Metallogeny of convergent margins

随着对矿物商品的需求不断增加，以支持不断增长的世界人口和消费率，以及成熟矿带的发现率不断下降，勘探新的矿藏必须进入以前未勘探或浅层勘探的前沿地区。这里提出的研究将促进与世界两个主要前沿勘探区：南美洲的中央安第斯山脉(主要是阿根廷西北部)和巴尔干的特提斯带、土耳其和伊朗的板块边缘汇聚过程有关的矿藏形成和分布的地质知识。加拿大和国际采矿业在这些地区的勘探上投入了大量资金，但在许多情况下，对地区和当地地质环境的了解不足或不完整。该项目旨在通过地质测绘、地球化学和同位素分析以及矿化相关岩石的测年来填补这些空白。还将对个别矿藏进行详细研究，并结合区域地质史的综合，得出综合的成矿模式。这种地质知识本身是有用的，因为它将扩大我们对这些以前知之甚少的地区的成矿过程的理解。此外，还将为区域规模的矿产勘查提供有价值的方向，这将对矿业产生直接的好处。至少有四名研究生将参与这个项目，并将接受各种领域和分析技术方面的培训，以及接触行业实践和优先事项。这样的培训将为未来在工业、政府或学术界的地球科学部门就业提供宝贵的准备。

With increasing demand for mineral commodities to support growing world population and consumption rates, and declining discovery rates in mature mineral belts, exploration for new mineral deposits must push into previously unexplored or superficially explored frontier regions. Research proposed here will advance geological knowledge related to the formation and distribution of mineral deposits associated with convergent plate margin processes in two major frontier exploration regions of the world: the Central Andes of South America (principally northwest Argentina) and the Tethyan belt of the Balkans, Turkey, and Iran. The Canadian and international mining industry is investing heavily in exploration in these regions, but in many cases knowledge of the regional and local geological settings is lacking or incomplete. This project aims to fill these voids through geological mapping, geochemical and isotopic analyses, and dating of mineralization-related rocks. Detailed studies of individual mineral deposits will also be carried out, and combined with syntheses of regional geological history to yield integrated models of ore formation. This geological knowledge is useful in its own right because it will extend our understanding of ore-forming processes in these previously poorly understood regions. In addition, it will also provide valuable direction for regional scale mineral exploration, which will be of direct benefit to the mining industry. At least four graduate students will be involved in this project, and will receive training in a wide variety of field and analytical techniques, as well as exposure to industry practices and priorities. Such training will provide valuable preparation for future employment in the geosciences sectors of industry, government, or academia.