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Southeast Manitoba

Geological mapping of the Mayville and Euclid Lake area, Manitoba

Project Status: Completed (2020)

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Project Information

Principal investigators:
X.M. (Eric) Yang

Partnered with:
M.G. Houlé, Geological Survey of Canada; Mustang Minerals Corp.

Location:
NTS 52L5, 6, 11, 12

Project Description

Main objectives:

This project is to generate new 1:10,000 geological map(s) of the Mayville and Euclid Lake mafic-ultramafic intrusions and associated rock suites, to investigate intra-intrusion petrographic and geochemical characteristics and their relationships to PGE-Cu-Ni-(Cr) mineralization, and to compare with the Bird River Sill in terms of geochronology, lithogeochemistry, petrogenesis, and metallogeny.

Methodology:

Methods include geological mapping, petrographic analysis, chromite chemistry, lithogeochemistry, and geochronology (U-Pb TIMS).

Internal phase variation and relationship are discernable through detailed geological mapping supported by petrographic investigations, which provide insights into controls of PGE-Cu-Ni-(Cr) mineralization.
The nature of magmas can be well constrained by chemical composition of spinel group minerals in conjunction with lithogeochemical characterization.
Field relationship supported by precise U-Pb age determination provides key constraints on temporal evolution of the Mayville mafic-ultramafic intrusion, which is used together with the information from mineral chemistry and lithogeochemistry to investigate tectonic setting(s), petrogenesis and metallogeny of the intrusion.
A comparison of the Mayville intrusion with the Bird River Sill will be made in order to determine whether they are genetically related.

Benefits:

The project provides insights into metallogeny of the Mayville and Euclid Lake mafic-ultramafic systems and controls of PGE-Cu-Ni-(Cr) mineralization, which can be applied to similar ore-forming systems and to establishing key criteria used for exploration targeting. A set of updated maps and related geological dataset will improve understanding of tectonic setting, geological evolution, and metallogeny of the Bird River greenstone belt.

Completed outputs:

2019–2020

Sotiriou, P., Polat, A., Frei, R., Yang, X.M. and van Vessem, J. 2019: A back-arc origin for the Neoarchean megacrystic anorthosite-bearing Bird River Sill and the associated greenstone belt, Bird River subprovince, Western Superior Province, Manitoba, Canada; International Journal of Earth Sciences, v. 108, p. 2177–2207, URL <https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-019-01756-0>.

Sotiriou, P., Polat, A., Frei, R., Yang, X.M. and van Vessem, J. 2020: Evidence for Neoarchean hydrous arc magmatism, the anorthosite-bearing Mayville Intrusion, western Superior Province, Canada; Lithos, v. 362–363, article 105482, URL <https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lithos.2020.105482>.

Yang, X.M. and Houlé, M.G. 2020: Geology of the Cat Creek–Euclid Lake area, Bird River greenstone belt, southeastern Manitoba (parts of NTS 52L11, 12); Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development, Manitoba Geological Survey, Geoscientific Report GR2020-1, 105 p. plus 1 colour map at 1:20 000 scale.

2014–2015

Houlé, M.G., Lesher, C.M., McNicoll, V., Bécu, V., Metsaranta, R.T., Sappin, A.-A., Gilbert, H.P. and Yang, X.M. 2014: Overview of chromite and Ni-Cu deposits of the Bird River greenstone belt in a Ring of Fire metallogenic context [abstract]; Manitoba Mineral Resources, Manitoba Geological Survey, Manitoba Mining and Minerals Convention 2014, Winnipeg, Manitoba, November 19–21, 2014, oral presentation.

Yang, X.M. 2014: Granitoid rocks in southeastern Manitoba: preliminary results of reconnaissance mapping and sampling; in Report of Activities 2014, Manitoba Mineral Resources, Manitoba Geological Survey, p. 49–63.

Yang, X.M. 2014: Bedrock geology of the Cat Creek area, Bird River greenstone belt, southeastern Manitoba (part of NTS 52L12); Manitoba Mineral Resources, Manitoba Geological Survey, Preliminary Map PMAP2014-3, scale 1:10 000.

Yang, X.M. 2014: Petrogenetic types, tectonic settings, and mineral potential of granitoids in southeastern Manitoba: evidence from reconnaissance mapping and geological sampling; Manitoba Mineral Resources, Manitoba Geological Survey, Manitoba Mining and Minerals Convention 2014, Winnipeg, Manitoba, November 19–21, 2014, poster presentation.

Yang, X.M. and Gilbert, H.P. 2014: Mineral chemistry of chromite in the Mayville intrusion: evidence for petrogenesis and linkage to the Bird River sill in the Neoarchean Bird River greenstone belt, southeastern Manitoba (NTS 52L5, 6, 12); in Report of Activities 2014, Manitoba Mineral Resources, Manitoba Geological Survey, p. 32–48.

Yang, X.M. and Gilbert, H.P. 2014: Archean tonalite-trondhjemite-granodiorite (TTG) suite in the Bird River greenstone belt, southeastern Manitoba: lithogeochemical characteristics, geodynamic evolution, and potential for porphyry Cu-(Au) mineralization [abstract]; Geological Association of Canada–Mineralogical Association of Canada, Joint Annual Meeting, Fredericton, New Brunswick, May 21–23, 2014, Program with Abstracts, p. 294.

Yang, X.M. and H.P. Gilbert 2014: Mineral chemistry of chromite in the Mayville intrusion from the Bird River greenstone belt, southeastern Manitoba; Manitoba Mineral Resources, Manitoba Geological Survey, Manitoba Mining and Minerals Convention 2014, Winnipeg, Manitoba, November 19–21, 2014, poster presentation.

2013–2014

Bécu, V., Houlé, M.G, Yang, X.M. and Gilbert, H.P. 2013: Euclid Lake intrusion: a revisited cross-section through a historical chrome deposit of the Bird River greenstone belt, southeastern Manitoba; in Report of Activities 2013, Manitoba Mineral Resources, Manitoba Geological Survey, p. 85–94.

Bécu, V. Houlé, M.G., McNicoll, V.J., Yang, X.M. and Gilbert, H.P. 2013: New Insights from textural, petrographic, geochemical and geochronological Investigations of mafic-ultramafic rocks of the Bird River greenstone belt, southeastern Manitoba [abstract]; Manitoba Mining and Minerals Convention, November 20–22, 2013, Winnipeg, Program with Abstracts.

Bécu, V., Houlé, M.G., McNicoll, V.J., Yang, X.M. and Gilbert, H.P. 2013: New insights from textural, petrographic and geochemical investigation of the gabbroic rocks of the Bird River Intrusive Event within the Bird River greenstone belt, southeastern Manitoba [abstract]; Geological Association of Canada–Mineralogical Association of Canada, Joint Annual Meeting, Winnipeg, Manitoba, May 22–24, 2013, Program with Abstracts, p. 68.

Gilbert, H.P., Houlé, M.G., Yang, X.M., Scoates, J.S., Scoates, R.F.J., Mealin, C.A., Bécu, V., McNicoll, V. and Galeschuk, C.R. 2013: Mafic and ultramafic intrusive rocks and associated Ni-Cu-(PGE) and Cr-(PGE) mineralization in the Bird River greenstone belt, southeast Manitoba; Geological Association of Canada–Mineralogical Association of Canada, Joint Annual Meeting, Field Trip Guidebook FT-C2; Manitoba Innovation, Energy and Mines, Manitoba Geological Survey, Open File Report OF2013-7, 51 p.

Houlé, M.G., McNicoll, V.J., Bécu, V., Yang, X.M. and Gilbert, H.P. 2013: New age for the Mayville Intrusion: Implication for a Large Mafic-Ultramafic Event in the Bird River Greenstone Belt, Southeastern Manitoba [abstract]; Geological Association of Canada–Mineralogical Association of Canada, Joint Annual Meeting, Winnipeg, Manitoba, May 22–24, 2013, Program with Abstracts, p. 115.

Yang, X.M., Gilbert, H.P. and Houlé, M.G. 2013: Cat Lake–Euclid Lake area in the Neoarchean Bird River greenstone belt, southeastern Manitoba (parts of NTS 52L11, 12): preliminary results of bedrock geological mapping and their implications for geodynamic evolution and metallogeny; in Report of Activities 2013, Manitoba Mineral Resources, Manitoba Geological Survey, p. 70–84.

Yang, X.M. 2013: Bedrock geology of the Cat Lake–Euclid Lake area, Bird River greenstone belt, southeastern Manitoba (parts of NTS 52L11, 12); Manitoba Mineral Resources, Manitoba Geological Survey, Preliminary Map PMAP2013-7, scale 1:10 000.

Yang, X.M. 2013, Gilbert, H.P. and Houlé, M.G.: Preliminary results of bedrock geological mapping in the Cat Lake-Euclid Lake area, southeastern Manitoba: implications for geodynamic evolution and metallogeny [abstract]; Manitoba Mining and Minerals Convention 2013, Winnipeg, Manitoba, November 20–22, 2013, Program with Abstracts.

Yang, X.M., Gilbert, H.P. and Houlé, M.G. 2013: Preliminary results of bedrock mapping at the Cat Lake–Euclid Lake in the Neoarchean Bird River greenstone belt, southeastern Manitoba (parts of NTS 52L11, 12); Manitoba Mining and Minerals Convention, Winnipeg, Manitoba, November 20–22, 2013, oral presentation.

Yang, X.M., Gilbert, H.P., Houlé, M.G., Bécu, V., McNicoll, V.J. and Corkery, M.T. 2013: The Neoarchean Mayville mafic-ultramafic intrusion in the Bird River greenstone belt, southeastern Manitoba: geological setting, geochemical variation and the implications for Cu-Ni-PGE-Cr mineral exploration [abstract]; Geological Association of Canada–Mineralogical Association of Canada, Joint Annual Meeting, Winnipeg, Manitoba, May 22–24, 2013, Program with Abstracts, p. 200.

2012–2013

Houlé, M.G., Bécu, V., McNicoll, V., Yang, X.M. and Gilbert, H.P. 2012: Field Investigations of mafic and ultramafic intrusions in the Bird River greenstone belt, southeastern Manitoba: Implications for Ni-Cu-Cr-PGE mineralization; Manitoba Innovation, Energy and Mines, Manitoba Geological Survey, Manitoba Mining and Minerals Convention, Winnipeg, Manitoba, November 15–17, 2012, poster presentation.

Yang, X.M. 2012: Bedrock geology of the Cat Creek area, Bird River greenstone belt, southeastern Manitoba (part of NTS 52L12); Preliminary Map 2012-3, scale 1:12 500.

Yang, X.M., Gilbert, H.P. and Houlé, M.G. 2012: Geological investigations of the Cat Creek area in the Neoarchean Bird River greenstone belt, southeastern Manitoba (part of NTS 52L12): new insights into PGE-Ni-Cu-Cr mineralization; in Report of Activities 2012, Manitoba Innovation, Energy and Mines, Manitoba Geological Survey, p. 32-53.

Yang, X.M., Gilbert, H.P. and Houlé, M.G. 2012: New insights from bedrock geological mapping of the Mayville-Cat Lake area into PGE-Ni-Cu-Cr mineralization in the Bird River greenstone belt, southeastern Manitoba [abstract]; Manitoba Mining and Minerals Convention 2012, Winnipeg, Manitoba, November 15–17, 2012, Abstract with programs.

Yang, X.M., Gilbert, H.P. and Houlé, M.G. 2012: Geological and geochemical investigations of the Cat Creek area in the Neoarchean Bird River greenstone belt, southeastern Manitoba (part of NTS 52L12): new insights into PGE-Ni-Cu-Cr mineralization; Manitoba Innovation, Energy and Mines, Manitoba Geological Survey, Manitoba Mining and Minerals Convention 2012, Winnipeg, Manitoba, November 15–17, 2012, poster presentation.

2011–2012

Yang, X.M., Gilbert, H.P., Corkery, M.T. and Houlé, M.G. 2011: The Mayville mafic–ultramafic intrusion in the Neoarchean Bird River greenstone belt, southeastern Manitoba (part of NTS 52L12): preliminary geochemical investigation and implication for PGE-Ni-Cu-(Cr) mineralization; in Report of Activities 2011, Manitoba Innovation, Energy and Mines, Manitoba Geological Survey, p. 127–142.

Yang, X.M., Gilbert, H.P., Corkery, M.T. and Houlé, M.G. 2011: Geochemical characteristics of the Mayville mafic-ultramafic intrusive suite and associated PGE-Cu-Ni-(Cr) mineralization in the Neoarchean Bird River greenstone belt, Manitoba (part of NTS 52L12); Manitoba Mining and Minerals Convention 2011, Winnipeg, Manitoba, November 17–19, 2011, poster presentation.