Publication information
Geological Survey of Canada
Open File 7538
Mineral chemistry and supporting databases for TGI4 project on “Trace elements in Fe-oxides from fertile
and barren igneous complexes: Investigating their use as a vectoring tool in the intrusions that host Ni-CuPGE deposits”
S.A.S. Dare, D.E. Ames, P.C. Lightfoot, S.-J. Barnes and G. Beaudoin
© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada 2014
doi:10.4095/293640
Publications in this series have not been edited; they are released as submitted by the author.
Recommended citation
Dare, S.A.S., Ames, D.E., Lightfoot, P.C., Barnes, S.-J. and Beaudoin, G., 2014. Mineral chemistry
and supporting databases for TGI4 project on “Trace elements in Fe-oxides from fertile and barren
igneous complexes: Investigating their use as a vectoring tool in the intrusions that host Ni-Cu-PGE
deposits”; Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 7538. doi:10.4095/293640
Contents
Introduction…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Background and objectives………………………………………………………………………………….
Study areas…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Geological context and sampling……………………………………………………………………………
Sudbury Igneous Complex
Voisey’s Bay intrusion
Newark Island layered intrusion
Analytical techniques………………………………………………………………………………………….
Bulk rock geochemistry…………………………………………………………………………….
Mineral chemistry……………………………………………………………………………………
Results…………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Summary………………………………………………………………………………………………………
Acknowledgements ………………………………………………………………………………………….
References…………………………………………………………………………………………………….
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List of Figures
Figure 1. A) Geologic map of the Sudbury Igneous Complex………………………………..
B,C) North range sample locations, fertile and barren ……………………………….
D,E) South range sample locations, fertile and barren ………………………………
Figure 2. Geologic map of the Nain Plutonic Suite, Labrador………………………………….
Figure 3. Geologic map (A) and section (B) showing the mineralization within the Voisey’s Bay
intrusion, Nain. ………………….…………………………………………………………………………
C) Variation in sulfur content with stratigraphic height……………………….…………………
Figure 4. Geologic map of the Newark Island layered intrusion, Nain Plutonic Suite and sample
locations…………………………………………………………………………………..………….
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Figure 5. Comparison of electron microprobe (EMP) results and laser ablation ICP-MS in ilmenite
and magnetite…………………………………..………………………………………………………… 28
Figure 6. Comparison of electron microprobe (EMP) results and laser ablation ICP-MS in olivine 29
Figure 7. Time resolved spectra (LA-ICP-MS) for magnetite from the Bushveld Complex………… 30
List of Tables
Table 1: Analytical details for the laser ablation ICP-MS analysis of Fe-oxides and olivine………..
Table 2: Results of the analysis of reference materials used in the calibration of laser ablation
ICP-MS and to monitor the quality of the data…………………………………………………………..
Table 3: List of minerals analyzed by laser ablation ICP-MS and by electron microprobe……….
Table 4: Average composition of ilmenite by laser ablation ICP-MS from Sudbury……………..
Table 5: Average composition of ilmenite by laser ablation ICP-MS from Nain…………….. ……
Table 6: Average composition of magnetite by laser ablation ICP-MS from Sudbury……………..
Table 7: Average composition of magnetite by laser ablation ICP-MS from Nain……………..
Table 8: Average composition of olivine by laser ablation ICP-MS from Nain………………..
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Appendices
Appendix 1: _Oxide TGI4 Samples, 1 worksheet
Table 1.1: Location and descriptions of samples of Fertile and Barren igneous complexes
(175 thin sections) from which a subset were analysed for Fe-oxide chemistry.
Appendix 2_Oxide TGI4 Laser database, 6 worksheets
Table 2.1: Full results of LA-ICP-MS analysis of ilmenite (concentration in ppm)
Table 2.2: Full results of LA-ICP-MS analysis of magnetite (concentration in ppm)
Table 2.3: Full results of LA-ICP-MS analysis of olivine (concentration in ppm)
Table 2.4: Average composition of ilmenite (concentration in ppm) by LA-ICP-MS analysis
Table 2.5: Average composition of magnetite (concentration in ppm) by LA-ICP-MS analysis
Table 2.6 Average composition of olivine (concentration in ppm) by LA-ICP-MS analysis
Appendix 3_Oxide TGI4 EMP database, 16 worksheets
Table 3.1: Average results of EMP analysis of ilmenite (concentration in wt.%) by normal
and trace method
Table 3.2: Full results of EMP analysis of ilmenite (concentration in wt.%) by normal and
trace method
Table 3.3: Average results of EMP analysis of magnetite and chromite (concentration in
wt.%) by normal and trace method
Table 3.4: Full results of EMP analysis of magnetite and chromite (concentration in wt.%) by
normal and trace method
Table 3.5: Average results of EMP analysis of olivine (concentration in wt.%) from Nain
Plutonic Suites
Table 3.6: Full results of EMP analysis of olivine (concentration in wt.%)
Table 3.7: Average results of EMP analysis (concentration in wt.%) of clinopyroxene (Cpx)
and orthopyroxene (Opx)
Table 3.8: Full results of EMP analysis of clinopyroxene (concentration in wt.%)
Table 3.9: Full results of EMP analysis of orthopyroxene (concentration in wt.%)
Table 3.10: Average results of EMP analysis of plagioclase (concentration in wt.%)
Table 3.11: Full results of EMP analysis of plagioclase (concentration in wt.%)
Table 3.12: Full results of EMP analysis of apatite (concentration in wt.%)
Table 3.13: Average results of EMP analysis of biotite (concentration in wt.%)
Table 3.14: Full results of EMP analysis of biotite (concentration in wt.%)
Table 3.15: Average results of EMP analysis of sulfides (concentration in wt.%) from Nain
Table 3.16: Full results of EMP analysis of sulfides (concentration in wt.%) from Nain
Appendix 4_Oxide TGI4 Whole rock geochemical database.xls, 5 worksheets
Table A4.1: Whole rock geochemistry of predominantly fertile samples from Sudbury
Igneous Complex (anhydrous, normalised to 100%) collected and analyzed by D. Ames
(GSC). Locations of whole rock data are plotted on A1 and A3 in Appendix 4.
Table A4.2: Whole rock geochemistry of barren samples from the South Range of the
Sudbury Igneous Complex (raw data) collected and analyzed by P. Lightfoot (Vale-RX#).
Locations of whole rock data are plotted on Figure A2 in Appendix 4.
Table A4.3: Whole rock geochemistry of barren and fertile samples from the North Range of
the Sudbury Igneous Complex (raw data) collected and analyzed by P. Lightfoot (ValeRX#). Major elements recalculated to oxides. Locations of whole rock data are plotted on
Figure A4 in Appendix 4.
Table A4.4: Whole rock geochemistry of samples from Voisey's Bay intrusion host of
Voisey's Bay Ni-Co deposit (anhydrous, normalised to 100%) collected and analyzed by P.
Lightfoot (Vale-RX#).
Table A4.5: Whole rock geochemistry of samples from Newark Island Layered Intrusions
(anhydrous, normalised to 100%) collected and analyzed by P. Lightfoot (Vale-RX#).
Locations of whole rock data are plotted on Figure A5 in Appendix 5.
Appendix 4_Figures.pdf, Sample location maps.
Figure A1: Locations of fertile samples from Creighton embayment analyzed for whole rock
from the South Range of Sudbury. Data presented in Table A4.1 of Electronic Appendix.
Figure A2: Locations of ‘barren’ samples west of Creighton embayment (taken from surface
exposure) analyzed for whole rock from the South Range of Sudbury. Data presented in
Table A4.2 of Electronic Appendix.
Figure A3: Locations of fertile and ‘barren’ samples analyzed for whole rock from the
Worthington offset dyke on the South Range of Sudbury.
Figure A4: Location of North Range samples analyzed for whole rock. A) Fertile samples
are from the Levack embayment (near Levack and McCreedy East mines. Data presented
in Table A4.1 of Electronic Appendix. B) ‘Barren’ samples are from Cascaden township and
Windy Lake. Data presented in Table A4.3 of Electronic Appendix.
Figure A5: All sample locations (Field numbers) from Newark Island layered intrusion in
Nain province, Labrador. Whole rock data available for all samples in Table A4.5 of
Electronic Appendix.
Directory structure
Readme_7538.doc
Licence_agreement_e.rtf
OF_Report 7538.pdf
Appendix 1_Oxide TGI4 Samples.xls
Appendix 2_Oxide TGI4 Laser database.xls
Appendix 3_Oxide TGI4 EMP database.xls
Appendix 4_Oxide TGI4 Whole rock geochemical database.xls
Appendix 4_Figures.pdf
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Author contact information
Sarah A.S. Dare (sasdare@hotmail.com)
Université du Québec à Chicoutimi
Chicoutimi, Québec, G7H 2B1
Now at University of Ottawa, ON, K1N 6N5
Doreen E., Ames (dames@nrcan.gc.ca)
Geological Survey of Canada
601 Booth St., Ottawa, ON, Canada K1A 0E8
Availability information
This publication is available for free download through GEOSCAN (http://geoscan.ess.nrcan.gc.ca/).