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

开采来自岩浆的镍、铜、钴、铂、钯和金的硫化物矿床(即岩浆硫化物矿床)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减少，因为矿商将矿石开采到更深的地方，那里的技术挑战会增加成本。未来发现的岩浆硫化物矿床将被覆盖在覆盖的区域内，使它们对勘探技术“视而不见”，并在地球物理数据集中掩盖它们的特征。由于在覆盖地区勘探这些高价值矿床的成本很高，因此提高对硫化镍成矿系统的了解至关重要，以使行业能够更好地预测这些矿床的位置。在理解岩浆硫化物矿床形成方面的一个关键差距是形成了一种称为球粒陨石的罕见侵入体，这些矿床通常在其中找到，是大型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。它将首次将岩浆流体动力学模型和主岩力学模型与现有最复杂的岩浆化学和性质热力学模型相结合，以评估各种球粒陨石形成的概念模型。我们将根据球粒陨石的几何形状和成因建立一个分类方案，并建立指导原则来解释围绕其形成的物理原理；其结果将是一个精炼的矿床模型，可用于为勘探计划提供信息，使其清楚地了解预期发现球粒陨石的预期构造环境。必和必拓将为受雇于这一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行业之间的更紧密联系，并培养一名早期职业研究人员，他们将学习如何在行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.