Tracking gold deposits in permafrost terrains

在加拿大北部的永久冻土带勘探金矿是具有挑战性的，不仅因为远离交通基础设施，而且因为基岩很大程度上被末次冰期沉积的常年冻结的冰川沉积物所覆盖。这些冰川沉积物掩盖了下面的矿藏。冰川沉积物是由基岩的冰下侵蚀和搬运形成的，其中包括露头金矿或其蚀变光圈。因此，冰川沉积物中的扩散模式为部分侵蚀的金矿床提供了一个矢量。通过对冰川沉积物的地球化学和矿物学成分分析，可以发现金矿的踪迹。然而，目前的方法通常涉及将大样本（重量超过10公斤）运送到通常位于加拿大南部的实验室。运输、样品制备和分析可能需要几个月的时间，才能获得分析结果，以评估矿产勘探计划的结果。该项目的目的是记录部分侵蚀的金矿的化学和矿物示踪剂的冰川运输的方向和距离，并发展新的方法，为进行勘探的外地工作人员提供时间和成本效益的结果。实地测量将使矿物勘探公司能够对结果作出调整和反应，以便以更有效的方式进行矿物勘探。

Exploration for gold in permafrost terrains of Northern Canada is challenging not only because of the distance from transportation infrastructures, but also because the bedrock is largely covered by perennially-frozen glacial sediments deposited during the last glaciation(s). These glacial sediments mask mineral deposits lying beneath. The glacial sediments were formed by subglacial erosion and transport of the bedrock, which included outcropping gold deposits or their alteration aureoles. The dispersal patterns in the glacial sediments therefore provide a vector towards the partly eroded gold deposits. The trace of a gold deposit can be found by analysis of the geochemical and mineralogical composition of the glacial sediments. However, current methods commonly involve shipping large samples (+10 kg in weight) to laboratories typically located in southern Canada. Shipping, sample preparation and analysis can take several months before the analytical results are available to assess the results of the mineral exploration program.The project aims to document the direction and distance of glacial transport of the chemical and mineral tracers of partly eroded gold deposits, and to develop new methodologies that will provide time and cost effective results to the field crews carrying exploration. The field measurements will allow the mineral exploration companies to adjust and react to the results in order to carry mineral exploration in a more efficient manner.