending demand for these metals will far exceed supply from current production and those obtained from recycling. Thus, to meet global demands for these critical metals, new metal resources will need to be found and more efficient methods of exploration and development will be required - this project addresses both of these challenges. The proposed research focuses on copper, gold, rare earth elements, and fluorite found in magmatic rocks in Baie Verte, Springdale, and related regions in the central Newfoundland Appalachians. The work will involve studying the relationships between magmatism, the role of faults and ancient volcanoes, and how they collectively influenced the movement of metal bearing fluids, deposition of metals, and interaction of these fluids with rocks in the crust. The project will involve fieldwork and use the chemistry of rocks and minerals to determine the geological environment, age of mineralization and how the mineralization formed. In addition, the project will use geological, geochemical, mineral chemical, and machine learning methods to decipher potential geological environments with metal potential and how close one is to mineralization. The results will create new knowledge, models, and exploration and development workflows that will enable more efficient exploration for metals in the Newfoundland Appalachians and similar geological environments globally. In addition, the research team will train three Masters-level graduate students and field assistants (including Indigenous participants, if possible) who will obtain workplace skills that will be easily exportable to employment in the geosciences sector, where these skills are in great demand.