Regions: North Slave Region
Tags: physical sciences, geology, tectonic evolution, earth science
| Principal Investigator: | Jones, Alan (4) |
| Licence Number: | 13031 |
| Organization: | Geological Survey of Canada |
| Licensed Year(s): |
1999
1998
|
| Issued: | Apr 15, 1999 |
| Project Team: | Dr. Ian Ferguson, Dr. Jaunijo Ledo |
Objective(s): The objective of the study is to investigate the structure and composition of the earth's crust and upper mantle to depths greater than 200km along the Lupin Mine winter road east from Yellowknife to Contwoyto Lake. The work should define the base of the Slave craton, which is the oldest of the earth's fundamental building blocks, and lies just north of Yellowknife. It is an important component of the national LITHOPROBE Program, which is aimed at understanding the tectonic evolution of the North American continent. Such better understanding will lead for example to improved mineral exploration strategies, improved estimates of damaging large earthquakes, and a superior framework for handling Canada's natural resource potential over the next decade.
Project Description: The objective of the study is to investigate the structure and composition of the earth's crust and upper mantle to depths greater than 200km along the Lupin Mine winter road east from Yellowknife to Contwoyto Lake. At approximately 20-25 locations along the 600 km winter road, sensors will be lowered through small holes drilled through the ice onto lake bottoms. These sensors will measure the time variations of the Earth's natural electrical field and these variations will be recorded by devices on the the shore. The recordings at each site will take 1-3 weeks, after which all equipment will be removed. The measurements are passive and totally non-destructive. No disruption of traffic will occur.
