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

来自岩浆（即岩浆硫化物矿床）的镍、铜、钴、铂、钯和金硫化物矿床的开采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，因为矿商将向更深的深度开采矿石，而在更深的深度，技术挑战带来了越来越高的成本。未来发现的岩浆硫化物矿床将位于被覆盖的区域之下，使其对勘探技术“视而不见”，并掩盖其在地球物理数据集中的特征。由于在覆盖区域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，从而使工业界能够更好地预测这些矿床的发生位置。了解岩浆硫化物矿床形成的一个关键空白是一种罕见的侵入物的形成，这种侵入物被称为球粒岩，这些矿床通常在球粒岩中发现，并且是大火成岩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模型和宿主岩石力学模型与最复杂的岩浆化学和性质热力学模型结合起来，以评估球粒岩形成的各种概念模型。我们将根据球粒岩的几何形状和起源建立球粒岩的分类方案，并建立指导原则来解释球粒岩形成的物理环境；其结果将是一个精炼的矿床模型，该模型可用于为勘探计划提供信息，并清楚地了解可能发现球粒岩的预期结构环境。必和必拓将为参与该研究项目的博士后提供行业背景，促进基础地球科学研究与其直接应用于工业之间的更紧密联系，并培养一名早期职业研究人员，学习如何在工业和学术界之间工作。

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.