Structural controls on the pathways to mineralization in the East Range of the Sudbury Basin, Canada

Transport and emplacement of Cu-Ni-PGE sulfides into the footwall of the Sudbury Igneous Complex (SIC) was controlled by the pre-existing geological framework as well as processes that occurred during and after meteorite impact cratering. A knowledge of the geometry of the basal contact of the SIC, pathways that Cu-Ni-PGE sulphides followed along the contact and into the footwall, as well as sense and magnitude of displacement on prominent faults are of paramount importance to mineral exploration in the Sudbury Basin. Based on the acquisition of new structural data, interpretation of LiDAR topography data, 3D-kinematic restoration and analogue modelling, this project is designed to significantly advance our understanding on the structural evolution of the East Range of the Sudbury Basin and to better help to identify pathways to footwall mineralization. Specifically, the project aims to: (1) identify the deformation mechanisms by which the SIC and adjacent lithological units acquired their steep dips, (2) quantifying the displacement magnitudes on prominent faults in order to correlate mineralization across faults and (3) determining the relationship between mineralization and structure in breccia zones adjacent to the SIC to understand the pathways that sulphide phases followed during and after solidification of the melt sheet.

 

Funding Agencies: Vale Ltd. at Copper Cliff (Canada) and Center For Excellence In Mining Innovation (CEMI).

Principal Investigator: Ulrich Riller

External Collaborators:
- Dr. Peter Lightfoot (Lightfoot Geoscience Ltd.) 
- Lisa Gibson (Vale)
- Dr. Daniel Kontak (Laurentian University, Sudbury)

Publication:
Clark, M.D., Riller, U. 2017. Significance of first-order faults in folding mechanically isotropic layers: evidence from the Sudbury Basin, Canada. Journal of Structural Geology 95, 113-126.