Open File 12A/1449

Till Geochemistry of the South Side of the Red Indian Lake Basin (NTS Map Sheets 12A/6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 15 and 16)

J.S. Smith, M.J. Batterson and D.M. Taylor

Open File 12A/1449

St. John’s, Newfoundland, October, 2009

Abstract

This report provides the results of till geochemistry surveys in the Red Indian Lake basin completed in 2007 and 2008. Geochemical data of 53 elements, from 1146 BC- or C-horizon till samples, is presented and includes analyses by ICP-ES for aluminum, arsenic, barium, beryllium, cadmium, calcium, cerium, chromium, cobalt, copper, dysprosium, iron, lanthanum, lead, lithium, magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, nickel, niobium, phosphorus, potassium, scandium, sodium, strontium, titanium, vanadium, yttrium, zinc and zirconium; by INAA for antimony, arsenic, barium, bromine, calcium, cerium, cesium, chromium, cobalt, europium, gold, iron, hafnium, iridium, lanthanum, lutetium, mercury, molybdenum, nickel, neodymium, rubidium, scandium, samarium, selenium, silver, sodium, strontium, tantalum, tin, terbium, thorium, tungsten, uranium, ytterbium, zinc and zirconium. A complete data listing, field duplicate data, and individual element distribution maps, on a bedrock geology base map, are also provided.

The area south of Red Indian Lake has been the main focus of recent mineral exploration, in particular for volcanic massive sulphide occurrences. Cu–Pb–Zn is associated with the felsic volcanic rocks of the Victoria Lake supergroup (VLSG) including the Tulks Hill Volcanics, Point of the Woods Belt, and the Harbour Round Belt. It is, therefore, not surprising that the overlying tills contain high values of Au, As, Cu, Pb and Zn. However, the till geochemistry data also highlights several areas that are not associated with any known mineral occurrences:

  • Gold enrichment in the southwest part of the study area, south of Lloyds Lake, and the eastern shore of Victoria Lake. The high value associated with Lloyds Lake overlies the rocks of the Annieopsquotch Complex. The cluster of values identified on the eastern shore of Victoria Lake overlie the Point of the Woods Belt of the VLSG;
  • An anomalous sample, from south of Lake Douglas, reports high values in As, Au, Cu, Pb and Zn, associated with bedrock of the Point of the Woods Belt; and
  • A cluster of high nickel values in till identified in the Lloyds River valley overlying the Annieopsquotch Igneous Complex; an area with no previously identified nickel occurrences.

Preliminary observations suggests the spatial distribution of the till geochemistry for gold, arsenic and base metals show no obvious dispersal train associated with the known ice-flow history.

Complete Open File Report (30.4 MB)

Appendix A: Red Indian Lake – Till-Geochemistry Data Excel (665 KB)

* This report is a contribution to the Geological Survey of Canada Targeted Geoscience Initiative (TG13).

Adobe® Acrobat® Reader software can be used for viewing PDF documents. Download Acrobat® Reader for free.