| Principal Investigator: | Haugaard, Rasmus RH (2) |
| Licence Number: | 15087 |
| Organization: | University of Alberta |
| Licensed Year(s): |
2013
2012
|
| Issued: | Jun 20, 2012 |
| Project Team: | Rasmus Haugaard, Luke Ootes |
Objective(s): To study ocean chemistry directly preceding the Great Oxidation Event (GOE). To undertake field and laboratory studies of Achaean Banded Iron Formation (BIF) from the Central Slave Cover Group. The BIF from the NWT will provide us with important environmental information regarding the late Achaean oceans (e.g., sea-level fluctuations, volcanism, biology, oxygen level and climate).
Project Description: The recent discovery of new occurrences of 2.9 - 2.6 Ga old banded iron formations in the NWT have opened an exceptional opportunity to study ocean chemistry directly preceding the Great Oxidation Event (GOE). In this regard, the research group has been engaged with the Northwest Territories Geoscience Office (NTGO) to undertake field and laboratory studies of Achaean Banded Iron Formation (BIF) from the Central Slave Cover Group. The BIF from the NWT will provide us with important environmental information regarding the late Achaean oceans (e.g., sea-level fluctuations, volcanism, biology, oxygen level and climate). Field observations, rock relations, sample collections and microscopical studies are fundamental to this study. Preferable analytical techniques will be measurements such as 1) electron microprobe for elemental maps and major element quantification and, 2) ion probe micro-analyses for better accuracy on measurements and possibly Thermal Ionization Mass Spectrometry (TIMS) for dating and characterize the source input to the oceans. However, conventional major and trace element measurement may be required. The research group has published extensively on BIF in recent years, and all results will be published in international scientific journals. First of all, the project and the results will be presented at the big Geoscience Forum conference in Yellowknife. The project is in collaboration with one of the local geologist at the Geological Survey in Yellowknife so the communication of results will also be on the local level, and, in particularly, if the results are going to be fruitful. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from July 1, 2012 to July 15, 2012.
