1:100,000 scale map released as part of NWT Open Report 2008-007 (Click for larger version)

 

Phase I
Poster Presentations

 

Phase I
Thematic Studies

Two regional scale ground geophysical transects were completed for Phase I (see also Western Slave Study). The magnetotelluric (Spratt et al, 2009) and teleseismic (Snyder, 2008; Snyder and Bruneton, 2006) data collected characterize the lower crust / lithospheric mantle to the west of the exposed Slave Province. A post-doctoral study at Memorial University of Newfoundland provides age constraints on the major tectonic and magmatic events (Bennett and Rivers, 2006a and 2006b). The age and hydrothermal character of the fluids and associated metals at the Nori/RA Cu-Mo-U prospect are examined by Ootes et al., 2010. Results from assay samples collected during the 2004 to 2007 seasons are reported in Ootes et al. (2006 and 2008).

 

Phase I
Thesis Studies

The South Wopmay project supports undergraduate and graduate level theses, which address key questions identified within the study area and beyond. These and directed studies are listed by the year initiated below.

In 2004:

• B.Sc. thesis at Carleton University by Albert Stoffers (Dr. B. Cousens) examined the geology and geochemistry of the various mafic dykes in the project area (Stoffers, 2005).

In 2005:

• B.Sc. thesis by Tania Brzozowski at Carleton University (Dr. B. Cousens) studied ultramafic intrusions east of Wopmay fault zone (Brzozowski, 2006)
• B.Sc. thesis by J-Y Landry at University of Ottawa (Dr. M. Hannington) studied alteration of the Treasure Lake Group at DeVries Lake (Landry, 2006)
• directed study by Michael Moroskat at University of Alberta (Dr. P. Erdmer) examined the Archean/Proterozoic unconformity and age of 'Mattberry' granite at Mattberry Lake (Moroskat, 2007)

In 2006:

• M.Sc. thesis by Suzy Byron at University of Alberta (Dr. S. Gleeson) on giant quartz veins in the Great Bear magmatic zone (Byron, 2010)
• B.Sc. thesis at University of Toronto by Bronwyn Azar (Dr. J. Mungall) examined the Geochemistry of some of the volcanic rocks, porphyries, and mineralization in the Great Bear magmatic zone (Azar, 2007)
• directed studies at University of Alberta by Nathan Steeves on the structure of the metasedimentary rocks at DeVries Lake (Steeves, et al., 2007) and by Brodie Sutherland on metamorphism and timing of deformation of a mafic sill and surrounding supracrustal rocks at 'Arm' Lake (Sutherland, 2007)

 

Phase I
References Cited

Azar, B., 2007. The Lithogeochemistry of Volcanic and Subvolcanic Rocks of the FAB Lake Area, Great Bear Magmatic Zone, Northwest Territories, Canada; Unpublished B.Sc. thesis, University of Toronto, 96p.

Bennett, V., and Rivers, T., 2006a. U-Pb ages of zircon primary crystallization and inheritance for magmatic rocks of the southern Wopmay Orogen, Northwest Territories; Northwest Territories Geoscience Office, NWT Open Report 2006-006, 64 p.

Bennett, V., and Rivers, T., 2006b. U-Pb ages of detrital zircons from the southern Wopmay Orogen, Northwest Territories; Northwest Territories Geoscience Office, NWT Open Report 2006-007, text, 29 p.

Brzozowski, T., 2006. A comprehensive study of two ultramafic plutons in the southern Bear and Slave structural provinces, N.W.T., Canada; 45 p. plus 21 p. appendices, Unpublished B.Sc. thesis, Carleton University.

Byron, S.J., 2010. Giant Quartz Veins of the Great Bear Magmatic Zone, Northwest
Territories, Canada; Unpublished M.Sc. thesis, University of Alberta, 146 p.

Fyson, W.K. and Jackson, V.A., 2008.  Images of an unconformity, Mattberry Lake, NWT; Northwest Territories Geoscience office, NWT Open Report 2008-004, 27p.

Jackson, V.A., 2008. Preliminary geologic map of part of the Southern Wopmay Orogen (parts of NTS 86B and 86C; 2007 updates); Northwest Territories Geoscience Office, NWT Open Report 2008-007. 1 map, scale 1:100,000, and accompanying report, 51 p.

Landry, J-Y., 2006.  Detailed relationships of iron oxide copper-gold type alteration zones at DeVries Lake, southern Great Bear magmatic zone, NWT; Unpublished B.Sc. thesis, University of Ottawa, 68 p.

Moroskat, M., Erdmer, P., Simonetti, A., and Jackson, V.A., 2007.  In Situ LA-MC-ICP-MS of ‘Mattberry’ granite, Mattberry Lake, southern Wopmay Orogen, NWT.  NWT Open File 2007-003, NWT Geoscience Office, 16 p.

Ootes, L., Jackson, V.A., Landry, J-Y., Brzozowski, T., Corriveau, L., and Goff, S.P., 2006.  Assay results from the South Wopmay Bedrock Mapping Project (2004 – 2005 field seasons); Northwest Territories Geoscience Office, NWT Open Report 2006-002, 28 p.

Ootes, L., Jackson, V.A., and Corriveau, L., 2008.  Assay results from the South Wopmay Bedrock Mapping Project (2006 – 2007 field seasons); Northwest Territories Geoscience Office, NWT Open Report 2008-008, 13 p.

Ootes, L., Goff, S., Jackson, V.A., Gleeson, S.A., Creaser, R.A., Samson, I.M., Evensen, N., Corriveau, L., and Mumin, A.H., 2010. Timing and thermochemical constraints on multi-element mineralisation at the Nori/RA Cu-Mo-U prospect, Great Bear magmatic zone, Northwest Territories, Canada; Mineralium Deposita, DOI 10.1007/s00126-010-0291-x.

Snyder, D.B., 2008. Mantle structures in the Slave and Rae cratons inferred from seismic discontinuities; Jackson, V. and Irwin, D. (compilers), 2008, 36th Annual Yellowknife Geoscience Forum Abstracts; Northwest Territories Geoscience Office, Yellowknife, NT.  YKGSF Abstracts Volume 2008, p. 58.

Snyder, D. and Bruneton, M., 2006. Mantle structure beneath the Wopmay margin of the Slave: Archean or Proterozoic?; Jones, A.L. and Irwin, D. (compilers), 2006.  34th Annual Yellowknife Geoscience Forum Abstracts; Northwest Territories Geoscience Office, Yellowknife, NT.  YKGSF Abstracts Volume 2006, p 52.

Spratt, J.E., Jones, A.G., Jackson, V., Collins, L., and Avdeeva, A., 2009. Lithospheric geometry of the Wopmay Orogen from a Slave Craton to Bear Province magnetotelluric transect: Journal of Geophysical Research, v. 114, B01101, doi: 10.1029/2007JB005326.

Steeves, N., Erdmer, P., Jackson, V., and Ootes, L., 2007. Detailed shoreline mapping of the Treasure Lake Group metasediments at DeVries Lake, Wopmay orogen, Northwest Canadian Shield; unpublished paper, University of Alberta, 29 p.

Stoffers, A.J., 2005. Geochemistry and Petrography of Mafic Dykes from the Great Bear Magmatic Zone, unpublished B.Sc. thesis, Carleton University.

Sutherland, B., 2007. A deformed mafic sill (Raining Bear sill) in the Paleoproterozoic Akaitcho Group; timing constraints on supracrustal deposition and regional metamorphism, Wopmay Orogen, NWT, unpublished paper, University of Alberta, 41 p.

 

Phase II
Preamble

The two weeks spent in the South Wopmay project area in 2008 were focused on selecting areas for future mapping as well as initiating the assessment of 1) historical geological data for the Grant and Little Crapeau lakes area, 2) a Remote Predictive Map created of the area from recently flown airborne geophysical survey, and 3) identified mineral potential targets.

Mapping began in earnest in 2009, with a two month season from mid-June to mid-August and a crew that averaged 6 people working out of camps set up at Hardisty, Grant and Brown Water lakes. The 2010 season was similarly busy, with the main camps set up at Rodrigues Lake, on the Emile River system and at Hottah Lake. Several 2 to 3 person fly camps were established on small lakes for 7 to 10 day periods to cover more remote areas.

Results from mapping in 2009 are given below Jackson and Ootes (2010) together with the posters presented at the 2009 Yellowknife Geoscience Forum (Jackson et al., 2009) and the GeoCanada 2010 conference (Jackson et al., 2010a). Results from mapping in 2010 are forthcoming and were summarized at the Yellowknife Geoscience Forum in November 2010 (Jackson et al., 2010b).

In 2009, the South Wopmay Bedrock Mapping Project became a partner in the federally delivered Geomapping for Energy and Minerals (GEM) program Great Bear/IOCG project.

An updated map showing results from mapping during the 2010 season is in progress.

 

Phase II
Mapping Results