Glacial stratigraphy and micromorphology of the Pine Point Pb-­‐Zn mining district, Northwest Territories

• Main Author: Rice, Jessey Murray
• Other Authors: Department of Earth Sciences
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: Brock University 2014
• Subjects: Micromorphology; Glacial Stratigraphy; Laurentide Ice Sheet; Northwest Territories; Pine Point; Ice Sheet
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10464/5498

This investigation aims to gain a better understanding of the glacial history of the Pine Point Mining district, Northwest Territories, by examining the sedimentological properties of the glacial sediments including, geochemical analysis, heavy mineral concentrate analysis, clast macro-­‐fabrics, pebble lithologies, and micromorphological investigation. Four till units were identified, and three were associated with identified erosional bedrock features and streamlined landforms in the area, indicating a minimum of three ice flow directions. Sedimentological properties suggest that these units were all Type-­B tectomict/mélange till, emplaced as part of a soft subglacial deformable bed. The lack of ice-­‐marginal advance and retreat sequences within the studied till, suggests the Middle Wisconsinan Laurentide Ice margin was likely north and west of the Pine Point area, as opposed to along the margin of the Canadian Shield and Western Sedimentary Basin where it has been suggested to have existed.