NWT RESEARCH DATABASE

Regions: Sahtu Settlement Area

Tags: geology, Critical minerals, strategic minerals

Objective(s): We want to look at the trace element chemistry of the zinc indicator mineral - sphalerite - to understand whether significant variations exist between different outcrop sources exposed in the western Mackenzie Mountains. We also want to understand whether the chemical "fingerprint" of each deposit is enough to distinguish it when eroded and transported by rivers and past glaciers, eastward through the Mackenzie Mountains.

Project Description: This licence has been issued for the scientific research application No. 6090. We want to look at the trace element chemistry of the zinc indicator mineral - sphalerite - to understand whether significant variations exist between different outcrop sources exposed in the western Mackenzie Mountains. We also want to understand whether the chemical "fingerprint" of each deposit is enough to distinguish it when eroded and transported by rivers and past glaciers, eastward through the Mackenzie Mountains. The archive of samples we would work with are stored at the Geological Survey of Canada offices in Ottawa and in Calgary. From all the different stream sediment samples that were collected, we want to select river sediment samples collected along 2 west to east transects, and 1 mountain front-parallel transect, for which we also have hand-sized rock samples from known outcrop sites. Approximately 50 sand-sized mineral grains of sphalerite (where available) from 30 different samples will be analyzed for their chemical and mineralogical properties. Hand-sized samples of rocks that were also historically collected in the area will be similarly analyzed to chemistry and mineral properties. Results from the two types of samples (stream sediments and rock outcrops) will be compared to see if they can be correlated. The Project Lead for this proposal (Rod Smith) is also involved in another active research project in the Sahtu, for which there was extensive consultation and in-person community visits conducted last winter (NWT licence #17523; GEM Geo-North: Cretaceous black shales and glacial history in the central Mackenzie). We will use the opportunities that project has for further community visits during the project close-out to also present and discuss about this project. Over and above in-person communication opportunities this other project will have - we will ensure that we send notification and copies of all publications stemming from this project to the respective Renewable Resource council offices for both Norman Wells and Tulit'a. The fieldwork for this study will be conducted from: February 04 - March 31, 2027