Thermal and compositional structure of the Superior Craton, Canada: Lithospheric architecture and implications for diamond prospectivity

通过地球物理学进行矿产资源勘探通常与浅层地下成像相结合以找到矿床。然而，我们也可以通过研究大陆的深层大规模结构来了解更多关于矿物如何在深度产生以及它们如何找到表面的方式。这种“矿物系统”的方法在加拿大越来越受欢迎，为新一代的深部结构研究铺平了道路。 自20世纪60年代以来，戴比尔斯加拿大公司一直在加拿大积极勘探钻石，并在安大略和西北地区经营着3个钻石矿。钻石最初是在特定的温度和压力条件下在很深的地方形成的，并通过穿透大陆深层“根”的火山爆发带到地表。因此，钻石矿床的分布受大陆深部结构和后来火山活动从深部到地表的“通道”的控制。 为了提高钻石行业的勘探目标，我们需要应用新的方法， 在3D大陆的深层结构，特别是温度和岩石化学成分的变化。我们将结合联合收割机的各种数据，使用地球物理学和地球化学，以模拟加拿大中东部的地壳和上地幔的结构，在那里发现了一些世界上最古老的岩石，并且古老的大陆“根”已知足够厚，以支持钻石的形成。戴比尔斯加拿大公司随后将使用该模型评估整个地区的潜在勘探目标，在那里他们可以应用基于实地的调查方法，利用基于实地的勘探项目更详细地研究目标地区。因此，该联盟伙伴关系项目的目的是帮助在加拿大地盾东部发现新的具有重要经济意义的钻石前景。

Mineral resources exploration through geophysics is usually associated with shallow subsurface imaging to find ore deposits. However, we can also learn a great deal by studying the deep, large-scale structure of the continents to find out more about how the minerals are created at depth and how they find their way to the surface. This "mineral systems" approach is gaining popularity in Canada, paving the way for a new generation of studies of deep structure. De Beers Canada has been actively exploring for diamonds in Canada since the 1960s and has operated 3 diamond mines in Ontario and the Northwest Territories. Diamonds are initially formed at great depth, under specific conditions of temperature and pressure, and are brought to the surface by volcanic eruptions that penetrate through the deep continental "root". The distribution of diamondiferous deposits is therefore controlled by both the deep structure of the continent and by the "pathways" created from depth to surface by later volcanic activity. In order to improve exploration targeting for the diamond industry, we need to apply new methods that image the deep structure of the continent in 3D, in particular, variations in the temperature and chemical composition of the rocks. We will combine a diverse range of data, using both geophysics and geochemistry, to model the structure of the crust and upper mantle beneath central-eastern Canada, where some of the world's oldest rocks are found, and where the ancient continental "root" is known to be thick enough to support diamond formation. De Beers Canada will subsequently use the model to evaluate potential exploration targets across the region, where they can apply field-based survey methods to study the target areas in more detail, using field-based exploration projects. The aim of this Alliance partnership project is therefore to aid the discovery of new economically-important diamond prospects in the eastern Canadian Shield.