Enigmatic massive sulphide mineralization in the High Arctic Large Igneous Province, Nunavut, Canada
Modern mineral exploration strategies should take into account nontraditional metallogenic models for a given geological environment. Here we document the first detailed study of a massive sulphide showing associated with the High Arctic Large Igneous Province (HALIP) and Sverdrup Basin and in fact,...
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crcansciencepubl:10.1139/cjes-2018-0156 2023-12-17T10:23:40+01:00 Enigmatic massive sulphide mineralization in the High Arctic Large Igneous Province, Nunavut, Canada Wilton, Derek H.C. Saumur, Benoit M. Gordon, Adrian Williamson, Marie-Claude 2019 http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjes-2018-0156 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full-xml/10.1139/cjes-2018-0156 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/cjes-2018-0156 en eng Canadian Science Publishing http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences volume 56, issue 7, page 790-801 ISSN 0008-4077 1480-3313 General Earth and Planetary Sciences journal-article 2019 crcansciencepubl https://doi.org/10.1139/cjes-2018-0156 2023-11-19T13:38:19Z Modern mineral exploration strategies should take into account nontraditional metallogenic models for a given geological environment. Here we document the first detailed study of a massive sulphide showing associated with the High Arctic Large Igneous Province (HALIP) and Sverdrup Basin and in fact, only the second example of mineralization described from Axel Heiberg Island, Queen Elizabeth Islands, Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The Between Lake showing (western Axel Heiberg Island) is a small massive sulphide occurrence within scree/talus below a large ridge of gabbro. It was originally described by explorationists as an orthomagmatic sulphide occurrence hosted within a dioritic dyke. New petrographic and mineralogical analyses indicate that the showing consists predominantly of pyrrhotite with lesser pyrite, trace chalcopyrite, and rare sphalerite. No Ni- or Pb-bearing sulphide minerals were detected. Geochemically, the showing contains some Co and Cu, rare Zn, and generally very low Ni contents (<9 ppm). Sulphur isotope ratios of sulphide minerals range from +3.6 to + 6.6‰, somewhat heavier than expected for magmatic-derived S but isotopically lighter than S associated with local evaporite diapirs (+5.8‰ to +12.2‰). Orthomagmatic sulphides hosted in the diorite typically exhibit even lighter isotopic ratios of –3.9‰ to –1.00‰. The data are consistent with potential mafic–siliciclastic volcanogenic massive sulphide mineralization, or the like, the first documented in the HALIP. High heat flow associated with extensive HALIP magmatism was likely the driving force for such mineralization. Mineral prospectivity in Canada’s High Arctic had been predicated upon the potential presence of magmatic Ni – Cu – platinum group element sulphide mineralization. Rather than negating this potential, our findings provide evidence for additional metallogenic potential for this region of Nunavut. Article in Journal/Newspaper Arctic Archipelago Arctic Axel Heiberg Island Canadian Arctic Archipelago Nunavut Queen Elizabeth Islands sverdrup basin Canadian Science Publishing (via Crossref) Arctic Nunavut Canadian Arctic Archipelago Canada Heiberg ENVELOPE(13.964,13.964,66.424,66.424) Axel Heiberg Island ENVELOPE(-91.001,-91.001,79.752,79.752) Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences 56 7 790 801 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Canadian Science Publishing (via Crossref) |
op_collection_id |
crcansciencepubl |
language |
English |
topic |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences |
spellingShingle |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences Wilton, Derek H.C. Saumur, Benoit M. Gordon, Adrian Williamson, Marie-Claude Enigmatic massive sulphide mineralization in the High Arctic Large Igneous Province, Nunavut, Canada |
topic_facet |
General Earth and Planetary Sciences |
description |
Modern mineral exploration strategies should take into account nontraditional metallogenic models for a given geological environment. Here we document the first detailed study of a massive sulphide showing associated with the High Arctic Large Igneous Province (HALIP) and Sverdrup Basin and in fact, only the second example of mineralization described from Axel Heiberg Island, Queen Elizabeth Islands, Canadian Arctic Archipelago. The Between Lake showing (western Axel Heiberg Island) is a small massive sulphide occurrence within scree/talus below a large ridge of gabbro. It was originally described by explorationists as an orthomagmatic sulphide occurrence hosted within a dioritic dyke. New petrographic and mineralogical analyses indicate that the showing consists predominantly of pyrrhotite with lesser pyrite, trace chalcopyrite, and rare sphalerite. No Ni- or Pb-bearing sulphide minerals were detected. Geochemically, the showing contains some Co and Cu, rare Zn, and generally very low Ni contents (<9 ppm). Sulphur isotope ratios of sulphide minerals range from +3.6 to + 6.6‰, somewhat heavier than expected for magmatic-derived S but isotopically lighter than S associated with local evaporite diapirs (+5.8‰ to +12.2‰). Orthomagmatic sulphides hosted in the diorite typically exhibit even lighter isotopic ratios of –3.9‰ to –1.00‰. The data are consistent with potential mafic–siliciclastic volcanogenic massive sulphide mineralization, or the like, the first documented in the HALIP. High heat flow associated with extensive HALIP magmatism was likely the driving force for such mineralization. Mineral prospectivity in Canada’s High Arctic had been predicated upon the potential presence of magmatic Ni – Cu – platinum group element sulphide mineralization. Rather than negating this potential, our findings provide evidence for additional metallogenic potential for this region of Nunavut. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Wilton, Derek H.C. Saumur, Benoit M. Gordon, Adrian Williamson, Marie-Claude |
author_facet |
Wilton, Derek H.C. Saumur, Benoit M. Gordon, Adrian Williamson, Marie-Claude |
author_sort |
Wilton, Derek H.C. |
title |
Enigmatic massive sulphide mineralization in the High Arctic Large Igneous Province, Nunavut, Canada |
title_short |
Enigmatic massive sulphide mineralization in the High Arctic Large Igneous Province, Nunavut, Canada |
title_full |
Enigmatic massive sulphide mineralization in the High Arctic Large Igneous Province, Nunavut, Canada |
title_fullStr |
Enigmatic massive sulphide mineralization in the High Arctic Large Igneous Province, Nunavut, Canada |
title_full_unstemmed |
Enigmatic massive sulphide mineralization in the High Arctic Large Igneous Province, Nunavut, Canada |
title_sort |
enigmatic massive sulphide mineralization in the high arctic large igneous province, nunavut, canada |
publisher |
Canadian Science Publishing |
publishDate |
2019 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/cjes-2018-0156 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/full-xml/10.1139/cjes-2018-0156 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/cjes-2018-0156 |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(13.964,13.964,66.424,66.424) ENVELOPE(-91.001,-91.001,79.752,79.752) |
geographic |
Arctic Nunavut Canadian Arctic Archipelago Canada Heiberg Axel Heiberg Island |
geographic_facet |
Arctic Nunavut Canadian Arctic Archipelago Canada Heiberg Axel Heiberg Island |
genre |
Arctic Archipelago Arctic Axel Heiberg Island Canadian Arctic Archipelago Nunavut Queen Elizabeth Islands sverdrup basin |
genre_facet |
Arctic Archipelago Arctic Axel Heiberg Island Canadian Arctic Archipelago Nunavut Queen Elizabeth Islands sverdrup basin |
op_source |
Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences volume 56, issue 7, page 790-801 ISSN 0008-4077 1480-3313 |
op_rights |
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1139/cjes-2018-0156 |
container_title |
Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences |
container_volume |
56 |
container_issue |
7 |
container_start_page |
790 |
op_container_end_page |
801 |
_version_ |
1785559526412386304 |