2017 Yellowknife Geoscience Forum
Abstract and Summary Volume Cover photograph
Pillow basalts, NWT; Viktor Terlaky, Senior Petroleum Geologist at the Northwest Territories Geological Survey
The picture was taken near Sunset Lake and shows Archean pillow basalts in the southern Slave Province, NWT. The basalts are part of the Beaulieu River Volcanic Belt, which overlies the Sleepy Dragon Gneissic Complex. The base of the volcanic belt consists of a thick sequence of basaltic and rhyolitic rocks interfingered with minor interflow sedimentary rock. These supracrustal rocks were intruded by younger mafic Proterozoic dykes, as observed in the foreground of this photo.
Compiled by D. Irwin, S.D. Gervais, and V. Terlaky Recommended Citation: Irwin, D., Gervais, S.D., and Terlaky, V. (compilers). 2017. 45th Annual Yellowknife Geoscience Forum Abstracts; Northwest Territories Geological Survey, Yellowknife, NT. YKGSF Abstracts Volume 2017.
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES Contents ordered by first author (presenting author in bold) Abstracts – Oral Presentations
Indigenous Engagement in the Mining Sector: Lessons from Ontario. Abouchar, J...... 1
Evidence for Mafic-Magma Derived Hydrothermal Fluids in Rare Earth Element Signatures and Melt Inclusions of Magmatic and Hydrothermal Apatite from the Cantung W-Cu Skarn Deposit, Northwest Territories. Adlakha, E.E., Hanley, J.J., Falck, H.E., and Boucher, B...... 1
Diavik Diamond Mines - 2016 Socio-economic Monitoring Agreement performance. Alty, R...... 2
Five years of monitoring test sections along Highway 3 near Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Arenson, L.U., Stirling, J.L., Seto, J.T.C., and Abu Bakar, M...... 2
Effect of legacy pollution from gold mines on mercury methylation in lakes near Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Azdajic, M., Blais, J.M., Poulain, A.J., and Yumvihoze, E...... 4
Kelvin and Faraday kimberlite emplacement geometries and implications for subterranean magmatic processes. Barnett, W., Stubley, M., Hrkac, C., Hetman, C.M., and McCandless, T...... 4
Exploration Assessments Digital Data Formatting – A Proposed National Standard. Belanger, A...... 5
A New Frontier for the Acasta Gneiss Complex: The Oldest Evolved Crust on Earth. Belosevic, M.B., Chacko, T., and Heaman, L.M...... 6
Cost-Effective Water Baseline Environmental Monitoring of Northern Waterways. Bennett, J., Yue, B., Chamberland, J., and Adlakha, P...... 7
Current Status of Mineral Tenure in the Northwest Territories. Bhuiyan, M...... 7
Marian Watershed Stewardship Program. Birlea, M...... 8
An Experimental Study of Permafrost Restoration under the Seismic Line in the Wetland-Dominated Zone of Discontinuous Permafrost, Northwest Territories, Canada. Braverman, M. and Quinton, W.L...... 8
The Technical Opportunities and Economic Implications of Permafrost Decay on Public Infrastructure in the Northwest Territories. Brown, S...... 9
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES i Predicting Liquid Water Content in Permafrost from Temperature Time Series: The Importance of a Structurally Sound Model. Brown, N. and Gruber, S...... 10
Status Report on the GNWT's Petroleum Resources Division's Current and Planned Activities. Butters, T.I...... 10
Assessing and Monitoring Permafrost along the Dempster Highway, Yukon, Using Borehole Data and ERT Surveys. Calmels, F., Roy, L.-P., and Grandmont, K...... 11
Integrating Utility Scale Solar and Energy Storage into Canadian Mining Operations Relying on Diesel Backed Micro-Grids. Cameron, D...... 12
How Might Airborne Particulates Impact Caribou around an Open Pit Mine in the Arctic? Chen, W., Leblanc, S.G., White, H.P., Milakovic, B., Rock, C., Sharam, G., O'Keefe, H., Corey, L., Croft, B., Adamczewski, J., Pellissey, J.S., Tracz, B., Gunn, A., and Boulanger, J...... 12
Paleoecotoxicology as a Tool to Assess the Toxicity of Lake Sediments at Giant Mine. Cheney, C.L., Pothier, M.P., Poulain, A.J., Thienpont, J.R., Korosi, J.B., Kimpe, L.E., and Blais, J.M...... 13
Regional Impact Assessment: A New Strategic Path Forward for the Northwest Territories. Cliffe-Phillips, M.A...... 14
Mining Matters: Raising Awareness through Partnerships. Clinton, L.A...... 14
Canadian Mineral Exploration HR Outlook. Coffin, L.M...... 15
Earning and Maintaining Social Licence in an Urban, Recreational and Brownfield Environment with an Unsettled Land Claim. Connelly, D.M...... 15
Over-Winter Flowpaths through Talik Networks in Discontinuous Permafrost Terrains. Connon, R.F., Braverman, M., and Quinton, W.L...... 16
The Influence of Meadowbank Mine on Caribou Seasonal Habitat Use. Coulton, D., Kim, J., Virgl, J., Stevens, C., De La Mare, C., Quesnel, J., and Vanengen, R...... 17
Quantifying Thaw Mechanisms in Discontinuous Permafrost: Is Talik Formation a Tipping Point? Devoie, È., Craig, J.R., Quinton, W.L., and Connon, R.F...... 17
Volcanic Setting of the Sunrise VMS Deposit, Cameron-Beaulieu Volcanic Belts, Slave Province. DeWolfe, Y.M., Lilley, S.C., and Knox, B...... 18
Navigating Environmental Risk: When and How to Apply the Precautionary Principle. Donihee, J. and Birchall, C.J...... 19
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES ii Permafrost Engineering at Laval University: Understanding Degrading Permafrost to Develop Engineering Tools for Adapting Canada's Northern Transportation Infrastructure. Dumais, S., Doré, G., Konrad, J.-M., and Lemieux, C...... 20
Evaluation of Major Carving Stone Deposits and Quarries throughout the Qikiqtaaluk Of Nunavut: 2016-17 Results. Elgin, R.A., Steenkamp, H.M., Timlick, L., and Therriault, I...... 21
Overview of the Slave Province Geophysical, Surficial Materials and Permafrost Study Update – Revitalizing Mineral Exploration and Facilitating Sustainable Development in a Key Economic Region. Elliott, B...... 22
Hydrothermal Regime of Stream Channels in the Tuktoyaktuk Coastlands and Anderson Plain, Northwest Territories, Canada. Ensom, T.P., Marsh, P., and Kokelj, S.V...... 23
Northwest Territories Mineral Exploration and Mining Overview 2017. Falck, H.E., Cairns, S.R., Robb, M., and Powell, L...... 24
Neoproterozoic Deformation in Eastern Mackenzie Mountains and Mackenzie Plain, Northwest Territories. Fallas, K.M., MacLean, B.C., and MacNaughton, R.B...... 25
Activity Update – Northwest Territories Geological Survey Petroleum Geosciences Group. Fiess, K.M...... 26
Local Stratigraphy of the Duo Lake Formation at Howards Pass in the Selwyn Basin Region, Northwest Territories. Flower, A.F., Fischer, B.J., and Melchin, M.J...... 27
ICORE-IL: Achieving Regulatory Excellence through Collaborative Innovation. Froese, C...... 28
Update on Recent and Planned Activities of the Office of the Regulator of Oil and Gas Operations. Fulford, J., Naugler, T., Heppelle, B., and Cameron, K...... 28
Response of Stream Macroinvertebrates to Recent Wildfires in the North Slave, South Slave, and Dehcho Regions, Northwest Territories, Canada. Garner, C.S., Pisaric, M.F.J., and Chin, K.S...... 29
What is REDI and Why Now? Gordon, V., Norris, A., and Byrne, M...... 29
The Northwest Territories Power Corporation: Planning For The Future. Grewal, J...... 30
Towards Better Monitoring of Permafrost Thaw: Subsidence and Ice Content. Gruber, S...... 30
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES iii Indigenous Business, the North and the Mining Sector – A Triple Win. Gruner, P...... 31
Activities of the Canada-Nunavut Geoscience Office 2017. Ham, L...... 31
Northwest Territories-Environmental Studies Research Fund: Providing Funding for Research in the Northwest Territories Related to the Energy Industry. Hansen, K...... 32
Mantle Composition, Age and Geotherm Beneath the Darby Kimberlite Field, West Central Rae Craton. Harris, G.A., Pearson, D.G., Liu, J., Hardman, M.F., and Kelsch, D...... 33
Impacts of Forest Fires on Discontinuous Permafrost in the Southern Northwest Territories. Holloway, J.E. and Lewkowicz, A.G...... 34
Forest Resource Modeling and Ecosystem Change Monitoring in the Northwest Territories Using Airborne Laser Scanning. Hopkinson, C., Chasmer, L., Mahoney, C., and Hall, R...... 35
Stratigraphy, Gamma-Ray Spectrometry, and Uranium Prospectivity of the Kilohigok Paleosol in the Bear Creek Hills, Kitikmeot, Nunavut. Ielpi, A., Michel, S., Greenman, J.W., and Lebeau, L.E...... 35
NWT Cumulative Impact Monitoring Program Update. Kanigan, J.C.N...... 36
How Tectonic Strain Rate Influence Seismic Hazard from Injection-Induced Earthquakes. Kao, H., Hyndman, R., Jiang, Y., Visser, R., Smith, B., Babaie Mahani, A., Leonard, L., Ghofrani, H., and He, J...... 37
Regulation in an Era of Reconciliation – What Should the Way Forward Look Like? Kara, N...... 37
Northwest Territories Geological Survey – 2017 Overview. Ketchum, J...... 38
Pine Point Mining. Key, J...... 38
Bedrock Mapping of the Beaulieu River Volcanic Belt at Sunset Lake, Slave Craton, Northwest Territories. Knox, B...... 39
Implementing Remote Sensing Tools To Examine Permafrost Dynamics And Impacts To Infrastructure. Kokelj, S.V., van der Sluijs, J., Fraser, R.H., Tunnicliffe, J., Lantz, T.C., Rudy, A.C.A., Lamoureux, S.F., Rusk, B., and Morse, P.D...... 40
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES iv The Duty to Consult Aboriginal Peoples: Backround and Legal Update. Kruger, T...... 41
Integrating Chemostratigraphic and Sedimentological Datasets to Establish a Sequence Stratigraphic Framework for the Devonian Canol Formation, Central Mackenzie Valley and Mackenzie Mountains, Northwest Territories. LaGrange Rao, M.T., Harris, B., Fiess, K.M., Terlaky, V., and Gingras, M.K...... 41
Developing and Engaging Indigenous Workers for the Canadian Mining Sector. Larouche, P...... 42
Creating a NWT Mineral Resources Act. Leeson, N...... 43
Scheelite-Bearing High Fluid-Flux Skarns at the Metasomatic Skarn Front and their Relationship to Other Mineralization at the Cantung W-Cu Skarn, Northwest Territories. Lentz, C.P.E., McFarlane, C.R.M., and Falck, H.E...... 43
The Formation of a Canadian Permafrost Association. Lewkowicz, A.G., Karunaratne, K.C., Allard, M., Arenson, L.U., Brown, S., Burn, C.R., Calmels, F., Doré , G., Dumais, S., Gruber, S., Hoeve, E., Idrees, M., Kokelj, S.V., Malenfant Lepage, J., Marsh, P., McLeod, K., Moorman, B., Roy-Léveillée, P., Smith, S.L., and Turetsky, M.R...... 44
What's in a Time Series? Utilizing Metrics to Summarize and Compare Spatio-Temporal Permafrost Site Characteristics on a Large Scale. MacDonald, S...... 45
Integrating High Resolution Field Observations and Modelling in Order to Improve Our Understanding of Hydrological Change in the Arctic Northwest Territories. Marsh, P., Walker, B., Mann, P., Toure, A., Wilcox, E., Jitnikovitch, A., Rudy, A.C.A, Ensom, T., Derkson, C., and Sonnentag, O...... 46
The South Rae Mapping Project: New Results from Bedrock Mapping. Martel, E., Regis, D., Pehrsson, S.J., Thiessen, E.J., Acosta-Gongora, P., and Jamison, D...... 47
Tree-Ring Reconstruction of Streamflow in the Snare River Basin, Northwest Territories, Canada. Martin, J.P. and Pisaric, M.F.J...... 48
Predictive Mapping of Permafrost Thaw Settlement Hazard Near Lac de Gras, Northwest Territories. McKillop, R.J. and Sacco, D.A...... 49
The Gem-2 Glacial Synthesis Project: Overview and Report of Field Activities in the Kivalliq Region, Nunavut. McMartin, I., Tremblay, T., Godbout, P.-M., Campbell, J.E., and Kerr, D.E...... 50
Infrastructure, Natural Resources, and the Advancement of an Innovative Canadian LNG Technology. Miller, P.E. and Nikiforuk, C.F...... 51
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES v
How Standards Help Reduce the Vulnerability of Arctic Infrastructure. Moore, C...... 51
Kennady North Project 2017 Field Season Update. Moore, R., Hrkac, C., and Nelson, L...... 52
Trails – ITH: Collaborative Geoscience to Support Infrastructure Management in a Changing North. Morse, P.D. and Kokelj, S.V...... 53
Using the Past to Inform the Future: A Paleoecological Perspective of the Impacts of Drought and Fire on Lakes and Forests. Moser, K.A., Pisaric, M.F.J., Turner, K.W., Ceci, M., Garner, C., Harris, D.M., Martin, J.P., Prince, T., Sia, M., and Viscek, J.A...... 54
Provenance, Regional Correlations and Tectonic Significance of the Porter Lake and Lynx Lake Outliers, South Rae Craton, Northwest Territories. Neil, B., Pehrsson, S.J., Gibson, H.D., Martel, E., Thiessen, E.J., and Crowley, J...... 55
Transportation Corridors and Access to Resources in the Northwest Territories. Neudorf, R. and Strand, P...... 56
Placer Gold and the Quaternary Stratigraphy of the Redstone River, an Orientation Study in the Foothills of the Mackenzie Mountains. Normandeau, P.X., Yakeleya, D., Falck, H.E., and Duk-Rodkin, A...... 57
Regional and Localized Distribution of Arsenic in Soil in the Yellowknife Region. Oliver, J.T., Maitland, K.M., Jamieson, H.E., and Palmer, M.J...... 58
Update on the Geological Survey of Canada's Geo-Mapping for Energy and Minerals Program. Ozyer, C.A...... 59
Permafrost Monitoring in the Hudson Bay Lowlands: Preliminary Results from the Ontario Far North. Packalen, M.S., Pironkova, Z., McLaughlin, J.W., and Roy-Léveillée, P...... 60
TMAC Resources – Hope Bay Exploration and Geoscience Update. Parsons, S...... 61
Linking Wildfire Activity and Metal Fluxes to Northern Lakes at Decadal Timescales. Pelletier, N., Black, J., Chételat, J., Palmer, M.J., Pellissey, J.S., Tracz, B., Vermaire, J.C., and van der Wielen, S...... 61
Preliminary Structural Constraints on the Geometry of Selwyn Basin from Little Owls Lake to Howard's Pass, Nahanni Map Sheet (NTS 105I), Northwest Territories. Penner, B., Hickey, K.A., Kennedy, L., Martel, E., and Falck, H.E...... 62
CMIP5 Climate Scenarios Compared to Meteorological Data from 2006 to 2016 for Yellowknife, Inuvik and Iqaluit. Proskin, S.A...... 63
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES vi
The Coppermine River Transect: A Slice Through 700 Million Years of Earth's History. Rainbird, R.H., Skulski, T., Davis, W., Halverson, G.P., Mercadier, J., Ielpi, A., Meek, R., Turner, E.C., and Loron, C...... 64
Environmental DNA – Real Time Results in the Field to Confirm the Presence of Target Species. Reece, P., Murdoch, M., Bonhomme, E., Thomas, M., Hanner, R., and Crookes, S...... 65
Paleoenvironmental Research on Early Cenozoic Sediment Fills in Lac de Gras Kimberlite Pipes: Progress and Prospects. Reyes, A.V., Wolfe, A.P., Tierney, J.E., Siver, P.A., Royer, D.L., Greenwood, D.R., Buryak, S., and Davies, J.H.F.L...... 65
Central Mackenzie Valley Basin Analysis Project. Rocheleau, J...... 66
Tracing the Breadcrumbs Back to Their Source: Exploring Geological Factors Controlling Production of Atypical Glacial Dispersal Patterns of Indicator Minerals. Ross, M., Kelley, S.E., Janzen, R.J.D., Stirling, R.A., Normandeau, P.X., and Elliott, B...... 67
Broad-Scale Geophysical Controls Associated with Thermokarst Landscape Sensitivity. Rudy, A.C.A., Lantz, T.C., Kokelj, S.V., and Lamoureux, S.F...... 68
Nunavut Exploration Overview 2017. Russer, M...... 68
Why Your Kim-Bearing Till Samples May Not Be Leading You to Kimberlite. Sacco, D.A., McKillop, R.J., and Ward, B.C...... 70
New Geoscience Constraints for Boothia Peninsula, Nunavut: Update on the GEM-2 Integrated Geoscience of the Northwest Passage Project. Sanborn-Barrie, M., Regis, D., Ford, A., Osinchuk, A., Drayson, D., Ballinger, J.B., and Ugalde, H...... 71
The Influence of Sediment Focusing on the Spatial and Depth Distribution of Arsenic in Long Lake Sediments. Schuh, C.E., Jamieson, H.E., Palmer, M.J., and Martin, A.J...... 72
A Seismological Overview of the Induced Earthquakes in the Duvernay Play Near Fox Creek, Alberta. Schultz, R., Wang, R., Gu, Y.J., Haug, K., and Atkinson, G...... 73
Archaeology for Seabridge Gold's Courageous Lake Exploration Program: A Bold Survey Plan. Seip, L.P...... 73
TerraX Minerals Inc. – Yellowknife City Gold Project – Update on Drilling. Sexton, A., Hebert, E. , McAllister, B., Studd, D., Findley, A., Overholt, C., MacKay, D., Stokes, I., Chadwick, T., Harkema, S., Gabriel, D., Wallace, S., Harris, J., and Campbell, S...... 74
Thaw Depth Monitoring in the Mackenzie Valley, Northwest Territories. Smith, S.L. and Duchesne, C...... 75
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES vii Characteristics, Metamorphic Assemblages and Preliminary In Situ Monazite Ages of Two Distinct Supracrustal Rock Packages in the Tehery Lake–Wager Bay Area, Northwestern Hudson Bay, Nunavut. Steenkamp, H.M., Wodicka, N., and Guilmette, C...... 76
A Perspective on Fish Habitat Protection in the North Under Recent and Forthcoming Changes to the Fisheries Act. Stevens, C. and Clipperton, K...... 77
Depth Profiles of Geochemistry and Organic Carbon from Permafrost and Active Layer Soils in the Northern Slave Geological Province, Northwest Territories, Canada. Subedi, R., Castagner, A., Kokelj, S.V., and Gruber, S...... 77
Novel Kimberlite Exploration Tools: Delineating Country Rock Hydration Associated with Kimberlites Using Vis-SWIR Hyperspectral Point Data Collected from Drill Core. Tappert, R. and Tappert, M.C...... 78
Lithostratigraphy, Chemostratigraphy, Thermal Maturity, and Source-Rock Potential of the Horn River Group at Two Outcrops in the Southern Peel Plateau Area, Northwest Territories. Terlaky, V., Fiess, K.M., and Rocheleau, J...... 79
Evolution of <2.0 Ga Metasedimentary Rocks Involved in 1.9 Ga Burial Metamorphism and Exhumation Adjacent to the Snowbird Tectonic Zone, Southeast Rae Craton Margin, Southeast Northwest Territories. Thiessen, E.J., Gibson, H.D., Regis, D., and Pehrsson, S.J...... 80
Temporal and Spatial Variability of Snow Water Equivalent, Snow Depth, and Snow Density at Local and Regional Scales in a 14 000 km2 Sub-Arctic Basin. Tokarski, D., Richardson, M., and Palmer, M.J...... 81
Recent Surficial Geology Projects at the Canada-Nunavut Geoscience Office. Tremblay, T...... 82
Airborne MAG/EM Data Integration of Slave Province Kimberlites, Northwest Territories. Ugalde, H., Furlan, A., Veglio, E., Milkereit, B., Mirza, A.M., and Elliott, B...... 82
Integrating Inuit Qaujimajatuqangit (IQ) and Caribou Collaring Data into Screening Level Risk Assessment at the Agnico Eagle Meadowbank Mine, Nunavut. Vanengen, R. and Baxter, L...... 83
Indin Lake Gold Project – 2017 Colomac Update. Waychison, W. and Byron, M...... 84
Geochemical Vectoring on Gold Systems Using Carbon Isotopes. Webb, D.R...... 85
Linking Permafrost Geomorphology to Organic Matter Release and Decomposition. Weiss, N...... 85
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES viii The Expert Panel Report on the Review of Environmental Assessment in Canada: How the Mackenzie Valley Measures Up. Wheler, B...... 86
Numerical Geothermal Analysis: An Important Component for the Designs and Evaluations for Structures in Permafrost Regions. Zhang, G...... 86
Baseline, Indicators and Uncertainties of Great Slave Lake Fisheries Ecosystem Under Multiple Pressures. Zhu, X., Lea, E., Tallman, R.F., Chapelsky, A.J., Leonard, D.L., Carmichael, T.J., and Evans, M...... 87
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES ix
Abstracts – Poster Presentations
Cumulative Impact Information and Environmental Assessment Decision-Making in the Mackenzie Valley, Northwest Territories. Arnold, L., Hanna, H., and Noble, B...... 89
Characterization of Arsenic-Hosting Solid Phases in Giant Mine Tailings and Tailings Dust. Bailey, A.S. and Jamieson, H.E...... 90
Spatial Anomaly Detection with Multivariate Geochemical Data from the Mackenzie Mountains. Cabral Pinto, F., Prades, C., Falck, H.E., and Deutsch, C...... 91
The New Government of the Northwest Territories Geological Materials Storage Facilities and Other Initiatives for the Long-Term Preservation of Geological Samples. Cairns, S.R...... 92
Investigation into the Extent of Slumping and Its Impact on Landscape Morphology within the Thomsen River Watershed in Aulavik National Park, Northwest Territories. Conway, H. and Cheyne, E...... 93
Where Have All the Garnets Gone – Lena West Paleo-Climate. Davies, R. and Davies, A.W...... 93
Behavior of a Reinforced, High Fill Embankment Following Winter Construction near Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories. De Guzman, E.M.B., Arenson, L.U., Alfaro, M.C., and Doré, G...... 94
Monitoring Permafrost Erosion Processes and Implementing Adaptation Measures in Kugluk Territorial Park, Nunavut. Ducharme, M.A., Ikpakohak, F., Papatsie, L., Petrasek-MacDonald, J., Allard, M., and Coulombe, S...... 95
Geological Survey of Canada Bedrock Mapping and Stratigraphic Studies, Shield to Selwyn Transect, Northwest Territories. Fallas, K.M. and MacNaughton, R.B...... 96
Forming a Sequence Stratigraphic Framework for the Hare Indian Formation Using High-Resolution Chemostratigraphy and Sedimentology, Central Mackenzie Valley, Northwest Territories. Harris, B., LaGrange Rao, M.T., Fiess, K.M., Terlaky, V., and Gingras, M.K...... 97
Assessing Factors Influencing Xylogenesis of Jack Pine (Pinus Banksiana), Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Harris, D.M., Pisaric, M.F.J., and Martin, J.P...... 98
Towards Understanding Hydrological Patterns Producing Drought in the Snare River System, Northwest Territories. Hickman, J., English, M., and Kokelj, S.V...... 98
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Characterization of the Cantung Tailings: Essential Information to Assess Feasibility of Reprocessing. Jamieson, H.E., Dobosz, A., Pawlik, M., Jamieson-Hanes, J.H., Salmabadi, E., and Falck, H.E...... 99
Community-Based Monitoring for Better Decision-Making. Keats, B.J. and Evans, P.C...... 100
The Application of 3D Indicator Mineral Datasets to Regional-Scale Modelling of Glacial Sediments in the Lac de Gras Area, Northwest Territories. Kelley, S.E., Ross, M., Stirling, R.A., Normandeau, P.X., and Elliott, B...... 101
Reconnaissance Surficial Geology, Indin Lake, Northwest Territories, NTS 86-B. Kerr, D.E., O'Neill, H.B., Wolfe, S.A., and Morse, P.D...... 102
Geology of the K6-252 Kimberlite Complex, Alberta. McCandless, T., DesGagnes, B., Shimell, M., and Read, G...... 102
Estimating Overburden Depth in a Permafrost-Rich Environment Using Passive Seismics: Results from the 2017 Preliminary Survey at Kennady Camp, Northwest Territories. McPeak, S., Mallozzi, S., Samson, C., Elliott, B., and Hunter, J...... 103
Northwest Territories Geological Survey Geophysical Activities, 2017-2018. Mirza, A.M...... 104
Influence of Terrain and Highway Construction on Thermokarst Distribution, North Slave Region, Northwest Territories, Canada. Morse, P.D., Wolfe, S.A., and McWade, T.L...... 105
The Geology of the Faraday 2 Kimberlite Pipe, Northwest Territories, Canada. Nelson, L., Hetman, C.M., and Diering, M...... 106
Understanding Land Use Plan Conformity Determination for Approved Regional Land Use Plans. Phillpot, D. and Stretch, V...... 107
Evolution of Incipient Lowland Thermokarst Features in the Blackstone River Valley, Yukon. Roy-Léveillée, P...... 108
Implications of Thawing Permafrost on Water in the Northwest Territories. Rudy, A.C.A., Connon, R.F, Devoie, É., Braverman, M., Wilcox, E., Walker, B., Balser, J., Quinton, W.L., and Marsh, P...... 108
Structural Framework for the Cantung Tungsten Deposit, Northwest Territories. Salmabadi, E., Hickey, K.A., and Falck, H.E...... 109
Teleseismic Investigation of the Crust and Mantle Lithosphere Underlying Banks Island, Northwest Territories: Implications for Resource Potential. Schaeffer, A.J., Audet, P., Cairns, S.R., Elliott, B., Falck, H.E., Esteve, C., and Snyder, D...... 110
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Trails: Collaborative Permafrost Terrain Mapping, Dempster and Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highways Corridor. Sladen, W.E., Morse, P.D., Kokelj, S.V., Smith, S.L., Jardine, S., Kokoszka, J., van der Sluijs, J., and Parker, R.J.H...... 111
A Pilot Project to Increase Public Accessibility of Permafrost Information. Smith, S.L., O'Neill, H.B., Wolfe, S.W., Morse, P.D., Kerr, D.E., Brodaric, B., Kokelj, S.V., and Karunaratne, K.C...... 112
Investigating the Diverse Glacial Geology South of Lac de Gras, Northwest Territories, and Its Potential Implications for Drift Prospecting. Stirling, R.A., Kelley, S.E., Ross, M., Normandeau, P.X., and Elliott, B...... 113
Using Paleolimnology to Establish Baseline Conditions and Trends for Contaminants and Climate for a Community-Based Aquatic Ecosystem Monitoring Program, Marian Watershed, Northwest Territories. Telford, J.V., Wolfe, B.B., Hall, R.I., and Hum, J...... 114
Surficial Sediments, Land Cover Mapping and Permafrost Characteristics in the Western Hudson Bay Area, Nunavut. Tremblay, T., Oldenborger, G.A., Bellehumeur-Génier, O., Short, N., and Leblanc, A-M...... 115
An Overview of Boothia Peninsula – Somerset Island, Northern Nunavut, Derived from Airborne Magnetic Data – Initial Field Integration Results. Ugalde, H., Ballinger, J.B., Sanborn-Barrie, M., and Regis, D...... 116
Evaluating Lake Water Balances in Relation to Catchment Characteristics near Yellowknife, NT, and Their Hydrological Response to Varying Climatic Conditions. Viscek, J.A. and Turner, K.W...... 117
Surface Till Geochemistry and Lithogeochemical Exploration for a Concealed Kimberlite. Wickham, A.P. and Winterburn, P.A...... 118
Mapping Ground Ice Potential in Canada. Wolfe, S.A., Duchesne, C., O'Neill, H.B., and Parker, R.J.H...... 118
Water Quality Data to Support Cumulative Effects Decision-Making in the Mackenzie Valley, Northwest Territories. Wong, L., Noble, B., and Hanna, K...... 120
Statistical Models for Interpreting Spatiotemporal Dynamics of Allometric Growth of Subarctic Lake Whitefish Populations. Zhu, X...... 120
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES xii
Abstracts - Oral Presentations Presenting Author denoted by *
INDIGENOUS ENGAGEMENT IN Topics of discussion will include: THE MINING SECTOR: • Exploration Plans, Exploration LESSONS FROM ONTARIO Permits, Closure Plans and the requirements for Indigenous ABOUCHAR, J. consultation. WILLMS & SHIER ENVIRONMENTAL • Who does what? LAWYERS LLP, TORONTO, ON [email protected] • Dealing with disputes. The Government of the Northwest • Assessment work credits for Territories is consulting about a Discussion engagement and consultation. Paper (August 2017) for a Mineral • Withdrawing sites of Aboriginal Resources Act (MRA). One of the topics is cultural significance. how to promote meaningful engagement between mining proponents and Indigenous • Remaining areas of uncertainty/ partners, and to better define and clarify disagreement in consultation process. rights and responsibilities of governments, mining companies, Indigenous communities EVIDENCE FOR MAFIC- and other partners and stakeholders. The MAGMA DERIVED discussion paper recognizes that clear HYDROTHERMAL FLUIDS IN guidance can ensure that legal obligations RARE EARTH ELEMENT are met, rights protected and common pitfalls that could frustrate engagement, SIGNATURES AND MELT consultation and the regulatory process are INCLUSIONS OF MAGMATIC avoided. AND HYDROTHERMAL APATITE FROM THE CANTUNG About 10 years ago, Ontario embarked on its W-CU SKARN DEPOSIT, Mining Act Modernization process NORTHWEST TERRITORIES including similar goals around Indigenous engagement. This presentation will give a 1 1 ADLAKHA*, E.E. , HANLEY, J.J. , brief overview of the Ontario Mining Act 2 3 FALCK, H.E. , and BOUCHER, B. modernization intended to clarify the roles, responsibilities and timing of Indigenous (1) SAINT MARY’S UNIVERSITY, HALIFAX, NS (2) NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL consultation and engagement. The balance SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT of the presentation will assess how it has (3) UNIVERSITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK, been working on the ground in practice. It is FREDERICTON, NB hoped that the presentation may provide [email protected] food for thought for parties interested in and The distribution and abundance of major, responding to the NWT Discussion Paper on minor, and trace elements in hydrothermal an MRA. and magmatic apatite associated with the Cantung W-Cu skarn deposit, Northwest Territories, Canada was studied to constrain
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 1 the origin of mineralizing fluids. Skarn- DIAVIK DIAMOND MINES - 2016 hosted apatite of hydrothermal origin occur SOCIO-ECONOMIC in carbonate-hosted garnet-clinopyroxene, MONITORING AGREEMENT amphibole and biotite skarn, and precedes scheelite and silicate crystallization. Skarn- PERFORMANCE hosted apatite are compositionally similar to magmatic apatite with respect to Mn, Fe, Pb, ALTY, R. and Sr contents, but show very different RIO TINTO, YELLOWKNIFE, NT chondrite-normalized rare-earth element [email protected] (REE) and Y abundance patterns. Skarn- At Diavik, sustainable development is hosted apatite exhibit four different patterns: integrated into everything we do. Our i) negatively sloped (average LaN/YbN range operations provide benefits and 3.9 to 10) patterns with negative Eu opportunities for local communities, anomalies (average EuN/Eu* ranging 0.3 to businesses, and governments. We work with 0.4; whereby Eu* = √[SmN*GdN]) are most all our stakeholders to deliver substantial common and reflect equilibrium with fluids and lasting benefits. derived from a felsic magma, ii) flat patterns (average LaN/YbN = 1.3) and strong negative The Diavik sustainable development report Eu anomalies (average EuN/Eu* of 0.09), is a requirement under the Diavik socio- record the evolution of the felsic magma economic monitoring agreement (SEMA). during fractional crystallization of feldspar Through this report information on annual and light REE (LREE)-rich phases, iii) training, employment, business benefits, and steeply dipping (average LaN/YbN = 127) community initiatives are available to the patterns with negative Eu anomalies public. During this session of the (average EuN/Eu* = 0.6) indicate diffusion Geoscience discussion, we will be sharing of heavy REEs (HREEs) into surrounding the Diavik Diamond mine performance garnet, or crystallization of apatite from under the SEMA up to and including metamorphic fluids, and iv) concave up December 2016. patterns with positive Eu anomalies (EuN/Eu* ranging 1.5 to 8.8) suggest FIVE YEARS OF MONITORING equilibration with fluid derived from an TEST SECTIONS ALONG amphibole-saturated mafic magma. Mafic magmas in the system are evidenced by the HIGHWAY 3 NEAR presence of high-Mg mafic melt inclusions YELLOWKNIFE, NORTHWEST in xenocrystic magmatic apatite in the TERRITORIES nearby, early (with respect to skarn formation) Mine Stock monzogranite pluton, ARENSON*, L.U.1, STIRLING, J.L.1, and the presence of lamprophyre dykes near SETO, J.T.C.2, and ABU BAKAR, M.3 sites of mineralization. The data indicates (1) BGC ENGINEERING INC., VANCOUVER, BC that high W contents in fluids may (2) BGC ENGINEERING INC., EDMONTON, AB ultimately be sourced from mafic magma (3) DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION, through mixing with a felsic melt in a deep GOVERNMENT OF NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, YELLOWKNIFE, NT crustal magma chamber. Skarn-associated [email protected] apatite can be differentiated from magmatic apatite by relative abundances of Mn, Fe, Sr, The Yellowknife Highway (NWT No. 3) As and REE. travels from the Mackenzie Highway near
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 2 Fort Providence to Yellowknife, and is the the road embankment temperatures, it did only all-weather road access from southern not stop further degradation and road Canada. In the mid-1960s it was constructed deformation. In addition, an initial as a clay road embankment with a gravel evaluation of the results indicates that the surface. The last 100 km of the highway is geotextile reinforcement installed in the road in an area of extensive discontinuous embankment to limit differential settlements permafrost in the Great Slave Lowlands, within high embankments at the bedrock to with terrain alternating between bedrock ice-rich sediment deposit interfaces may not outcrops and ice-rich lacustrine sediments. have been sufficiently extended over the bedrock sections. Nevertheless, it was Ground temperatures are typically warmer demonstrated that an air convection shoulder than -1°C and extensive permafrost constructed of cobbles and boulders can degradation has been noted in recent years. reduce the temperatures at the toe of the The final 100 kilometres of Highway 3 was embankment in this area on average by 2.5 re-aligned between 1999 and 2006 to be degrees over the 5 years. For the test much straighter and to maximize the length sections with a thin embankment, the built on bedrock to provide a stable geogrid reinforcement and the cellular embankment foundation. Coarse blast rock concrete seemed to have provided additional was used as material for the embankment stability to the fill, as the road surface at fill. However, higher than expected these sections have not experienced visual maintenance efforts were required following distress. the reconstruction. In 2012, four test sections were constructed to evaluate Five years of monitoring of the test sections potential mitigation techniques for road along Highway 3 have demonstrated that the embankments constructed on warm construction and maintenance of highway permafrost foundations. The test sections infrastructure on warm, ice-rich permafrost involved various levels of embankment is extremely challenging and a paradigm reconstruction, from dressing the existing shift in road design is required. Engineers, side slopes, to partial and full replacement of owners, and the public must accept that and the road embankment fills. Thermistors were thereby budget for such roads requiring installed in the test sections to measure significant ongoing maintenance efforts. embankment temperatures and inspections Designing such roads to preserve the ice- have been carried out to monitor the thermal rich and warm permafrost foundation is and structural performance of the road likely uneconomic, if not impossible, embankment. particularly during a period of an increasingly warming climate. We present results from five years of Consequently, some extent of permafrost monitoring, which were, on average, 0.6°C degradation must be accepted in the design. warmer than the 1981-2010 mean air temperature. During the last three years, air temperatures have been significantly warmer than the long-term average, which resulted in higher than normal distress to Highway 3’s embankments, including the test sections. While some of the mitigation designs seem to show a relative cooling of
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 3 EFFECT OF LEGACY KELVIN AND FARADAY POLLUTION FROM GOLD KIMBERLITE EMPLACEMENT MINES ON MERCURY GEOMETRIES AND METHYLATION IN LAKES IMPLICATIONS FOR NEAR YELLOWKNIFE, SUBTERRANEAN MAGMATIC NORTHWEST TERRITORIES PROCESSES
AZDAJIC*, M., BLAIS, J.M., BARNETT, W.1, STUBLEY, M.2, POULAIN, A.J., and YUMVIHOZE, E. HRKAC, C.3, HETMAN, C.M.1, and 4 UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA, OTTAWA, ON MCCANDLESS*, T. [email protected] (1) SRK CONSULTING, VANCOUVER, BC Mercury (Hg) is a global pollutant that (2) STUBLEY GEOSCIENCE LTD., COCHRANE, AB bioaccumulates in aquatic and terrestrial (3) AURORA GEOSCIENCES LTD., foodwebs as monomethylmercury (MMHg). YELLOWKNIFE, NT Microbial activity is the main driver of (4) MCC GEOSCIENCE INC., VANCOUVER, BC MMHg production, with sulfate reducing [email protected] bacteria being a major contributor. The The Kennady North Project kimberlites are roasting of arsenopyrite at Giant Mine in located approximately 280 kilometers east- Yellowknife, NWT, has created strong northeast of Yellowknife, in the Northwest environmental gradients of sulfate in lakes Territories of Canada. The unusual geometry in the surrounding area with distance from and extent of the kimberlite magmatic the mine. Whereas total Hg levels remain system is revealed by renewed exploration constant with increasing distance from the drilling activities by Kennady Diamonds mine, the ratio of MMHg relative to total Hg since 2012. It has become clear that the increases with proximity to the stack. We system comprises multiple intrusive dykes hypothesized that high sulfate in lakes near within which several volcaniclastic bodies the mine may be responsible for elevated have developed, all within 11 kilometres of MMHg concentrations in those same areas. the Gahcho Kué kimberlite cluster and To test our hypothesis, we sampled water diamond mine. The detailed exploration of and sediments from lakes spanning a range the entire system provides unique evidence of distance to Giant Mine. We determine for subterranean volcanic conduit growth simultaneous methylation and demethylation processes that may have scientific and rates using stable isotope analysis and practical exploration benefits. characterized the microbial community using high throughput sequencing of 16S The identified Kennady North Project rRNA genes. By analyzing methylmercury volcaniclastic bodies are named Kelvin, production and microbial community Faraday 1, Faraday 2 and Faraday 3, and composition, we have identified sulphate as have complex geometries atypical of the being the main driver of both final more common subvertical kimberlite pipes. concentrations of methylmercury and Rather, these pipe-like bodies are inclined microbial community structure. between 12 and 30 degrees towards the northwest. Kelvin has sharp angular change in trend towards the north. On-going detailed petrographic studies have shown
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 4 that the pipes contain layers of complex from one shallow dipping dyke to the next volcaniclastic units with variable volumes of above. Breccia bodies have been observed xenolithic fragments, as well as coherent on similar dipping dykes at Snap Lake mine magmatic layers. The pipe textures include that intersect fault structures. We conclude evidence for high energy magma and that the pipe development geometry and country rock fragmentation processes process is governed by a combination of typically observed in open volcanic systems. stress, structure and magmatic fluids, and speculate on the nature of the energy The pipes have developed within a shallow required for fragmentation and development 20 degree northwest dipping kimberlite dyke of the pipe at some still unknown depth in system. Detailed structural geology studies, the crust. using fault observations in oriented and unoriented drill core, have identified at least EXPLORATION ASSESSMENTS two important fault-fracture trends. The first DIGITAL DATA FORMATTING fault-fracture system is parallel to the dyke — A PROPOSED NATIONAL segments, and likely related to the intrusion of the dykes and the regional stress tensor STANDARD during emplacement. The second fault system is subvertical and north-south BELANGER, A. striking, parallel to the lithological layering PROSPECTORS AND DEVELOPERS within the metasedimentary country rock. ASSOCIATION OF CANADA, TORONTO, ON The north-south faults match the contact [email protected] geometry of the Kelvin pipe’s north-south This presentation will provide an overview limb exactly. of the need for improved exploration assessment data in all jurisdictions across The dykes have been 3-D modelled along Canada and the PDAC's Exploration with the pipes. Three possible renditions of Assessment Data Digital Formats project the dykes have been created, based on that outlines a standard set of guidelines for different interpretations of dyke segment the submittal of data in a digital format. continuity. The renditions have been labelled “Optimistic”, “Realistic” and A robust mineral exploration sector is vital “Pessimistic”. The assumptions made have to the success of Canada's mineral industry. important implications for developing dyke- Without mineral exploration success, there type mineral resources. will be no discoveries of mineral deposits, some of which eventually become the mines The realistic dyke model defines dyke of tomorrow. With respect to exploration segments that intersect the Kelvin pipe, and effectiveness, Canada now ranks below those intersections match geometric trends Australia and Canada's return on exploration and irregularities in the pipe shape. The investment was only 0.77 for every dollar coincidental geometries strongly imply that spent between 2005 and 2014, while the pipe development interacted with a Australia's was 0.97. This question of penecontemporaneous dyke system. The discovery performance is a technical one. north-south faults also controlled the local There are a number of variables affecting trend of Kelvin pipe development, possibly the discovery performance of companies by enhancing fluid permeability, alteration exploring in Canada, including the greater and brecciation along the faults, connecting costs of exploration at depth and in remote
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 5 areas. However, one key variable affecting conclusions about the processes operating at discovery performance is the availability of that time. As such, the few localities geoscience information to assist with land worldwide that are known to contain rocks acquisition and targeting decisions. from the first billion years of Earth history need to be intensively studied. The Acasta Improvements to the type, quality, quantity Gneiss Complex (AGC) in Northwest and accessibility of geoscience data Territories, Canada is one such locality. It is available to all companies and stakeholders an enclave of highly deformed, amphibolite- within the mineral exploration industry can grade, mixed gneisses on the western margin positively impact discovery rates. Canadian of the Slave craton. Despite the fact that the jurisdictions have a wide range of AGC occupies a total area of ~1300 km2, to requirements for prospectors, mineral date, nearly all previous geological work in exploration companies and mining the AGC has been conducted on a 6 x 6 km corporations for submitting digital data in area surrounding the original discovery site exchange for assessment credits. No of old rocks on the Acasta River. Thus, the jurisdictions require metadata to be vast majority of the AGC remains unstudied. submitted, or specify any minimal standards for data submission such as what table and In order to further our understanding of the field names should be included and how AGC as a whole, we carried out a field metadata should be organized. For campaign on a new area (informally “Moose subsequent users of the assessment data, Lake”) within the AGC, approximately 9 km integrating data embedded in PDF files with southwest of the original discovery site. The existing exploration databases is difficult objectives of the study include: 1) the and time consuming. The guidelines preparation of a 3 x 5 km geological map of presented here, if adopted, will facilitate the the Moose Lake field area, 2) obtaining submission of assessment data in digital representative samples of the rock units for form with hopes of improving data sharing, subsequent petrographic, geochemical and exploration efficiency and discovery rates. isotopic study, 3) using zircon uranium-lead (U-Pb) geochronology to determine the A NEW FRONTIER FOR THE magmatic and metamorphic ages of the rock ACASTA GNEISS COMPLEX: units, and 4) integrating the field and THE OLDEST EVOLVED CRUST laboratory data into a geological and tectonic model for the formation of the ON EARTH AGC.
BELOSEVIC*, M.B., CHACKO, T., and The Moose Lake field area contains five HEAMAN, L.M. major lithologies: mixed granitoids (tonalitic UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA, EDMONTON, AB to granodioritic gneisses and syn-tectonic [email protected] granitoids), coarse-grained metagabbro, The mechanisms of formation of our fine-grained amphibolite, garnet-biotite planet’s earliest crust are the subject of gneisses possibly of metasedimentary origin, debate among many scientists around the and a later-stage, foliated granodiorite. The world. Because of Earth’s geologically area is regionally metamorphosed to active nature, rocks formed during the first amphibolite grade and displays a dominant billion years of Earth history are relatively NE-SW trending, steeply dipping foliation. rare, making it difficult to draw precise The rock units in the Moose Lake area are
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 6 broadly similar to those documented in the Communities along the Slave River and Acasta River area, although the foliated Delta (SR&D), in collaboration with the granodiorite unit is more regionally Government of the Northwest Territories extensive at Moose Lake. In-situ U-Pb ages Department of Environment and Natural have been obtained for each of the major Resources (ENR), have observed and units by laser ablation multi-collector defined changes in their aquatic inductively coupled plasma mass environment. Through satellite remote spectrometry. The most significant sensing research and development that was discovery is a well constrained age of initiated under a previous NWT Cumulative 3730.3 ± 3.0 Ma for the metagabbro, which Impact Monitoring Program (NWT CIMP) although one of the most prominent units of project (2011), and a committed community the AGC, had not previously been well sampling program, a 10-year archive of constrained. water temperature and suspended sediment concentrations was generated and made COST-EFFECTIVE WATER available through a community based web- BASELINE ENVIRONMENTAL portal in 2016. MONITORING OF NORTHERN The water products have continued to be WATERWAYS generated and uploaded to the portal through
1 1 the 2017 season, and community work, now BENNETT, J. , YUE, B. , funded by ENR, has continued within the CHAMBERLAND, J.1, and 2 SR&D and onto Great Slave Lake to expand ADLAKHA*, P. the product suite up the lake and toward the (1) C-CORE, OTTAWA, ON Mackenzie River. The end goal of this (2) C-CORE, HALIFAX, NS project is to provide a portal that will [email protected] contain all water related products and Local and community based water sampling history from the NWT-Alberta border, all form the backbone of any water monitoring the way up the Mackenzie Delta. program. Sample analysis can yield information on water chemical content, CURRENT STATUS OF temporal changes, and variability through MINERAL TENURE IN THE time, and can help community members, scientists and governments make informed NORTHWEST TERRITORIES decisions. The keys to success for any regional or even territorial water monitoring BHUIYAN, M. program are to maximize in-situ sampling, MINING RECORDER'S OFFICE, GOVERNMENT while developing techniques and tools to OF NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, YELLOWKNIFE, NT understand changes within regions at which [email protected] in-situ sampling is either not possible, or sparse. This talk will present an example of A brief snapshot of the state of mineral satellite remote sensing techniques using tenure and exploration activities, stages of freely available data that can, and are being various mining company projects and a brief used to help fill this gap in water monitoring description of exploration benefit incentives within the Northwest Territories (NWT). to encourage and support prospectors, companies and work required to be done to keep mineral claims in good standing.
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 7 MARIAN WATERSHED A workshop was organized by the STEWARDSHIP PROGRAM Department of Culture and Lands Protection (DCLP) in the spring of 2017 to bring back BIRLEA, M. the results from the Hislop Lake camp and to develop a long term monitoring plan that TŁĮCHǪ GOVERNMENT, BEHCHOKǪ̀ , NT truly addresses the concerns of the elders. [email protected] We identified important field sites along the The Tłı̨chǫ Government is working together Marian River from Hislop Lake to Marian with Wek’èezhìi Land and Water Board Lake, which will be visited on a four-year (WLWB) and other partners to develop the cycle. The DCLP organized the fifth field Marian Watershed Community-Based program this fall on Hislop Lake, where the Aquatic Effects Monitoring Program. This is Environmental Monitors worked with the a community-based monitoring program that scientist to investigate the concerns from the is being developed based on the questions elders and communities. and needs of the Tłı̨chǫ people. The ongoing program will facilitate Tłı̨chǫ Lands have been under Moratorium enhanced understanding of fish health and since the signing of the Tłı̨chǫ Agreement in water chemistry each year, ensure active 2005 and on June 1, 2013, the Moratorium monitoring of Tłı̨chǫ waters by Tłı̨chǫ was lifted as the Tłı̨chǫ Wenek'e or Land people, and prioritize meaningful Use Plan came into force. With the potential communication back to community for future development of Tłı̨chǫ Lands, the members. Tłı̨chǫ people have expressed concern about impacts on the water and wildlife they are so AN EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF dependent upon. The objective of the Marian Watershed Monitoring Program is to PERMAFROST RESTORATION begin collecting baseline information about UNDER THE SEISMIC LINE IN the water and fish on Tłı̨chǫ lands and in THE WETLAND-DOMINATED locations the Tłı̨chǫ feel are the most ZONE OF DISCONTINUOUS important, prior to any major development PERMAFROST, NORTHWEST pressure (such as the NICO mine by TERRITORIES, CANADA Fortune), and to continue collecting this data over time. Community members are being BRAVERMAN*, M.1 and trained to collect samples, analyze the QUINTON, W.L.2 samples, and report findings back to the rest of the community members. (1) GHD, WATERLOO, ON (2) WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY, WATERLOO, ON A pilot project was conducted at Hislop [email protected] Lake, upstream of the planned NICO Mine Thermosyphons are closed-system heat site, in the fall of 2013. This project extraction devices. They extract heat from included the training of eight community the ground, cooling permafrost and members and a field program where the contributing to the maintenance of newly trained Environmental Monitors temperature below zero. Two types of worked with scientists to investigate the thermosyphons are known: passive and concerns of the elders and community hybrid thermosyphons. Passive systems do members. not require any external power to operate.
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 8 The hybrid installation combines the passive environmental economists, produced a system, which operates in winter time and a report which provides an economic analysis refrigeration compressor, which maintains linking climate change and ambient air the negative soil temperature in summer temperature to permafrost decay and time. The most common type of premature infrastructure failure in 33 thermosyphon is the carbon dioxide filled Northwest Territory communities. The vessel under a pressure varying from about report adopts two economic perspectives: 2100 to 4800 kPa. Thermosyphon one identifies the economic value at risk technology is successfully used for when public infrastructure fails prematurely; stabilization of building foundations and and, the second identifies the lost economic frozen core of dams, and in thermopiles activity associated with the economic value along the pipelines. While passive at risk. thermosyphons do not require extensive maintenance, they do require specially We focus our analysis on eight types of trained personnel for installation. Also, the infrastructure in the 33 communities: high cost of the thermosyphons limit their • Over 1,740 government buildings; extensive use under linear infrastructure. The liquid based thermosyphon was • 611 km of community roads and developed as an inexpensive alternative to 1,319 km of highways; the carbon dioxide system as part of a • 96 bridges and 230 culverts; collaborative R&D project with Wilfrid Laurier University and GHD Canada. The • 42 sewer systems assets and 72 technical aspects of experimental drinking water assets; and thermosyphon are described and discussed. • 28 airports. Also, this article presents the test results obtained from the degraded permafrost site Based on the analysis, we conclude there is equipped with the proposed type of a high likelihood of significant economic thermosyphons. costs in all 33 NWT communities that can be attributed to permafrost impacts on THE TECHNICAL community, territorial and federal assets. OPPORTUNITIES AND The total costs of the permafrost impact on assets in the 33 communities is in the order ECONOMIC IMPLICATIONS OF of $1.3 billion. On an annual basis, the PERMAFROST DECAY ON economic losses are likely in the order of PUBLIC INFRASTRUCTURE IN $51 million. The study also compares the THE NORTHWEST value at risk relative to the $5.2 billion TERRITORIES worth of infrastructure. The study concludes with recommendations of next steps and BROWN, S. technical opportunities that may be realized. NWT ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITIES, YELLOWKNIFE, NT [email protected] Through funding from Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency (CanNor), the NWT Association of Communities, working with geotechnical experts and
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 9 PREDICTING LIQUID WATER that even when fitted parameters are suitable CONTENT IN PERMAFROST for reproducing temperature observations, FROM TEMPERATURE TIME they may not be appropriate for calculating liquid water contents. The choice of cost SERIES: THE IMPORTANCE OF function is known to significantly influence A STRUCTURALLY SOUND the results in parameter-fitting studies, so MODEL the effect of incorporating information about heat content into the cost function is also BROWN*, N. and GRUBER, S. evaluated. This new cost function is shown CARLETON UNIVERSITY, OTTAWA, ON to yield poorer estimates of soil properties [email protected] with the exception of the soil freezing temperature. Ground temperature measurements are typically used to monitor permafrost. In We conclude the mismatch between model thawing permafrost, temperature changes structure and measured locations to be the with time are often very slight, intuitively likely cause for the difference in creating the misleading impression that little performance between synthetic and change occurs. During this time, latent heat observed data. For example, seasonal transfer is strong and the amounts of ice, variation of water content within the active liquid water, and energy in the soil can layer, heterogeneity and 3D effects near the change strongly while temperature change is surface, or the loss of excess ice can affect subdued. Given that changes in subsurface how well the assumed 1D homogeneous soil ice and liquid water contents are significant column can represent reality. An for human and biophysical systems, as well understanding of how the uncertainty in as for calculating the latent heat associated model parameters propagates to predictions with ground energy fluxes, it would be of liquid water content derived from desirable to monitor these changes in temperature data will be essential as warming permafrost. Unfortunately, such permafrost continues to thaw. The current measurements are rarely collected. inability to fitted model parameters suitable for simulating liquid-water content in Previous studies have demonstrated that soil permafrost points to our limited capacity to properties can be estimated by using monitor and predict relevant change in observed temperature time-series to fit the permafrost. parameters of a numerical model. To this end, two techniques, the differential evolution search algorithm and generalized STATUS REPORT ON THE likelihood uncertainty estimation, are used GNWT'S PETROLEUM to estimate soil properties from temperature RESOURCES DIVISION'S data using the GEOtop model. In this, we CURRENT AND PLANNED aim to estimate changing liquid-water ACTIVITIES content in soil based on fitted model parameters. Both methods exhibit promising BUTTERS, T.I. results with synthetic data, and are able to accurately estimate soil properties, even PETROLEUM RESOURSES DIVISION, GOVERNMENT OF NORTHWEST with the addition of noise into the TERRITORIES, INUVIK, NT synthetically generated ‘observational’ data. [email protected] Tests with field data, however, demonstrate
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 10 The Government of Northwest Territories' In this regard, understanding the potential (GNWT) Department of Industry, Tourism impacts of climate change on the Dempster and Investment (ITI) is responsible for the Highway is of the utmost importance to administration of onshore oil and gas support decisions regarding highway interests in the Northwest Territories. This construction and maintenance. Already, talk will highlight the Petroleum Resources climate-related events such as flooding and Division's (PRD) current and planned differential settlement due to permafrost activities for fiscal year 2017-2018. Topics thaw have caused damage to the highway. covered are 1) an update of industry activity; The Northern Climate ExChanges (NCE) 2) the current state of oil and gas tenure and Yukon Highways and Public Works including exploration licenses, significant (HPW) are partnering to establish a discovery licenses, production licenses, and functional plan taking in account climate a description of lands currently available for change, as climate-aware planning and expressions of interest; 3) the recent engineering will help provide a robust marketing and promotion initiatives; 4) the justification for certain work and will also anticipated release of the NWT Oil and Gas contribute to cost-effective maintenance of Strategy in 2018; 5) petroleum resource the highway. characterization and assessment of the NWT's Liard and Central NWT corridor We present here preliminary results of a (Canol and Bluefish) shale basins; 6) an large-scale survey aiming to fill important update on the review of the Petroleum gaps in climate change monitoring and data Resources Act and the Oil and Gas collection for this region of Yukon. Field Operations Act carried out under the investigations included onsite mapping of GNWT's mandate commitment. surficial geology, landforms and features related to permafrost occurrence; permafrost ASSESSING AND MONITORING core drilling to investigate ground ice PERMAFROST ALONG THE content, soil nature; active layer thickness DEMPSTER HIGHWAY, probing to determine seasonal thaw depth; electrical resistivity tomography (ERT) and YUKON, USING BOREHOLE ground penetrating radar surveys. DATA AND ERT SURVEYS Ground temperature monitoring was CALMELS*, F., ROY, L.-P., and implemented; instrumented boreholes will GRANDMONT, K. provide a ground thermal monitoring YUKON COLLEGE, WHITEHORSE, YT network, and an improved understanding of [email protected] the permafrost conditions and their potential The Dempster Highway is a pan-territorial to respond to climate change. road with an important value as a tourist and economic corridor. Now linked all the way A total of 17 sites have been investigated, to Tuktoyaktuk, it provides the Vuntut from km 82 to km 458, in both glaciated and Gwitchin First Nation an access to the unglaciated terrain. The NCE have southern reaches of their traditional territory. implemented permafrost monitoring stations It is therefore critical to perpetuate the at 10 sites, complementing 3 sites already Dempster Highway as climate changes in monitored by HPW. Some critical sites that the upcoming decades. have been investigated in detail, are discussed. A special focus has been on
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 11 identifying and mapping massive ice bodies, HOW MIGHT AIRBORNE as their thaw constitutes a major threat for PARTICULATES IMPACT the highway. CARIBOU AROUND AN OPEN The array of permafrost monitoring stations PIT MINE IN THE ARCTIC? will inform and orient future maintenance 1 1 policies of HPW; and combined with CHEN*, W. , LEBLANC, S.G. , WHITE, H.P.1, MILAKOVIC, B.2, borehole and geophysical data; it also will 2 2 contribute to develop the highway as a ROCK, C. , SHARAM, G. , O'KEEFE, H.3, COREY, L.3, permafrost research corridor. It will be 4 4 integrated to the monitoring network that CROFT, B. , ADAMCZEWSKI, J. , PELLISSEY, J.S.5, TRACZ, B.5, has been progressively developed by the 6 7 NCE with HPW, currently including more GUNN, A. , and BOULANGER, J. than 40 stations across Yukon. (1) NATURAL RESOURCES CANADA, OTTAWA, ON (2) ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES INTEGRATING UTILITY SCALE MANAGEMENT LTD., VANCOUVER, BC SOLAR AND ENERGY (3) DOMINION DIAMOND EKATI CORPORATION, YELLOWKNIFE, NT STORAGE INTO CANADIAN (4) ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL MINING OPERATIONS RESOURCES, GOVERNMENT OF NORTHWEST RELYING ON DIESEL BACKED TERRITORIES, YELLOWKNIFE, NT (5) WEK'ÈEZHÌI RENEWABLE RESOURCES MICRO-GRIDS BOARD, YELLOWKNIFE, NT (6) CIRCUMARCTIC RANGIFER MONITORING CAMERON, D. AND ASSESSMENT NETWORK, SALT SPRING ISLAND, BC SOLVEST INC., WHITEHORSE, YT (7) INTEGRATED ECOLOGICAL RESEARCH [email protected] LTD., NELSON, BC In recent years utility scale solar and energy [email protected] storage technology has seen a dramatic Boulanger et al. (2012) estimated the zone global uptake in remote mining operations of influence (ZOI) for caribou around the however, the Canadian mining industry has Ekati-Diavik mining complex to be 14 km, yet to build a single project. The using caribou aerial survey data and satellite presentation answers why this has yet to collar data. To date, little is known about the occur in Canada and presents three case underlying mechanisms that influence the studies which make a compelling financial size of the ZOI. Simulations using an air argument for why this is about to change. dispersion model showed that the dispersion of airborne particulates (e.g., total suspended particulates, TSP, and fine particulate matter less than 2.5 mm, PM2.5) had similar spatial ranges from the mining complex (Rescan, 2006). Airborne particulates include coarse particulate matter (mainly from road dust) and PM2.5 (from many sources including road dust, diesel fuel combustion, burning of garbage, and forest fire smoke). Air quality related to the dispersion of airborne particles
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 12 from the mining complex was thus Regarding the third mechanism (i.e., caribou suggested to be a possible mechanism may smell and thus react to the difference in contributing to the ZOI for caribou. air quality), there are many unanswered questions. For example, what are the tempo- Many people observed that this was a vague spatial patterns of TSP and PM2.5 around the proposition, which didn’t specify how Ekati Diamond Mine? Which kind and level exactly airborne particulates from the mines of TSP and PM2.5 changes may be detectable might have impacted caribou’s behaviour by smell? In this presentation, we will report and thus the ZOI. Our CIMP project entitled our initial analysis on these questions, using “Satellite Monitoring for Assessing field surveys, remote sensing products, and Resource Development’s Impact on Bathurst other monitoring data. Caribou (SMART),” explores specific ways or mechanisms with which airborne particles PALEOECOTOXICOLOGY AS A might affect caribou. First, dust deposition TOOL TO ASSESS THE may influence the availability and quality of TOXICITY OF LAKE caribou forage. Caribou may taste the difference in forage and respond. Second, SEDIMENTS AT GIANT MINE caribou may see a dust plume from a mining 1 1 road and move away from it. Finally, CHENEY*, C.L. , POTHIER, M.P. , POULAIN, A.J.1, THIENPONT, J.R.1, caribou may smell the difference in air 2 1 quality and respond accordingly. KOROSI, J.B. , KIMPE, L.E. , and BLAIS, J.M.1 For the first mechanism, our study estimated (1) UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA, OTTAWA, ON that the zone of dust disturbance around the (2) YORK UNIVERSITY, TORONTO, ON Ekati Diamond Mine is about 1 km, a [email protected] conclusion supported by a convergence of Giant Mine released particulate arsenic observational evidence. Within the 1 km trioxide to the atmosphere from its roaster distance from a busy road, we found an stack, which was consequently deposited to increase in the amount of dust on leaves, and the surrounding landscape. Here we a reduction in lichen availability associated characterize the extent of contamination to with the increase in soil pH. For the second lake sediments within a 30 km radius of the mechanism, our analysis indicated that the roaster stack with Pb-210 dated lake distance within which caribou see a dust sediment cores, which can reconstruct plume is about 2 km, assuming that the conditions in lakes prior to the onset of height of a dust plume is 8 m and the visual mining operations. Metal concentrations in threshold is less than 2% of the dust plume sediment profiles were determined for visible. These assumptions were made on multiple lakes downwind of the roaster the basis of field observation and other stack. Profiles of multiple metals including studies. Nevertheless, we emphasize that the arsenic, antimony, and lead track a peak in height of a dust plume may vary with wind contamination during the height of mining speed, vehicle type and its travel speed, and operations, which decreases with distance. road conditions. Together, our results Toxicity tests in Daphnia indicate lake water regarding these two mechanisms suggest collected 1 km from the mine decrease that dust impacts on caribou behaviour could Daphnia survivorship, despite the mine reach up to 2 km, but cannot explain the 14 being inactive for over 10 years. Assessment km ZOI. of bioavailability using microbial
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 13 bioreporters indicate that arsenic in There is an opportunity to use regional porewater is 70% bioavailable. Principal environmental impact assessment to address Component Analysis (PCA) of metals in the these issues outside of a single project and at sediment dated prior, during, and after the a regional scale. With proper design, cessation of mining activities show implementation, and execution of regional clustering of chemically similar lakes prior impact assessment, the following to mining, with divergence during improvements can likely be achieved: 1) operations, and little change occurring since better informed, streamlined and timely after the mine closure. These results suggest project assessment; 2) improved that lakes in the Yellowknife region were understanding of cumulative impacts; 3) contaminated from mining operations at improved involvement of Indigenous groups Giant Mine, and that the aquatic ecosystems and land users; 4) thresholds and objectives continue to show lingering contamination that can be used in project assessment, and from past mining activities. Future work 5) better informed decision making by examining multi-trophic level responses to Boards and government. contaminant exposure in dated sediments will improve our understanding of the MINING MATTERS: RAISING impact of mining operations to the aquatic AWARENESS THROUGH environments near Yellowknife, and will PARTNERSHIPS help predict the timing of ecosystem recovery. CLINTON, L.A. MINING MATTERS, TORONTO, ON REGIONAL IMPACT [email protected] ASSESSMENT: A NEW Mining Matters is a charitable organization STRATEGIC PATH FORWARD dedicated to bringing knowledge and FOR THE NORTHWEST awareness about Canada's geology and TERRITORIES mineral resources to students, educators and the public. The organization provides CLIFFE-PHILLIPS, M.A. current information about rocks, minerals, MACKENZIE VALLEY ENVIRONMENTAL metals, mining and the diverse career IMPACT REVIEW BOARD, YELLOWKNIFE, NT opportunities available in the minerals [email protected] industry. During most environmental assessments conducted by the Mackenzie Valley Travelling to Canada's North from their Environmental Impact Review Board, there home base in Toronto, Mining Matters are many instances where concerns or issues educational teams work with community, are raised that are not specific to the project corporate, education and government being assessed, but the onus has fallen on partners to customize Earth science the developer to address these concerns. programming for youth; delivering school Many of these issues relate to inadequate or programs, summer camps and community unavailable baseline information, pre- events that educate participants about existing and cumulative effects, and lack of Canada's geology and mineral resources, sufficient understanding of the relationship mineral exploration, mining, sustainability, between landscape change and those who careers and the relevance of mining to use the land. quality of life. The organization's teacher
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 14 training program provides professional EARNING AND MAINTAINING development workshops and teacher SOCIAL LICENCE IN AN resource kits to deliver effective Earth URBAN, RECREATIONAL AND science curriculum. Using hands-on educational resources, created by educators BROWNFIELD ENVIRONMENT and Earth science experts to meet WITH AN UNSETTLED LAND curriculum expectations, the teams inspire CLAIM teachers and spark student interest in Earth science and mineral resources. CONNELLY, D.M. ILE ROYALE ENTERPRISES LTD., CANADIAN MINERAL YELLOWKNIFE, NT EXPLORATION HR OUTLOOK [email protected] TerraX Minerals Inc. is advancing a district COFFIN, L.M. scale exploration project in close proximity MINING INDUSTRY HUMAN RESOURCES to its most impacted stakeholders: COUNCIL, OTTAWA, ON Yellowknife, N'dilo, Detah; and amongst [email protected] cabin country, infrastructure and The mineral exploration industry is both recreational trails. For five years, the highly volatile and poorly understood, Yellowknife City Gold Project (YCGP) has prompting the Mining Industry Human co-existed with multiple land uses and over Resources Council (MiHR) to partner with 40 stakeholder groups. In addition to the Prospectors and Developers Association traditional means of engagement for more of Canada (PDAC) to investigate the remote projects, TerraX has partnered on a particular experiences and perspectives of number of initiatives with its stakeholders to the wide variety of people working in promote co-usage of exploration trails and Canada's mineral exploration sector. This winter roads with communities, tourism, presentation will showcase how MiHR and recreational, education, government and PDAC were able to fill a gap in labour industrial stakeholders. This presentation market information by developing and updates previously discussed initiatives deploying a robust survey of individuals and focused on the YCGP's urban and organizations working in exploration. brownfield environments; and shares new partnerships including the development of This research offers a new look at many the Ranney Hill Geological Interpretive topics in exploration from a broad and Trail, the Yellowknife Gold Loppet and national lens, including women in Mining Matters NWT all in the context of exploration, work integrated learning and land claims. the career outlook for students. Key observations include a need for increased collaboration between industry and educational institutions and better career awareness and attraction efforts. Results also illustrated an absence of a mid-career workforce.
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 15 OVER-WINTER FLOWPATHS periods of high moisture supply. Taliks are THROUGH TALIK NETWORKS only found on peat plateaus and have the IN DISCONTINUOUS potential to offer subsurface flowpaths to wetlands in the winter season. The effect of PERMAFROST TERRAINS taliks on the basin water balance is not well understood. CONNON*, R.F.1, BRAVERMAN, M.2, 1 and QUINTON, W.L. To quantify the direction of flow and (1) WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY, subsurface flux between taliks and wetlands, WATERLOO, ON five taliks with a direct subsurface (2) UNIVERSTY OF WATERLOO, WATERLOO, connection to a wetland were instrumented ON [email protected] with pressure transducers. Two of the taliks were located at the edge of a fen and three Rapid climate warming in northwestern were located at the edge of a bog. The centre Canada has led to unprecedented rates of of the wetland feature was also equipped permafrost thaw. Near its southern edge, the with a pressure transducer to calculate the occurrence of permafrost is often restricted hydraulic gradient. One talik was to peatlands, where the large thermal offset instrumented with thermistors and soil between the ground surface and the moisture sensors to track the downward permafrost table is able to preserve progression of the freezing front. During permafrost even where mean annual winter, taliks on plateaus that border temperatures exceed 0°C. Peatlands differ wetlands can provide a flowpath for water from mineral soils as they have a much transfer into the wetland, or can receive higher porosity, and therefore higher water from wetlands as the confining layer volumetric water content when saturated. of ice exerts pressure on the subsurface The latent heat requirements to re-freeze water and forces it laterally into the taliks of saturated peat can often limit the penetration plateaus. It was found that taliks along the of the freezing front, leaving a residual talik, edges of fens received water over the course a layer of ground at depth, that does not of the winter as the hydraulic gradient from refreeze. This perennially unfrozen layer the fen to the talik progressively increased erodes into the underlying permafrost and over the season. Conversely, it appears that offers year-round flow conduits for energy groundwater from plateaus was slowly and water. Studies at the Scotty Creek released into bogs over-winter. The direction Research Station (SCRS) in the southern of flow can have important implications on Northwest Territories, Canada have the magnitude of thaw as the influx of water examined the evolution of taliks over into the plateau and the advective transport multiple years. The SCRS is located in the of energy can enhance thaw and erode the headwaters of Scotty Creek, where plateau. Quantifying over-winter flows permafrost exists solely beneath forested through talik networks is necessary to peat plateaus. These plateaus are develop an understanding of the cycling and interspersed by permafrost-free wetlands storage of water in discontinuous permafrost (channel fens and flat bogs), where saturated terrains. conditions typically limit the development of trees. Channel fens route water to the basin outlet, whereas bogs typically store water, but can also transmit it to fens during
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 16 THE INFLUENCE OF linear regression approach was used to MEADOWBANK MINE ON evaluate whether differences in caribou use CARIBOU SEASONAL HABITAT and amount time spent in areas adjacent to the Mine and AWAR during pre- and post- USE development periods supported predictions
1 2 3 of an avoidance hypothesis. The results did COULTON*, D. , KIM, J. , VIRGL, J. , not indicate avoidance during post- STEVENS, C.4, DE LA MARE, C.4, 5 5 development in either spring or fall seasons QUESNEL, J. , and VANENGEN, R. but did during winter. However, the changes (1) GOLDER ASSOCIATES LTD., detected in winter were based on five YELLOWKNIFE, NT collared animals during the post- (2) GOLDER ASSOCIATES LTD., CALGARY, AB development period so this result comes (3) GOLDER ASSOCIATES LTD., SASKATOON, SK with uncertainty. There is also uncertainty (4) GOLDER ASSOCIATES LTD., EDMONTON, about changes not detected during spring AB and fall because the number of collared (5) AGNICO EAGLE MINES LIMITED, caribou available are generally limited. TORONTO, ON Importantly, the Mine and AWAR are [email protected] located outside of core areas used by either Barren-ground caribou are a migratory herd so any reduction in the use of suitable species and their ability to locate suitable habitat may affect only a small proportion of resources and avoid predators among the animals in these herds. Finally, whether seasonal ranges is important to their survival changes associated with a development ZOI and reproductive success and coping with matter to caribou population demography is environmental variability. Exploration for a question that has not been answered mineral resources since the mid-1990s has empirically. occurred in the seasonal ranges of barren- ground caribou across Canada with several QUANTIFYING THAW mines being developed. Previous studies have detected caribou avoiding areas MECHANISMS IN adjacent to mines and roads. However, DISCONTINUOUS baseline information on caribou habitat use PERMAFROST: IS TALIK was not available in these studies, so FORMATION A TIPPING inferences about changes to distribution POINT? required assumptions based solely on post- development data. The Meadowbank Mine DEVOIE*, È.1, CRAIG, J.R.2, (Mine) was developed in 2007 and is QUINTON, W.L.3, and CONNON, R.F.3 connected to the community of Baker Lake, (1) UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO, WATERLOO, Nunavut, by a 103.5 km all-weather access ON road (AWAR). Barren-ground caribou from (2) UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO, WATERLOO, the Lorillard and Wager Bay herds have ON seasonal ranges that overlap these two (3) WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY, developments during spring, fall and winter WATERLOO, ON [email protected] and have been collared since 1999. Thus, collared animals from these herds allow for Rapid climate warming in northern Canada comparison of pre- (baseline) and post- is resulting in rapid permafrost loss. At the development caribou distribution. A simple southern limit of permafrost, thaw is
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 17 observed as a loss in extent of permafrost magnitudes of advective and conduction cored peat plateaux. The precursor to loss of driven thaw are compared to better quantify permafrost is thought to be the formation of thaw drivers in the discontinuous permafrost confined taliks. Taliks form when the net system. ground heat flux is positive, i.e. more energy is gained by the soil during the summer than VOLCANIC SETTING OF THE can be lost through the winter. Under this SUNRISE VMS DEPOSIT, condition, the entire soil column is unable to CAMERON-BEAULIEU refreeze, and a thawed region is left between the base of the active layer and the top of the VOLCANIC BELTS, SLAVE frozen permafrost table. The presence of this PROVINCE talik affects the hydrology of the system, 1 1 especially over-winter when the system was DEWOLFE*, Y.M. , LILLEY, S.C. , and 2 previously (i.e. prior to talik formation) KNOX, B. quiescent, but more importantly in this (1) MOUNT ROYAL UNIVERSITY, CALGARY, context, the formation of taliks is thought to AB be a tipping point in permafrost thaw and the (2) NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL main thaw mechanism in discontinuous SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT [email protected] permafrost peatlands. The thermodynamic impacts of taliks will be The Sunset Lake area, including the Sunrise investigated to quantify and test these VMS deposit, is located within the hypotheses. A one-dimensional Neoarchean Cameron-Beaulieu volcanic thermodynamic model of active layer belts along the northeast margin of the evolution including conductive, sensible and Sleepy Dragon Complex. The age of the latent heat has been developed. This model volcanic strata, and the volcanic stratigraphy will be used to simulate a soil column with is unknown, therefore cannot be correlated and without a confined talik. The freeze- with any other volcanic strata in the thaw process will be applied to these soil Cameron-Beaulieu volcanic belts. The columns for several possible climate Sunrise VMS deposit (historic indicated scenarios, to determine evolution of the resource 1.52 Mt at 5.99% Zn, 2.39% Pb, respective soil columns. It is anticipated that 0.08% Cu, 262 g/t Ag, 0.67 g/t Au) is a under certain conditions the talik system will banded polymetallic Zn-Pb-Cu-Ag-Au exhibit permafrost thaw when forced with sulfide lens hosted by rhyolitic the same ground heat flux as the system volcaniclastic rocks; however, the host without a talik, that will remain stable. The stratigraphy is not well understood. formation of a talik is therefore a tipping point, in which an anomalously warm year The Sunset Lake area was subject to forest (as has been observed at the Scotty Creek fires in 2014, and as a result there is Research Station) can result in widespread excellent outcrop exposure in this area. It thaw in previously stable regions, given the was previously mapped as a large rhyolite same climate forcing before and after the body, but detailed mapping as a part of this anomalous year. Additionally, taliks can study suggests it is more complicated and form a conduit for water when they connect comprises numerous lithofacies, including adjacent wetland features. The potential pillow basalt, rhyolite flow-dome complexes impact of advection-driven thaw on and volcaniclastic units. The footwall to the permafrost is investigated, and the relative Sunrise deposit consists, from oldest to
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 18 youngest, of pillow basalt (>200 m), NAVIGATING formerly glassy rhyolite lobes enclosed by ENVIRONMENTAL RISK: masses of in situ hyaloclastite (~100 m), WHEN AND HOW TO APPLY felsic volcaniclastic rocks ranging from tuff breccia to tuff with depositional units THE PRECAUTIONARY between 2 – 10 m totaling ~100 m, and a PRINCIPLE massive (~ 100 m), weakly quartz and plagioclase porphyritic rhyolite dome with DONIHEE, J. and BIRCHALL*, C.J. brecciated margins. Adjacent to the weakly WILLMS & SHIER ENVIRONMENTAL porphyritic rhyolite dome is a strongly LAWYERS LLP, OTTAWA, ON sericitized and silicified rhyolite tuff to [email protected] lapillistone that hosts the Sunrise deposit. The precautionary principle is used Mineralization at surface consists of a 3 – 4 inconsistently in Canada. This creates a m thick massive sulfide lens, dominated by problem for industry proponents in the pyrite, with minor sphalerite and Territories because: chalcopyrite, and a strike length of about • There is uncertainty when the 120 m. The deposit is overlain by principle will apply to projects; and pervasively carbonate altered pillow basalt. • Along strike ~ 2 km to the south the It is not clear how the principle will stratigraphy is dominated by intermediate to be applied by courts and mafic pillow lavas with subordinate amounts administrative tribunals. of associated volcaniclastic rocks. The Supreme Court of Canada has adopted The footwall to the Sunrise deposit one version of the precautionary principle: comprises rhyolite flow-dome complexes where there are threats of serious or and a thick sequence of rhyolitic irreversible damage, lack of full scientific volcaniclastic rocks, which end abruptly certainty should not be used as a reason for along strike to the south, where the postponing cost-effective measures to stratigraphy is dominantly coherent prevent environmental degradation. intermediate to mafic lavas. This abrupt lateral transition in lithofacies is interpreted Since its adoption by the Supreme Court, the to represent a synvolcanic structure such as principle's formulation and usefulness has a caldera wall. Thus, the Sunrise deposit is been variable at best. Some statutes located on the margin of a rhyolite dome articulate formulations of the precautionary within a small (~ 2 x 2 km minimum principle similar to that referenced by the estimate) subsidence structure. A rapid Supreme Court while others refer to a change from coherent rhyolite of the dome, “precautionary approach”. For example, the to the rhyolite volcaniclastic rocks that host Canadian Environmental Assessment Act the deposit, suggest that the deposit states that the federal government must corresponds with an area of faulting, exercise its powers in a manner that “applies fracturing and the accumulation of the precautionary principle” and that permeable debris on the margin of the dome, proposed projects should be “considered in a all contributing to a favorable environment careful and precautionary manner”. Whereas for the formation of a VMS deposit. the federal Oceans Act characterizes the precautionary approach as “erring on the side of caution”. These formulations differ
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 19 from that adopted by the Supreme Court and PERMAFROST ENGINEERING offer little in the way of guidance as to how AT LAVAL UNIVERSITY: they will be applied. UNDERSTANDING DEGRADING Further, the courts disagree about the PERMAFROST TO DEVELOP precautionary principle's purpose. Some ENGINEERING TOOLS FOR argue that it prevents decision-makers from ADAPTING CANADA'S taking a laissez-faire approach to NORTHERN environmental management. Others suggest TRANSPORTATION that it is a potentially paralyzing zero INFRASTRUCTURE tolerance approach to environmental risk. However, some courts have decided that the DUMAIS*, S., DORÉ, G., paralyzing effect of the precautionary KONRAD, J.-M., and LEMIEUX, C. principle can be addressed through adaptive management. UNIVERSITÉ LAVAL, QUÉBEC, QC [email protected] Administrative tribunals in environmental Construction of roads, highways and impact assessment and regulatory contexts airstrips in permafrost areas inevitably have also applied a version of the affects the thermal regime of frozen soils, precautionary principle in their decision- which may cause thermal degradation of the making. The Mackenzie Valley underlying permafrost. The ongoing Environmental Impact Review Board northern research programs at the Civil (MVEIRB) and Nunavut Impact Review Engineering Department of Laval University Board (NIRB) have both recently endorsed a focus on improving current knowledge on “precautionary approach”. The Land and permafrost degradation and ability to adapt Water Boards in the Mackenzie Valley also by developing expertise, procedures and make decisions relying in part on techniques to better understand and to “precautionary” considerations that inform mitigate instabilities affecting transportation adaptive management. infrastructure.
Canada's approach to the precautionary Regarding the understanding of degrading principle stands in contrast to the approaches permafrost: microgravimetry and road taken by other countries. Courts in Australia profilometry techniques have been adapted and New Zealand have developed detailed for the detection of thaw-sensitive legal tests outlining how and when the permafrost; a laboratory testing procedure precautionary principle should be interpreted was developed to characterize the and applied. Drawing from these examples, mechanical behavior of marginally frozen we will propose an option for a more soils subjected to cyclic loading and; an consistent decision-making framework oedometric core-barrel for in situ relating to the precautionary principle. measurement of thaw consolidation properties of permafrost has been designed and manufactured at Laval University.
An engineering framework for the assessment of thaw consolidation of permafrost is currently being developed. The
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 20 analysis combines a large-strain thaw EVALUATION OF MAJOR consolidation numerical model and an CARVING STONE DEPOSITS improved characterisation of the AND QUARRIES THROUGHOUT consolidation properties of thawing soil. Field studies on embankment spreading and THE QIKIQTAALUK OF retrogressive thaw slumps are currently NUNAVUT: 2016-17 RESULTS underway at sites located on the Inuvik- 1 2 Tuktoyaktuk Highway and on the Dempster ELGIN*, R.A. , STEENKAMP, H.M. , 3 2 Highway, respectively. TIMLICK, L. , and THERRIAULT, I. (1) QIKIQTANI INUIT ASSOCIATION, IQALUIT, Adaptation techniques and methods for NU transportation infrastructure built on thaw- (2) CANADA NUNAVUT GEOSCIENCE OFFICE, sensitive permafrost have been developed: IQALUIT, NU (3) UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA, WINNIPEG, simple calculation tools to quantify the MB impact of limiting heat-intake using high- [email protected] albedo surfacing; methodology for taking Large deposits of artisanal carving stone (i.e. into account snow accumulation along the serpentinite, soapstone and argillite) embankment; quantification of heat transfer represent a commodity of special around culverts to support the design of low- significance to northern communities and impact drainage systems and; optimized provide the raw materials that drive a design tools for convective mitigation fundamental part of a multi-million dollar techniques using numerical modelling. arts and crafts industry. In addition to Finally, a methodology and software tool is providing a simple economic lifeline to being developed to quantitatively calculate many Inuit artisans, stone carvings provide the risk associated with common an important means for the continuation of permafrost-supported embankment traditional practices and an instantly infrastructure dangers. The analysis uses identifiable symbol of northern culture. variable geotechnical, climate and permafrost parameters to determine Within the Qikiqtaaluk of Nunavut, all probabilities of occurrence based on user- major carving stone quarries lie on land input serviceability limits or ultimate limit administered by the Qikiqtani Inuit states while direct costs of a danger's Association on behalf of Inuit from the occurrence and its impact to safety and on thirteen regional communities. As a result of communities are also considered. intensive, community-driven quarrying since the 1960s, several major deposits have been slowly stripped of their surface resources and transformed into unregulated quarries with little understanding of best development practices and subsurface resource geometry. To account for the continuing demand for artisanal stone and the growing need for a specialized management plan, the Qikiqtani Inuit Association has created a program to address these issues through a series of geological-based initiatives. Through
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 21 partnerships with the Canada-Nunavut the next round of diamond discoveries in the Geoscience Office, the Department of Slave Geologic Province. Associated Economic Development and Transportation permafrost studies will develop and the University of Manitoba, a two year methodologies for permafrost monitoring, program has focused on understanding the which will inform infrastructure and land- geochemistry of major deposits, critical to use planning. The research is focused in the survival of the carving stone industry, NTS map sheets 75M and 75N, with along with localized field mapping and land targeted work in 76C and 76D. This project surveys to better constrain the available is funded through the Strategic Investments resource limits. in Northern Economic Development (SINED) of the Canadian Northern The results of this program have built on Economic Development Agency (CanNor). recent studies to create a better Highlights include: understanding of the characteristics and • Over 90,000 line-km of new regional formation of major resources, along with and targeted high resolution airborne significant revisions of estimates of existing geophysics datasets; carving stone. This collaborative effort between government, academic and land • Generation of new 1:50,000 scale management associations forms the basis of surficial geology and sampling several prospective community-driven suitability maps in 75M, 75N, and development opportunities that permit Inuit 76D covering approximately 3,400 2 to benefit and better develop their local km ; resources in line with the best needs of • The release of approximately 50,000 community. km2 of 1:50,000 scale surficial geology maps donated by GGL OVERVIEW OF THE SLAVE Resource Corporation in the Slave PROVINCE GEOPHYSICAL, Geological Province; SURFICIAL MATERIALS AND • A compilation of the geophysical PERMAFROST STUDY UPDATE responses of known kimberlites in — REVITALIZING MINERAL the Slave Geological Province; EXPLORATION AND • 3D models of the DO-27 / DO-18, FACILITATING SUSTAINABLE Monument and Coppermine DEVELOPMENT IN A KEY indicator trains with implications for ECONOMIC REGION mineral exploration; • Studies on indicator mineral ELLIOTT, B. transport, glacial dynamics with NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL implication for mineral exploration; SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT • Installation of a thermistor network [email protected] to study the impact of climate change In 2016 and 2017, the Northwest Territories on permafrost and terrain sensitivity Geological Survey (NTGS) has been designed to inform potential implementing a program to generate new infrastructure development; baseline geophysics datasets, to develop new mineral exploration methodologies to assist
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 22 • A case study applying passive HYDROTHERMAL REGIME OF seismic methods to determine STREAM CHANNELS IN THE overburden thickness and to detect TUKTOYAKTUK COASTLANDS contrasting bedrock type; AND ANDERSON PLAIN, • The application of hyperspectral NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, analysis to detect a hydration front in CANADA the kimberlite host rocks; • The application of a variety of lab ENSOM*, T.P.1, MARSH, P.1, and and field based methodologies to KOKELJ, S.V.2 detect kimberlite pathfinder elements (1) WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY, in soil and till samples. WATERLOO, ON (2) NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT Our research partners include the Canadian [email protected] Mining Institute Research Organization (CAMIRO), Palmer Environmental Across the Arctic, the movement of water Consulting Group Inc., DCGeo Applied and extent of winter freezing in streams Sedimentary Geology, the University of have important implications for hydrology, Waterloo, the University of Toronto, aquatic habitat, and infrastructure. Lakehead University, Simon Fraser Knowledge of winter hydrothermal University, Carleton University and the dynamics in small tundra stream systems in University of British Columbia. Much of continuous permafrost is limited. Climate this work was made possible by logistical warming, altered fall precipitation regimes support provided by Kennady Diamonds including greater rainfall and related Incorporate and by data donations from changes in snow, and increases in tundra Dominion Diamond Ekati Corporation, vegetation height and coverage are likely North Arrow Minerals Incorporated, GGL delaying active layer freeze-back in autumn Resources Corporation and Kennady and early winter, increasing the potential for Diamonds Incorporate. The field program winter water movement. This could change was carried out with assistance from Aurora the hydrothermal regime of small tundra Geosciences Ltd. stream systems, with unknown hydrological and ecological implications. In areas with This presentation will highlight new ice-rich permafrost, these changes could datasets, geological models and result in significant alterations in channel methodologies generated over the course of slope and cross section, with unknown this study and provide an update on impacts on hydrology and ecology. forthcoming scientific publications from the NTGS and our project partners. The Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway (ITH) is a 130 km project spanning the taiga- tundra ecotone across the western portion of Anderson Plain and Tuktoyaktuk Coastlands north of Inuvik, Northwest Territories. The ITH crosses several hundred streams or smaller riparian systems with contributing watersheds whose areas range from less than one square kilometre to 360 square
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 23 kilometres. Highway construction and recent interaction of hydrological and permafrost collaborative research between the processes. Northwest Territories Geological Survey, Northwest Territories Department of NORTHWEST TERRITORIES Infrastructure, and others has yielded MINERAL EXPLORATION AND observations of winter hydrological activity MINING OVERVIEW 2017 in tundra streams draining several of the small watersheds along the ITH route. This FALCK*, H.E.1, CAIRNS, S.R.1, winter flow can pose challenges to ROBB, M.2, and POWELL, L.1 infrastructure operation. (1) NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL The objectives of this research are to SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT (2) DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY, TOURISM describe the thermal regime of tundra stream AND INVESTMENT, GOVERNMENT OF channels and adjacent riparian systems in NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, YELLOWKNIFE, continuous permafrost, quantify winter NT runoff and convective thermal energy export [email protected] from watersheds, and identify the watershed The mineral industry has shown signs of an characteristics and meteorological and upswing in 2017, as evidenced by an subsurface thermal conditions that increase in the amount of staking, combined contribute to stream icings at the highway. with a decrease in the rate of claims lapsing. Temperature will be measured by thermistor Commodity prices in general, have seen cables installed beneath streambeds, on improved outlooks as 2017 progressed. streambeds, and in adjacent riparian areas. Copper, lithium and tungsten prices have Monitoring sites have been established in increased through the summer of 2017, locations unaffected by the ITH and also rebounding zinc and lead prices have been beneath bridges at sites where icings have steadily recovering while gold prices have been observed. The timing and rate of icing held relatively constant. This upturn has accumulation will be determined through translated into an increase in staking activity monitoring by automated cameras. in the NWT. While 85 claims covering Geotechnical data from pre-construction 42,000 Ha were staked in 2016, over 270 investigations of ITH water crossings and claims covering 182,000 Ha were added in regional permafrost investigations will the first three quarters of 2017. The facilitate a modelling component in GEOtop enthusiasm must be tempered by the number intended to identify the sensitivity of winter of cancelled claims, which greatly exceeds discharge to watershed morphology and the staked claims. Much of the released area meteorological factors and to explore the covered the prospective uranium prospects influence that these factors have on thermal west of the Thelon Game Sanctuary. regime of stream channel and riparian cross- sections. As diamonds are the only commodity currently mined in the NWT, global changes This research will provide detailed thermal in the diamond markets can have descriptions of stream cross-sections, appreciable impacts in the north. In explore the sensitivity of winter November 2016, the Indian government hydrothermal dynamics to changing enacted a demonetization program for 500 conditions in the Arctic, and investigate the and 1000 Rupee banknotes, which was immediately reflected in a price and demand
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 24 drop for smaller diamonds. By the summer provided $400,000 to ten exploration 2017, this disruption to diamond trading had projects. 2017-2018 saw the MIP budget abated and full activity returned to all increase to $1 million; this funding has been segments of the diamond market. The dispersed to 14 exploration projects, (seven weaker Canadian dollar has also prospectors and seven companies). strengthened the projections of the mines whose products are quoted in US dollars. NEOPROTEROZOIC DEFORMATION IN EASTERN Despite tough financial market conditions, MACKENZIE MOUNTAINS AND NWT mineral producers continued to advance their projects in 2017. In mining MACKENZIE PLAIN, news, DeBeers and Mountain Province NORTHWEST TERRITORIES completed the first year of operation at 1 2 Gahcho Kué mine in September. Both FALLAS*, K.M. , MACLEAN, B.C. , 1 Diavik and Ekati mine are proceeding with and MACNAUGHTON, R.B. major mine expansions, which increase the (1) GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, longevity of these mines. The total estimated CALGARY, AB value of minerals and diamonds produced in (2) GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA the NWT in 2016 was $1.27 billion, of (RETIRED), CALGARY, AB [email protected] which diamond production of 10.5 million carats accounted for 100 percent of the Bedrock mapping and reflection seismic value, following the closure of the Cantung interpretation, conducted as part of the mine in 2015. Production for 2017 should be Geological Survey of Canada's Mackenzie significantly higher than this as Ekati is Project of the GEM program, has mining the high-grade Misery Pipe and the documented a regional folding event Gahcho Kué mine will report its first full affecting Tonian strata of the Mackenzie year of production. Based on reported Mountains Supergroup (MMSG), Coates production of 7.5 million carats to June 30th Lake Group, and their lateral equivalents 2017, total diamond production should (Hematite Creek Group and Shaler exceed 15 million carats in 2017. Supergroup). The area definitely affected by folding includes the eastern Mackenzie Explorers have been increasingly able to Mountains and central Mackenzie Plain, raise money for exploration activities. The approximately 300 km x 500 km, but folding territory saw activity at several diamond, may extend beyond this region. This folding gold, base metal and lithium exploration event does not involve Cryogenian to projects. Canadian Zinc published a positive Cambrian strata unconformably overlying Feasibility Study for Prairie Creek. Kennady the MMSG. In western and central Diamonds received promising new results Mackenzie Mountains, stratigraphic on their Kennady North property. constraints suggest the folding occurred Nighthawk completed the work to expand between deposition of the Coates Lake the resources at Colomac with an extensive Group and deposition of the overlying drill program. Closer to Yellowknife, Rapitan Group, between 732 and 717 Ma TerraX continued drilling gold and base based on current dating of these units. The metal targets on their enlarged Yellowknife broad, regional folds have wavelengths from Gold Project with good results. In 2016- 30 to 100 km, and amplitudes of 2-3 km, 2017, the Mining Incentive Program (MIP) and are cross-cut by a low-angle
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 25 unconformity at the contact with younger Project) was initiated in 2014 to provide in- units. Current models for the Neoproterozoic depth geoscience studies of Middle to Upper evolution of northwestern Canada Devonian and Cretaceous age shales. This emphasize Tonian deposition in an project covers the Central Mackenzie Valley epicratonic basin, followed by Cryogenian (CMV), Peel Plateau and Peel Plain areas to Ediacaran extension, or possibly and will integrate historical data sets with transtension and extension. Recognition that data acquired from field studies, recent this general extensional history was drilling and seismic surveys. We are disrupted by a regional-scale contractional currently compiling data sets for input into event significantly modifies our basin modeling studies for this region. understanding of the tectonic history and stratigraphic evolution of the region. In 2016, our group enhanced the types of geoscientific research conducted for the ACTIVITY UPDATE — Shale Basin Project by initiating a NORTHWEST TERRITORIES collaborative research program with Dr. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Murray Gingras of the University of Alberta. The primary goal of the PETROLEUM GEOSCIENCES collaboration is to assess the reservoir GROUP quality of the Middle to Upper Devonian age Horn River Group Shales of the Central FIESS, K.M. Mackenzie Valley, using sedimentology, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL ichnology and geochemical parameters. SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT Chemostratigraphic and sedimentological [email protected] datasets will be integrated to establish a The Northwest Territories Geological sequence stratigraphic framework for the Survey (NTGS) Petroleum Geosciences Horn River Group. Group promotes the development of energy resources in the Northwest Territories In January 2017, the Petroleum Geosciences (NWT) by evaluating resource potential, Group introduced a new type of publication generating regional and thematic geoscience called Petroleum Play Summaries. These knowledge to underpin successful publications provide an overview of exploration, and providing scientific advice geoscience information about the oil and gas to inform policy and regulatory decisions. potential of a known or proposed NWT The group conducts petroleum systems exploration region. The “Canol Formation evaluations, basin analysis, and provides and Bluefish Member Shale Play Summary” other regional geoscience information to is currently available for download at support industry exploration for oil and gas. http://www.nwtgeoscience.ca/services/petrol It also engages in resource assessments. eum-play-summaries. We plan to produce a Liard Unconventional Resource Play Our regional area of focus over the next five Summary before fiscal year end. years extends from the Peel Plateau and Plain in the north, southwards through the Although no new resource assessments have Central Mackenzie Corridor to Cameron been commenced, our group will eventually Hills and westward to the Liard Basin in the update the assessment of the unconventional southern NWT. The “Shale Basin Evolution petroleum resources of the Bluefish and in the Central NWT” project (Shale Basin Canol shale by incorporating seismic data
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 26 into regional structural and isopach mapping valid structural model, yet such models of key intervals. Digital seismic data was cannot be tested without a robust framework recently purchased and will be interpreted in for the internal stratigraphy of the host unit. fiscal 2018-19. Pertinent data from the recently drilled Canol resource play wells in The present study will ultimately test the the CMV will also be incorporated into the usefulness of high-resolution carbon-isotope resource assessment. stratigraphy in detecting imbricate thrusts within the Duo Lake Formation, however, Other activities our group has recently this phase of the work focusses on undertaken include a conventional gas lithostratigraphy. In 2016, drill core from resource mapping project and participation two separate deposits was logged and in interdivisional working groups for sampled, and an outcrop section was petroleum-related legislative policy and measured and sampled. A zone of high regulatory guidelines review. strain at the base of Duo Lake Formation in all three sections and numerous smaller LOCAL STRATIGRAPHY OF faults throughout the formation support the THE DUO LAKE FORMATION model of a regional duplex structure with a AT HOWARDS PASS IN THE basal décollement and numerous imbricate thrusts. SELWYN BASIN REGION, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES Lithological features indicate deposition in a deep-water, organic-rich, marine setting. 1 2 FLOWER*, A.F. , FISCHER, B.J. , and Detailed lithological study found insufficient 1 MELCHIN, M.J. evidence to recognize members in the three (1) ST.FRANCIS XAVIER UNIVERSITY, studied sections. Furthermore, none of the ANTIGONISH, NS accepted members of Duo Lake Formation (2) NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL was clearly recognizable. Although SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT compositional units could be identified in [email protected] each section based on the amounts of silica, Howards Pass is a major, 38 km-long district sulphides, and lime in the rock, none of the of shale-hosted zinc-lead deposits in western units was present in all three sections. This Northwest Territories and eastern Yukon. lack of continuity could reflect facies Fifteen separate deposits are hosted by changes in primary depositional units, carbonaceous lime mudstone and mudstone however, it is also possible that the of the Ordovician-Silurian Duo Lake distributions of silica and sulphides were Formation. A recent structural re- modified by secondary processes, or the interpretation of the district suggests it lies distribution of compositional units is the within a thrust duplex, as opposed to the result of imbricate faulting that has repeated simple syncline of the previous model. The or omitted different portions of the recognition of this duplex calls into question stratigraphy in the different localities the existing stratigraphic framework, since studied. The work so far supports the that framework was based on regional duplex model of the Howards Pass lithostratigraphic correlation in a district. (potentially) structurally disrupted area of poor exposure. Successful prediction of ore distribution during mining will rely on a
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 27 ICORE-IL: ACHIEVING of mining infrastructure, regulatory REGULATORY EXCELLENCE management within a cumulative effects THROUGH COLLABORATIVE framework and application of community based monitoring in Northern Canada. This INNOVATION presentation is intended to provide delegates with an overview of ICORE and update on FROESE, C. activities, specifically as they pertain to ALBERTA ENERGY REGULATOR, regulatory issues being faced in Northern EDMONTON, AB Canada. [email protected] In 2017, the Alberta Energy Regulator UPDATE ON RECENT AND formed a non-profit entity called the PLANNED ACTIVITIES OF THE International Centre of Regulatory Excellence (ICORE). ICORE is meant to OFFICE OF THE REGULATOR provide a central node for the international OF OIL AND GAS OPERATIONS regulatory community to share and collaborate on the development of best FULFORD*, J., NAUGLER, T., practices on regulation, with an initial focus HEPPELLE, B., and CAMERON, K. on the natural resource sector. A key OFFICE OF THE REGULATOR OF OIL AND GAS component of this collaborative environment OPERATIONS, GOVERNMENT OF is the ICORE Innovation Lab (ICORE-IL). NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, YELLOWKNIFE, NT ICORE-IL will provide a space for [email protected] regulators and researchers to co-create regulatory solutions that are common across Office of the Regulator of Oil and Gas jurisdictions. This would range from Operations (OROGO) holds regulatory collaborating on specific issues and span responsibility for oil and gas operations in through development of regulatory the onshore Northwest Territories outside of processes or informing regulatory policy the Inuvialuit Settlement Region and federal changes. The ICORE-IL is in the initial areas. This presentation will provide a brief design and build stage with the first project update on OROGO's activities over the past proposals under development. The intent of year and our plans for the coming year. this presentation will be to introduce Areas of focus will include OROGO's northern regulators, communities and efforts to further its strategic objectives of industry to ICORE and provide an overview enhancing certainty and predictability in of the range of regulatory innovations that regulatory decision-making and promoting will be addressed through the ICORE-IL. accessibility and transparency in its work as ICORE-IL projects will focus in the areas of OROGO maintains its readiness for a return Regulatory Actions (Design and Delivery), of oil and gas activity to the NWT. The Regulatory Performance and Regulatory presentation will update conference Organizations. The IL will address specific attendees on OROGO's Well Watch issues that confront regulators today but also Program, the implementation of OROGO's work with the research community to look Well Suspension and Abandonment forward at external factors that may drive Guidelines and Interpretation Notes and change in the regulatory system. Initial newly proposed Geophysical Reporting projects will include assessing technologies guidelines, along with a brief overview of to support long term regulatory management OROGO operations.
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 28 RESPONSE OF STREAM wildfire on freshwater streams within the MACROINVERTEBRATES TO North Slave, South Slave, and Dehcho RECENT WILDFIRES IN THE regions of the Northwest Territories (Canada) through analysis of their water NORTH SLAVE, SOUTH SLAVE, chemistry and benthic macroinvertebrate AND DEHCHO REGIONS, assemblages. Benthic macroinvertebrates, or NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, the macroscopic organisms living within/on CANADA the substrate of these streams, were sampled following methodologies outlined by the GARNER*, C.S.1, PISARIC, M.F.J.1, and Canadian Aquatic Biomonitoring Network CHIN, K.S.2 (CABIN). Biological indices (ex. EPT relative abundance) were calculated and (1) ENVIRONMENTAL SUSTAINABILITY RESEARCH CENTRE, ST. CATHARINES, ON compared statistically to determine (2) ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL relationships regarding benthic diversity and RESOURCES, GOVERNMENT OF NORTHWEST abundance. Results of this study suggest that TERRITORIES YELLOWKNIFE, NT recent wildfires cause at minimum short- [email protected] term perturbations in water quality, such as High-latitude regions are currently increased turbidity and TSS. In addition, undergoing rapid ecosystem change due to results indicate slight structural changes in differences in annual temperature and invertebrate communities of burned streams precipitation trends, and modified compared to unburned streams, including disturbance regimes. Since 2012, the increased richness and abundance of Northwest Territories (Canada) has been collector-gatherer taxa. experiencing severe drought and wildfire seasons. In 2014 alone, wildfires within the WHAT IS REDI AND WHY Northwest Territories consumed over 3.4 NOW? million hectares of forested land; 1.4 times larger than the national yearly average for GORDON*, V., NORRIS, A., and Canada. Wildfire is one of the most BYRNE, M. important agents influencing age structure and composition of the forest stand; as such, INDUSTRY, TOURISM AND INVESTMENT, GOVERNMENT OF NORTHWEST it is a critical factor in ecosystem dynamics. TERRITORIES, YELLOWKNIFE, NT The impacts of wildfire on terrestrial [email protected] systems garner more attention compared to Resources and Energy Development aquatic habitats. This is especially true when Information or REDI, is a Government of considering aquatic ecosystems located in the Northwest Territories (GNWT) wide the boreal forest biome, where the impacts initiative led by the Department of Industry of fires on stream ecology and chemistry is Tourism and Investment, which brings relatively understudied. Freshwater together all the relevant departments under ecosystems, such as lakes and streams, are one umbrella who can speak to the various highly relied upon by northern communities pieces of the resource development puzzle. for their cultural significance and economic We have found that there is a general lack of and environmental goods and services they understanding about how government produce, including country foods. operates, how resource development happens and who is responsible for what in This study examines the impact of recent the GNWT. REDI gives people a chance to
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 29 ask government all of those burning TOWARDS BETTER questions in a safe and non-confrontational MONITORING OF manner. REDI will be implemented in three PERMAFROST THAW: distinct phases. A tradeshow style format which allows for discreet one-on-one SUBSIDENCE AND ICE conversations with subject matter experts, a CONTENT website that will be used as our “virtual tradeshow” until we can get to each GRUBER, S. community, and the final piece will be an CARLETON UNIVERSITY, OTTAWA, ON educational tool-kit that can be used by our [email protected] schools as teaching aids for the sciences. Subsurface temperature monitoring alone The public has been demanding information provides an incomplete representation of for a long time, now is the time to bring the permafrost thaw. This is because close to information to them. 0ºC, latent heat transfer due to phase change becomes increasingly important in thawing THE NORTHWEST soil. Consequently, large amounts of energy TERRITORIES POWER can be either exported with meltwater runoff CORPORATION: PLANNING or expended on raising the unfrozen water FOR THE FUTURE content of permafrost while only generating minimal temperature change. While the impacts of ice melt are important, they are GREWAL, J. not well observed with temperature NORTHWEST TERRITORIES POWER monitoring alone. CORPORATION, HAY RIVER, NT [email protected] To better quantify local permafrost change, The Northwest Territories Power three pilot installations to a depth of around Corporation (NTPC) mission is to generate, 2 m were made in summer 2017 near transmit and distribute electricity in a safe, Yellowknife. They measure profiles of reliable, efficient and environmentally sound temperature and unfrozen water content as manner, while at the same time striving to well as surface heave and subsidence with reduce reliance on fossil fuels. An update hourly resolution. will be given on NTPC's vision that encompasses the framework in which NTPC Temperature is calibrated to 0.02ºC and works. Subjects to be addressed will be unfrozen water content has a repeatability of overall considerations, such as working with a fraction of a percent. Absolute calibration stakeholders to support development while of unfrozen water content is in progress and ensuring that safety and environmental will require extensive laboratory work. This protection remain paramount, and that presentation will show first results obtained compliance with all applicable legislation from July to November (subsidence/heave) and regulations is ensured. and September to November (temperature and unfrozen water). The results from mid- September are available – fingers crossed for downloading more just before the Geoscience Forum.
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 30 This work is aimed at broadening the range Indigenous and Northern Affairs Canada of methods available to quantify permafrost and the Government of Nunavut's thaw. This is expected to be useful for Department of Economic Development and monitoring changing natural environments, Transportation. for providing meaningful data to test computer models and to monitor permafrost The mandate of the CNGO is to provide change near relevant infrastructure. accessible geoscience information and expertise in Nunavut to support sustainable INDIGENOUS BUSINESS, THE and responsible development of Nunavut's NORTH AND THE MINING natural resources (mineral and energy SECTOR — A TRIPLE WIN resources), and to develop and promote geoscience education, training, and capacity building. GRUNER, P. DET'ON CHO CORPORATION, YELLOWKNIFE, Research work to date has focussed on NT regional and detailed mapping, including [email protected] bedrock and surficial geology mapping, Indigenous business in the North is a win for aeromagnetic surveys, geochemical surveys, the communities that they represent, the and carving stone resource mapping. Territories that they operate in, and the Thematic studies include detailed research mining sector that they serve. Det'on Cho (e.g., Paleozoic stratigraphy) to understand with its group of companies and hiring Nunavut's geology and mineral resources practices has effectively provided quality (i.e., Meadowbank gold mine, lead-zinc services to its various mining clients, potential of Borden Basin). Energy-related employed and developed Yellowknife Dene research (uranium, petroleum) and research First Nation members, and assisted in for infrastructure needs (permafrost studies, contributing to the local economy in a aggregate studies) are conducted meaningful way. Healthy Indigenous collaboratively with university and other Corporations are good for all stakeholders in government partners. Data dissemination, the North. including publication of maps, reports and datasets, through publicly accessible ACTIVITIES OF THE CANADA- websites, and community communication NUNAVUT GEOSCIENCE and outreach efforts ensures that research OFFICE 2017 results are distributed in a timely manner.
HAM, L. Recent work has concentrated on 1) geological research (mapping) for CANADA-NUNAVUT GEOSCIENCE OFFICE, IQALUIT, NU responsible natural resource development; 2) [email protected] mapping for climate change and permafrost; 3) mapping for infrastructure; and 4) data The Canada-Nunavut Geoscience Office dissemination and capacity building. The (CNGO) is Nunavut's de-facto geological Tehery Lake-Wager Bay collaborative survey. The CNGO was established in 1999 project completed its third field season of and operates as a tripartite government mapping in an area of complicated structural office being co-funded and co-managed by and geological relationships; the mapping three partners – Natural Resources Canada, has resulted in the identification of new rock
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 31 types and refinement of previous work. NORTHWEST TERRITORIES- Paleozoic stratigraphic research and surficial ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES mapping were conducted over the Boothia RESEARCH FUND: PROVIDING Peninsula. Stratigraphic work provides essential data for detailed stratigraphic FUNDING FOR RESEARCH IN divisions and evaluating the ages of the THE NORTHWEST different stratigraphic units, allowing for TERRITORIES RELATED TO definitive correlation of the Paleozoic rocks THE ENERGY INDUSTRY with the other Arctic islands. For the surficial work, understanding ice-flow HANSEN, K. direction and important geomorphological GEO-KEN ASSOCIATES LTD., CALGARY, AB processes are critical for interpreting the [email protected] geochemistry and mineralogy of surficial sediments. Such baseline data is important The NWT-Environmental Studies Research for future mineral exploration and possible Fund (ESRF) is now into its third year of resource development in the area, as well as operation. Authorized under the Petroleum for infrastructure studies (permafrost Resources Act, the ESRF provides financial conditions, granular aggregate sources). A support for environmental and social studies collaborative project over the Kilohigok pertaining to exploration, development and paleosol in the western Kitikmeot Region is production activities on petroleum lands. determining the economic potential of this The petroleum industry provides the funding sedimentary basin. Continuing work on required to support this research and the permafrost and surficial research continues administration of the ESRF. Companies over the western Hudson Bay area. holding Exploration, Production and Significant Discovery Licenses in the NWT A new project, the Qirniqtalluk project of are assessed an annual levy based on northwestern Baffin region, is a multi- acreage held within the Territory. faceted research project started in 2017 with community information sessions followed The Environmental Studies Management by aeromagnetic surveying for the southern Board (Board) oversees operation and portion of the study area. The aeromagnetic management of the ESRF. The Board is data is being collected with significant composed of representatives from results and targets being identified. This government, industry and the public in the geophysical work is the initial step to a NWT. Board Members are appointed by and larger field mapping project proposed for serve at the pleasure of the Minister of the 2018-2019. GNWT Department of Industry Tourism and Investment. Current focus for the Board is CGNO disseminates its geoscience data on developing cost-effective strategies for through many avenues, including the annual maintaining baseline monitoring programs Summary of Activities initiated in 2012. across those areas of the NWT likely to see oil and natural gas development in the future. Wildlife and water are the current priority research areas for the ESRF.
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 32 MANTLE COMPOSITION, AGE mantle sampling depths using Ni AND GEOTHERM BENEATH thermometry, when projected to the Cpx THE DARBY KIMBERLITE geotherm. A cluster of samples from the higher Ca/Cr lherzolitic garnets equilibrated at FIELD, WEST CENTRAL RAE 765 to 920 °C, while a group of peridotitic CRATON garnets (50 % of xenoliths and 28 % of concentrate) from the lower Ca/Cr lherzolitic 1 1 HARRIS, G.A. , PEARSON*, D.G. , garnets with anomalously high Ti 2 1 LIU, J. , HARDMAN, M.F. , and concentrations yielded super-adiabatic TNi 3 KELSCH, D. values. The aluminum-in-olivine thermometer (1) UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA, EDMONTON, applied to olivine concentrate, filtered for AB those from the “garnet facies”, showed that a (2) CHINA UNIVERSITY OF GEOSCIENCES, mantle sampling portion exists at Darby that is BEIJING, CHINA clearly derived from the diamond stability (3) BLUESTONE RESOURCES INC., VANCOUVER, BC field. This mantle sampling component is not [email protected] evident in the garnet Ni temperatures. A suite of pyroxenitic/eclogitic xenoliths are a feature New geological and geophysical research on of each Darby kimberlite target. New Canada’s Rae craton are providing an screening techniques indicate that these rocks increasingly good baseline for diamond likely originate close to the crust-mantle exploration. This study uses mantle boundary. xenoliths and xenocrysts from the Darby property, located ~ 200 km southwest of the Osmium isotope analyses of the Darby community of Kugaaruk, Nunavut, to peridotites reveal whole-rock Re-depletion provide new information on the lithospheric ages ranging from Mesoarchean to mantle and diamond potential of the western Paleoproterozoic. The pyroxenite/eclogite portion of the central Rae. Peridotite xenoliths have very radiogenic Os isotope xenoliths containing enough fresh olivine compositions and provide the first age have a median Mg# value of 92.5, information from pyroxenites/eclogites indistinguishable from the median value of beneath the Rae craton. Their resulting 92.6 typical of cratonic peridotites world- Archean whole rock TMA ages are wide. Only four of the fourteen peridotitic consistent with a Mesoarchean age of the xenoliths contain garnet. Of these, garnet in western Central Rae lithosphere older than one sample is classified as harzburgitic the lithosphere beneath the Repulse Bay (G10), giving a minimum pressure of 4.7 block in the East section of the Rae craton GPa using the P38 geobarometer (38 (Liu et al., 2016). mW/m2 model geothermal gradient), while garnets from three peridotites classified as lherzolitic (G9). Of the 52 peridotitic garnets The highly depleted olivine compositions, picked from concentrate, one grain has a thick cold lithosphere, and Archean ages of wehrlite affinity and 51 are lherzolitic. the Darby peridotite xenoliths clearly indicate the presence of ~ 200 km thick cold Lherzolitic diopsides from kimberlite heavy cratonic lithospheric mantle beneath the mineral concentrate yield a lithospheric western segment of the central Rae craton thickness of ~ 200 km. The four garnet circa 540 Ma. The Archean model ages of peridotite xenoliths and 49 peridotitic garnets most of the pyroxenites/eclogites support from concentrate yield two distinct modes in this, notwithstanding the fact that some of
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 33 these rocks could be sampling either crust or (ERT) surveys are being conducted annually mantle lithologies very close to the crust- or more frequently along permanent mantle boundary. Mantle sampling occurred electrode arrays. This geophysical technique across the geotherm, well into the diamond provides an image of the electrical stability field at Darby. properties of the ground to a depth of 25 m which can be interpreted as frozen and IMPACTS OF FOREST FIRES thawed zones. At the time of the ERT ON DISCONTINUOUS surveys, frost table depth is measured using PERMAFROST IN THE a titanium probe inserted into the ground until resistance is met. SOUTHERN NORTHWEST TERRITORIES Mean annual air temperatures in 2015-16 and 2016-17 varied between -0.7°C and - HOLLOWAY*, J.E. and 3.0°C along the latitudinal gradient. Burned LEWKOWICZ, A.G. sites were warmer than unburned ones: UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA, OTTAWA, ON surface offsets averaged 0.5°C greater and [email protected] the thermal offsets were 0.1°C smaller. Forest fire is rarely taken into account in Average frost table depths at burned sites predictive modeling of permafrost change were 17 cm greater than at unburned sites, even though severe fires have been shown to and were generally greater in 2016 and 2017 accelerate degradation. Moreover, the compared to 2015. This reflects the ongoing frequency and magnitude of fires is impact of the burned surface because mean increasing as the climate warms. Wildfire is summer air temperatures differed by only particularly important in the sporadic and 0.3°C between 2015 and 2017. Results from extensive discontinuous permafrost zones ERT surveys show the development of a where frozen ground is buffered by forest thicker thawed layer in the near-surface and vegetation from increasing air temperatures. the possible loss of permafrost within some Our research goal is to examine permafrost sites. The most-affected sites are underlain change following the extensive fires of 2014 by coarser-grained substrates (generally in the southern NWT in order to improve sand and gravel) with thin organic layers, predictive modelling of the fate of whereas peatland sites are less impacted. permafrost in the region. These results indicate the heterogeneity of permafrost reaction to forest fire at the A total of 18 burned and unburned sites landscape scale and suggest that permafrost representing a range of climatic, ecological may persist in peatlands while degrading and permafrost conditions were established elsewhere in the region. in 2015 and 2016 along a 300 km long latitudinal transect from Kakisa to 80 km north of Yellowknife. Unburned control sites were chosen at the northern and southern ends of the transect to determine baseline impacts of climate change. At each site, air temperature, near-surface ground temperature, and snow depth are being monitored continuously. In addition, direct current electrical resistivity tomography
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 34 FOREST RESOURCE airborne and satellite data sources. A brief MODELING AND ECOSYSTEM overview of these initiatives will be CHANGE MONITORING IN THE presented as well as plans for future forest and wetland ecosystem monitoring and NORTHWEST TERRITORIES change trajectory mapping through the USING AIRBORNE LASER integration of ALS with archive satellite SCANNING optical imagery. The presentation will finish by highlighting new opportunities from HOPKINSON*, C.1, CHASMER, L.1, large area active satellite platforms that will MAHONEY, C.1, and HALL, R.2 soon be launched; i.e. NASA's ICESat 2 and (1) UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE, the Canadian Space Agency's RadarSat LETHBRIDGE, AB Constellation mission. With these new (2) CANADIAN FOREST SERVICE, mapping and monitoring platforms, ALS is EDMONTON, AB expected to play a key role in calibrating [email protected] new baseline landcover attribute map Over the last decade, active airborne laser products over the immense regions of scanning (ALS) sampling of forest and sparsely populated lands that make up the permafrost ecosystems has been taking place NWT. across the southern portions of the Northwest Territories Taiga Plains and STRATIGRAPHY, GAMMA-RAY Taiga Shield ecozones from Nahanni to SPECTROMETRY, AND Yellowknife. Initially, these were site- specific locations related to collecting URANIUM PROSPECTIVITY OF baseline watershed, geomorphological and THE KILOHIGOK PALEOSOL forest attribute data to support dedicated IN THE BEAR CREEK HILLS, collaborative research objectives through the KITIKMEOT, NUNAVUT Canadian Consortium for lidar applications research (C-CLEAR), with support from IELPI*, A.1, MICHEL, S.1, NRCan (CFS and GSC), Environment GREENMAN, J.W.2, and LEBEAU, L.E.1 Canada and university groups. In 2008, the (1) LAURENTIAN UNIVERSITY, SUDBURY, ON first systematic repeat data collection was (2) CARLETON UNIVERSITY, OTTAWA, ON conducted over Scotty Creek near Ft. [email protected] Simpson with further ALS data collections The Kilohigok Basin covers a vast portion in and around this site in 2010, 2011, 2015 of the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut and and 2016. Following our pioneering ALS remains one of the last major Proterozoic transect sampling work in Alberta and Nova basins in Arctic Canada lacking a modern Scotia, in 2010, 2011 and 2016, ALS exploration background, particularly for sampling campaigns were conducted across uranium. A Paleoproterozoic passive margin the same general area to support systematic encompassing fluvial and nearshore-marine ecosystem monitoring and forest inventory deposits (Kimerot Group) is exposed in the model development. These data have proven Bear Creek Hills surrounding Bathurst Inlet, key in mapping permafrost-related and represents the earliest filling event of ecosystem change rates as well as in the Kilohigok Basin. This passive margin facilitating the scaling up of plot-based succession nonconformably sits atop models to ecozone-scale as part of a metasedimentary rocks of the Archean hierarchical workflow involving field, Yellowknife Supergroup, which is part of
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 35 the Slave Province of the Canadian Shield. The mandate of the Northwest Territories This presentation deals with the result of Cumulative Impact Monitoring Program field work conducted in the area during the (NWT CIMP) is to analyze scientific and 2017 summer season, and illustrates the traditional knowledge to monitor the stratigraphy, paleogeography, and gamma- cumulative environmental impacts of land ray spectrometry of a ~2.0 Ga horizon of and water use in the NWT. Cumulative paleo-weathering found at the contact impacts are changes to the environment between the Kimerot Group and caused by human actions or a combination Yellowknife Supergroup, known in the of human actions and natural factors through region as the Kilohigok paleosol. time and space. The Kilohigok paleosol comprises a 1.5 m- Monitoring cumulative impacts is an thick, rusty-weathered horizon intersected important part of environmental regulation by quartz veins and derived from metapelite and integrated system of environmental and meta-iron formations of the Yellowknife management in the NWT. The legal Supergroup, and underlies a sloping mandate for NWT CIMP comes from the paleotopography that displays up to 10 m of Gwich'in, Sahtu, and T ł ı̨ c h ǫ land claim relief per 1 km along strike. Gamma-ray agreements, and Part 6 of the Mackenzie spectrometric profiles ran through the Valley Resource Management Act. paleosol helped in the identification of Aboriginal governments and organizations anomalous values of radioactivity (up to help to guide the program through the NWT 867.5 nSv/h), which correspond to peak CIMP Steering Committee. concentrations of uranium slightly over 120 ppm. In the Bear Creek Hills, the Kilohigok NWT CIMP is focused on cumulative paleosol is overlain by fluvial conglomerate impact monitoring that provides information and sandstone that show evidence of intense to regulators and the public that supports chemical weathering and sericitization, and environmental decision-making. As such, point to production and routing of detritus the program emphasizes the monitoring from the hinterland of Slave Craton at 2.0 priorities of co-management boards Ga. These results complement ongoing including the Mackenzie Valley studies along the Kilohigok paleosol over a Environmental Impact Review Board and transect of over 200 km, and suggest that the Mackenzie Valley Land and Water portions of the so-far underexplored Board. Examples of how NWT CIMP Kilohigok Basin may host in place projects results were used last year to help prospective uranium resources. make effective decisions include the generation of water quality data for water NWT CUMULATIVE IMPACT licensing requirements, candidate MONITORING PROGRAM conservation area planning and fish harvest UPDATE quotas for Great Slave Lake. The program strives to include communities KANIGAN, J.C.N. in as many aspects of cumulative impact (1) ENVIRONMENT AND NATURAL monitoring as possible. NWT CIMP's vision RESOURCES, GOVERNMENT OF NORTHWEST “To watch and understand the land and to TERRITORIES, YELLOWKNIFE, NT [email protected] use it respectfully forever” is recognized by supporting the following activities: A) Working with partners to understand key
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 36 monitoring and research priorities; B) conclude that the regional tectonic strain rate Coordinating, conducting and funding plays an important role in the distribution of environmental research and analysis; and C) IIE in western Canada. While most natural Reporting and communicating results to earthquakes in our study area occur in the northern decision-makers and the public. high-strain Canadian Cordillera, the regional NWT CIMP has supported approximately seismic pattern is dominated by IIE, both in 200 individual projects since 2002; most of number and moment, along a 150-km wide which have been related to water and fish, NW–SE band of moderate strain rate in the caribou, traditional knowledge and capacity easternmost Cordillera. In the flat Western building. Canada Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) further All NWT CIMP project results are available to the east, both strain rate and seismicity for download on the NWT Discovery Portal are very low despite of injections. Our www.nwtdiscoveryportal.enr.gov.nt.ca or by analysis suggests that although injection in contacting [email protected]. areas with moderate tectonic strain may temporarily increase the local seismic HOW TECTONIC STRAIN RATE hazard, widespread IIE over an extended INFLUENCE SEISMIC HAZARD period of time may deplete the available FROM INJECTION-INDUCED tectonic moment and could, under the right conditions, reduce the seismic hazard in the EARTHQUAKES long term.
1,2 1,2 KAO*, H. , HYNDMAN, R. , REGULATION IN AN ERA OF JIANG, Y.1, VISSER, R.1, SMITH, B.1, BABAIE MAHANI, A.1,3, RECONCILIATION - WHAT LEONARD, L.2, GHOFRANI, H.4, and SHOULD THE WAY FORWARD HE, J.1 LOOK LIKE? (1) GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, SIDNEY, BC; KARA, N. (2) UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA, VICTORIA, BC STRATOS, TORONTO, ON (3) GEOSCIENCE BC, VANCOUVER, BC [email protected] (4) WESTERN UNIVERSITY, LONDON, ON [email protected] Given the massive review of the federal role Most induced earthquakes in North America in environmental assessments that has taken are associated with injection operations, place over the last year, this is a timely including hydraulic fracturing (HF) and opportunity for a discussion of the wastewater disposal (WD), during regulatory process underpinning the hydrocarbon development. A rapid increase approval of major resource projects in of injection-induced earthquakes (IIE) is Canada. Two experts will engage in an often linked to a significant increase in interactive dialogue on what the way seismic hazard. However, there are many forward could/should look like, exploring areas where large-volume injections do not the intersections between issues as free, produce any IIE. Statistically, only ~1% of prior and informed consent, regulatory WD and ~0.3% of HF wells in western certainty, the duty to consult, foreign investment and the commodity cycle. Canada have been associated with ML≥3 IIE. In this study, we derive the regional tectonic Special attention will be given to a strain from geodetic measurements and discussion of the co-management system in compare with regional seismic pattern. We the North, and lessons that could be drawn
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 37 from these governance systems for funding support from the Canadian Northern environmental assessment regimes in Economic Development Agency, the southern Canada. Geological Survey of Canada's Geo- mapping for Energy and Minerals program, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES the Polar Continental Shelf Program, and GEOLOGICAL SURVEY — 2017 Polar Knowledge Canada. OVERVIEW NTGS highlights for 2017 include but are not limited to: opening a new Geological KETCHUM, J. Collections Storage Facility in Yellowknife; NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL completion of a new five-year strategic plan; SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT distributing $1 million of Mining Incentive [email protected] Program funding; new mineral claim staking The Northwest Territories Geological influenced by NTGS geoscience Survey (NTGS) is a division of the information; and launching new web Department of Industry, Tourism and applications that allow clients to discover Investment (ITI), Government of the and download a wide range of NWT Northwest Territories (GNWT). It carries geoscience information. out and supports geoscience studies that contribute to a modern, comprehensive The NTGS welcomes Dr. Gideon Lambiv geoscience knowledge base for the Dzemua to the position of Industrial Northwest Territories. This knowledge is Minerals Resource Geologist. Gideon has a used by stakeholders and NTGS staff to wide range of geological and project support evidence-based decisions. NTGS management experience in Canada and staff also provide advice and Africa and joined the NTGS in early educational/outreach services to individuals, November 2017. communities, governments, and industry. PINE POINT MINING Most of the 23 staff members belong to one of five working groups. These are Mineral KEY, J. Deposits and Bedrock Mapping, Petroleum Geosciences, Environmental Geoscience, PINE POINT MINIING INC., TORONTO, ON [email protected] Geoscience Information Services, and Geomatics and Information Technology. In 2017, Darnley Bay Resources, now Many staff also collaborate on research with renamed Pine Point Mining, acquired the external partners. Chief among these are the former Pine Point Mine site and Geological Survey of Canada and university surroundings and began active exploration Earth Science departments across Canada. to advance the project. Collaboration with other ITI divisions and GNWT departments is common in A preliminary economic assessment (PEA) addressing land-based government released earlier this year projects a “robust objectives and decisions. economic return” with a 13 year mine life, employing an average of 321 people. The During 2017, field research was conducted project as currently envisioned is a series of in the Slave craton, East Arm Basin, Interior 10 open pit deposits mined in sequence. Plains, and Cordillera, with significant Total mineral resources included in the PEA
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 38 mine plan are 25.8 million tonnes of Complex) as well as preserved quartzites, measured and indicated resources grading ultramafic rocks, and conglomerates of the 2.94% zinc and 1.12% lead, and an Central Slave Cover Group. The volcanic additional 3.7 million tonnes of inferred rocks and associated supracrustal rocks are resources grading 2.90% zinc and 0.77% dominated by tholeiitic basalts (pillows, lead. massive, pillow breccias etc.), minor andesites, dacites, rhyolites, interflow BEDROCK MAPPING OF THE argillites, banded iron formation and many BEAULIEU RIVER VOLCANIC variations of volcaniclastic deposits. BELT AT SUNSET LAKE, SLAVE Although interflow sediments are found throughout the volcanic deposits, there is an CRATON, NORTHWEST increase in thickness and abundance towards TERRITORIES the structural top of the basin. These rocks are all variably intruded by volcanic dykes, KNOX, B. and the Amacher Granite. A conformable NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL contact was observed south of Sunset Lake SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT between the volcanic belt rocks and the [email protected] turbidities of the Burwash Formation. The In 2017 the Northwest Territories region has experienced multiple distinct Geological Survey conducted the second ductile deformational events at greenschist- year of a multi-year bedrock mapping to lower amphibolite-facies metamorphic initiative along the Beaulieu River Volcanic conditions. The Beniah fault zone has been Belt at Sunset Lake in the southern Slave reactivated numerous times at different Province. The study area is approximately crustal levels. 110 km east-northeast of Yellowknife. Due to a recent forest fire the current exposure is The Beaulieu River Volcanic Belt has excellent and has allowed for detailed experienced multiple generations of mineral mapping at 1:10,000 scale, in an area exploration and contains known mineral previously mapped at 1:50,000 scale. endowment, along with potential for additional discoveries. Located within the The four-week bedrock mapping program 2017 study area is the “Sunrise” conducted along the Beaulieu River in the volcanogenic massive sulphide (VMS) Sunset Lake area added details related to deposit. It has historic indicated resource of lithology, alteration types, alteration 1.52 Mt at 5.99% Zn, 2.39% Pb, 0.08% Cu, intensity, and the primary, ductile, and 262 g/t Ag, 0.67 g/t Au. A detailed mapping brittle structures with the goal to increase (1:2,000 scale) and geochemical program the understanding of the economic potential around the Sunrise VMS deposit aims to in the Beaulieu River Volcanic Belt and understand the numerous lithofacies to gain placing it within its context in the Slave understanding of the volcanic stratigraphy. Craton. The current mapping initiatives are targeted The Sunset Lake area preserves an to increase our understanding of the regional uncommonly complete geological history of and local setting of the Sunrise VMS deposit the Slave Craton. The volcanic belt sits and provide additional tools for future structurally above rocks of the Central Slave exploration. Basement Complex (Sleepy Dragon
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 39 IMPLEMENTING REMOTE models and implementing image correlation SENSING TOOLS TO EXAMINE techniques from repeat surveys. These PERMAFROST DYNAMICS AND results provide new information on modes of slope failure, geotechnical behaviour of IMPACTS TO materials, and mechanisms of downslope INFRASTRUCTURE sediment transfer. Along the Dempster Highway, UAS were used to monitor uplift 1 2 KOKELJ*, S.V. , VAN DER SLUIJS, J. , or settlement associated with the 3 4 FRASER, R.H. , TUNNICLIFFE, J. , development or degradation of injection ice. 5 6 LANTZ, T.C. , RUDY, A.C.A. , The surveys combined with active layer and 7 7 LAMOUREUX, S.F. , RUSK, B. , and ground temperature data and road 8 MORSE, P.D. maintenance records provide information on (1) NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL the processes of ice accumulation and icing SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT development adjacent to northern roads. (2) NWT CENTRE FOR GEOMATICS, UAS can also be used to monitor the YELLOWKNIFE, NT evolution of anthropogenic disturbances (3) CANADA CENTRE FOR MAPPING AND EARTH OBSERVATION, OTTAWA, ON such as borrow pits. Repeat UAS surveys (4) UNIVERSITY OF AUCKLAND, AUCKLAND, were conducted to derive digital terrain NEW ZEALAND models of borrow pits for regulatory (5) SCHOOL OF ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES, monitoring and to inform possible VICTORIA, BC mitigations. These monitoring products are (6) WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY, WATERLOO, ON shown to effectively track thaw-related (7) QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY, KINGSTON, ON impacts, drainage pathways, downslope (8) GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, sedimentary linkages, ice features and OTTAWA, ON landscape morphology. These process- [email protected] oriented studies and infrastructure Climate-driven thaw is altering permafrost monitoring activities are contextualised by landscapes and increasing the stresses on regional-scale terrain mapping using LiDAR northern infrastructure and communities. and high-resolution satellite imagery. The rapid rates of change have heightened Terrain mapping is improved through field the need for monitoring and research tools validation exercises and the development of that are cost-effective, flexible, and that can standard keys for interpreting landscape accommodate timely acquisition of imagery forms and processes. The increasing at site-specific and regional scales. availability of high-resolution imagery and Emerging remote sensing tools and spatial interests in permafrost landscape change are analysis techniques are advancing site yielding a growing number of spatial investigations and terrain mapping studies. datasets, which describe patterns of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) have landscape change, geohazards and been implemented to study fine-scale permafrost geomorphic characteristics. permafrost dynamics and infrastructure These fine- to medium-scale mapping impacts. UAS methods were used to assess products and associated field investigations the volume of materials displaced by thaw can be used to validate coarse-resolution slumps, and to quantify earth flow dynamics Landsat derived change products which are and the displacement of road embankments. valuable tools for monitoring landscape These studies were accomplished by change and assessing spatial patterns and deriving high-resolution digital terrain downstream effects. Integrating multi-scale
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 40 remote sensing approaches has been useful INTEGRATING in linking a process-based understanding of CHEMOSTRATIGRAPHIC AND thaw-driven impacts with broad-scale SEDIMENTOLOGICAL permafrost landscape change. DATASETS TO ESTABLISH A THE DUTY TO CONSULT SEQUENCE STRATIGRAPHIC ABORIGINAL PEOPLES: FRAMEWORK FOR THE BACKROUND AND LEGAL DEVONIAN CANOL UPDATE FORMATION, CENTRAL MACKENZIE VALLEY AND KRUGER, T. MACKENZIE MOUNTAINS, LAWSON LUNDELL LLP, YELLOWKNIFE, NT NORTHWEST TERRITORIES [email protected] 1 The duty to consult Aboriginal peoples LAGRANGE RAO*, M.T. , HARRIS, B.1, FIESS, K.M.2, arises where the Crown (i.e. the federal 2 1 and/or territorial government) “has TERLAKY, V. , and GINGRAS, M.K. knowledge, real or constructive, of the (1) UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA, EDMONTON, potential existence of the Aboriginal right or AB title and contemplates conduct that might (2) NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT adversely affect it.” The duty may be [email protected] triggered where the Crown grants authorizations for mining projects to The Middle to Late Devonian Canol proceed. Formation is an organic-rich shale historically known as the source rock for the The content of the duty varies with the oil produced from the Kee Scarp Reefs at circumstances and falls along a "spectrum." Norman Wells, NWT. Recent interest has The effect of good faith consultation may be shifted to its potential as an unconventional to reveal a “duty to accommodate”, but does hydrocarbon reservoir with seven long cores not provide Aboriginal groups with a “veto”. drilled by industry over the past six years. The Canol Formation is a member of the Third parties (such as mining companies) do Givetian to Frasnian Horn River Group in not have a legal duty to consult. However, the Mackenzie Mountains and Central the Crown may delegate "procedural Mackenzie Valley of the Northwest aspects" of consultation to industry Territories. Previous studies have included proponents seeking a particular the Canol Formation in an overall development. depositional and sequence stratigraphic model for the Horn River Group with a This session will explore the duty to consult, focus on the Kee Scarp and Ramparts touch on recent case law from the Supreme formations, but did not include a detailed Court of Canada, and provide practical tips stratigraphic analysis of the Canol for project development in the NWT. Formation. This study aims to integrate chemostratigraphic and sedimentological data in order to established a preliminary sequence stratigraphic framework for the Canol Formation.
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 41 The dataset consists of samples and framework is to enable high-resolution observations collected from the Mountain subsurface mapping of clay-lean and silica- River outcrop, the MGM Shell East Mackay rich sweet spots, making it a valuable step in I-78 core, and the Husky Little Bear N-09 assessing the unconventional reservoir and H-64 cores. The outcrop and cores were potential of the Canol Formation. logged in detail with observations focusing on lithology, contacts, and sedimentary DEVELOPING AND ENGAGING structures. Portable X-ray Fluorescence INDIGENOUS WORKERS FOR (XRF) equipment was used to collect high- THE CANADIAN MINING resolution elemental composition data at an interval of 10 cm for the cores and 10 cm - SECTOR 100 cm at the Mountain River outcrop. Elemental proxies were used in conjunction LAROUCHE, P. with sedimentological observations to MINING INDUSTRY HUMAN RESOURCES identify Transgressive-Regressive (T-R) COUNCIL, OTTAWA, ON cycles in each core and outcrop. Regression [email protected] was interpreted where continentally derived Hiring Indigenous peoples is a shared sediment abundance increases and biogenic human resource priority of mining silica abundance decreases. Conversely, employers. Despite this, opportunities for transgression was interpreted where greater inclusion of Indigenous workers in continentally derived sediment abundance the mining industry exist. decreases and abundance of biogenic silica increases. Elements that are almost The Mining Industry Human Resources exclusively derived from continental Council (MiHR) recently completed a three- sediment (Al, Fe, K, Ti) were used as a year study on Indigenous employment in the proxy for continental sediment input. In mining sector to enable informed discussion addition, the ratio of Si/Zr was used as a on career development and employment proxy for the abundance of biogenic silica barriers. This presentation will provide an compared to clastic silica. Zirconium is overview of the research findings and almost always exclusively derived from discuss how one of the proven industry detrital sediment, therefore a high ratio of programs, Mining Essentials: training to Si/Zr reflects a greater abundance of employment program for Indigenous biogenic silica. If the ratio of Si/Zr is low, a peoples, has created rewarding employment decreased abundance of biogenic silica is opportunities. interpreted. This information was supplemented by the interpretation of Mining Essentials helps companies and paleoredox conditions using geochemical communities meet their joint hiring and proxies such as Mo and V enrichment. employment targets. It allows companies to Preliminary results suggest that time- benefit from a local, skilled and empowered synchronous maximum regressive and workforce, and fosters economic maximum flooding surfaces can be development that results in healthy identified and correlated to establish a communities. Mining Essentials has been preliminary sequence stratigraphic delivered successfully across Canada, framework for the cores and outcrop involving 27 mining companies, 15 included in this study. The purpose of educational partners, and 36 Indigenous establishing a sequence stratigraphic organizations/communities.
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 42 CREATING A NWT MINERAL SCHEELITE-BEARING HIGH RESOURCES ACT FLUID-FLUX SKARNS AT THE METASOMATIC SKARN FRONT LEESON, N. AND THEIR RELATIONSHIP TO INDUSTRY, TOURISM AND INVESTMENT, OTHER MINERALIZATION AT GOVERNMENT OF NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, YELLOWKNIFE, NT THE CANTUNG W-CU SKARN, [email protected] NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
The management of Northwest Territories' 1 (NWT) public lands and natural resources LENTZ*, C.P.E. , MCFARLANE, C.R.M.1, and devolved to the Government of the 2 Northwest Territories (GNWT) in 2014. FALCK, H.E. Since then the GNWT has the authority to (1) UNIVERSITY OF NEW BRUNSWICK, improve its legal frameworks to reflect the FREDERICTON, NB Northwest Territories' uniqueness. The (2) NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT GNWT is preparing to develop a new, [email protected] leading-edge, made-in-the-NWT Mineral Resources Act (MRA). The MRA will be The Cantung W-Cu skarn is located within designed to meet the needs of the NWT, the Canadian Cordillera, approximately 400 harmonize with co-management, increase km to the NE of Whitehorse, YT. It is part investment in mining, promote a sustainable of a NW-SE trending belt of tungsten and diversified economy, protect the natural deposits related to Mid-Cretaceous felsic environment, and respect the rights and magmatism that was emplaced into traditions of Indigenous peoples. Neoproterozoic rifted margin and Paleozoic passive margin rocks originating from Preparing the MRA is a six-step process that Laurentia. It was first hypothesized that the began with research, in collaboration with skarn mineralization at Cantung was stakeholders and experts. The GNWT is associated with the granites which underlie currently in step two: conducting an the deposit; however, even the early extensive public engagement process. Up researchers of the deposit were perplexed by until the end of December 1st, 2017, the the lack of endoskarn developed within the GNWT is seeking ideas from the public to granite. The lack of alteration within the guide the development of the MRA. Your granite immediately in contact with the input is encouraged. exoskarn coupled with the local cross cutting of the strata-bound skarn mineralization in the Ore Limestone by smaller granitic stocks off the Mine Stock granite body, all suggest that the Mine Stock is not responsible for the mineralization at Cantung. It is believed that their formation in fact post-dates mineralization.
The main skarn facies at Cantung include the following: garnet ± pyroxene, pyroxene ± pyrrhotite, amphibole ± pyrrhotite, and biotite ± pyrrhotite. In general, the garnet ±
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 43 pyroxene skarn facies at Cantung is only these minerals into the ancient fluid very weakly mineralized in scheelite. pathways. Their zoning records the Another type of skarn was identified with progressive evolution of fluid compositions anhydrous minerals; it is characterized by an and fractionation of major and trace abundance of scheelite as well as other elements in those fluids. calcium and ferrous iron bearing phases. A notable feature is the potentially large size THE FORMATION OF A of the scheelite crystals (up to 3-4 cm) in CANADIAN PERMAFROST comparison to all other skarn facies at ASSOCIATION Cantung. The most characteristic feature of these skarns is the presence of hydrothermal LEWKOWICZ, A.G.1, calcite; it appears that the more calcite KARUNARATNE*, K.C.2, which is present, the larger the scheelite ALLARD, M.3, ARENSON, L.U.4, crystals can achieve. Many of these BROWN, S.5, BURN, C.R.6, structures contain minerals which exhibit CALMELS, F.7, DORÉ, G.3, unidirectional growth textures from the DUMAIS, S.3, GRUBER, S.6, outermost parts towards the innermost. HOEVE, E.8, IDREES, M.9, There is a general transition from anhydrous KOKELJ, S.V.2, and higher temperature minerals such as MALENFANT LEPAGE, J.3, garnet and pyroxene at the outermost parts MARSH, P.10, MCLEOD, K.11, of the structures towards more hydrous and MOORMAN, B.12, low temperature minerals such as allanite, ROY-LÉVEILLÉE, P.13, SMITH, S.L.14 epidote, and clinozoisite at the innermost and TURETSKY, M.R.15 parts of the structures. These structures appear to have an irregular pattern, which (1) UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA, OTTAWA,ON sometimes cuts across pre-existing strata. (2) NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT This suggests they could result from local (3) LAVAL UNIVERSITY, QUEBEC, QC fluid overpressuring along preexisting (4) BGC ENGINEERING INC., VANCOUVER, BC permeable zones or could possibly form (5) NWT ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITIES, their own pathways through volumetric YELLOWKNIFE, NT contraction due to the growth of more dense (6) CARLETON UNIVERSITY, OTTAWA, ON (7) YUKON RESEARCH CENTRE/NORTHERN phases such as garnet. CLIMATE EXCHANGE, WHITEHORSE, YT (8) TETRA TECH EBA, YELLOWKNIFE, NT To understand the physio-chemical (9) YUKON GOVERNMENT, WHITEHORSE, YT conditions responsible for the formation of (10) WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY, these skarns; EPMA analysis, µXRF EDS WATERLOO, ON (11) GOVERNMENT OF NORTHWEST mapping, and LA ICP-MS trace element TERRITORIES, YELLOWKNIFE, NT mapping of both anhydrous and hydrous (12) UNIVERSITY OF CALGARY, CALGARY, skarn minerals was conducted. Using new AB software developments, fully quantitative (13) LAURENTIAN UNIVERSITY, SUDBURY, data from trace element maps was extracted ON (14) GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, preserving the intricate zoning which NATURAL RESOURCES CANADA, OTTAWA, preserves the history of the growth of ON various skarn minerals. The results show (15) UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH, GUELPH, ON that these skarn minerals are strongly zoned [email protected] and that their zoning reflects the growth of
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 44 In northern Canada, permafrost is a the general public with a point of contact for dominant influence over landscape and information on Canadian permafrost ecosystem processes, and on infrastructure. conditions. The association would confer The impacts and costs of climate change and additional legitimacy on the representatives permafrost thaw have heightened the of Canada to the International Permafrost societal relevance of the topic and increased Association ensuring that the international the number of scientists, engineers, and organisation responds to Canada's needs. practitioners interested in permafrost issues. The formation of a national permafrost The concept of forming an association has association has emerged from this rapid been discussed on a number of occasions growth of permafrost stakeholders and will during the past five years. In April 2017, the address a number of needs. Canadian National Committee for the International Permafrost Association (CNC- The association would bridge the scientific IPA) decided to form a Steering Committee and engineering aspects of the field, for a Canadian Permafrost Association to connecting different communities in science move the proposal for an association (e.g. geography, geomatics, Quaternary forward and give it legitimacy in the geology, biogeochemistry, physics, community. The 2017 Yellowknife hydrology, and ecology) and engineering Geoscience Forum will mark the first (e.g. geotechnical, structural, and mining). opportunity for the association's Steering The multidisciplinary nature of permafrost is Committee to present progress to date and recognized as fundamental to solving invite feedback from others interested in societal problems associated with permafrost in Canada. permafrost, and collaborating across disciplines will be needed to deal with the WHAT'S IN A TIME SERIES? consequences of thawing permafrost. UTILIZING METRICS TO SUMMARIZE AND COMPARE The association would foster mentoring. Presently, there is a demographic gap in SPATIO-TEMPORAL experience in the field of permafrost. Many PERMAFROST SITE scientists and engineers are either CHARACTERISTICS ON A approaching retirement or early in their LARGE SCALE careers. At the same time, some practitioners and researchers have entered the field from MACDONALD, S. cognate areas in mid-career with great CARLETON UNIVERSITY, OTTAWA, ON enthusiasm but relatively limited field [email protected] experience. The association would help facilitate the exchange of knowledge and With a growing interest in climate change skills among these groups. and its effects on northern climates and permafrost along with advancing The association would help advance a technology, there has been a rapid increase domain that bridges different organisational in the amount of temperature data that is structures (corporations, governments at all being collected at sites all across northern levels, communities, and universities) and Canada and the world. In addition, more would provide practitioners, northern efforts are being put into pooling these data communities, First Nations, Inuit, media and and making it available publicly, such as via
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 45 the Global Terrestrial Network for are relatable to spatial site aspects such as Permafrost (GTNP) online database. Yet soil properties and snow cover, and how there is an increasing disparity between the these values can then be utilized for an amount of data collected and the methods understanding of the spatio-temporal that can be used to analyze it meaningfully, variation across any number of sites. For thoroughly, and on a wide scale. example, comparing the lag measurements and proportionality of air to surface One approach to doing this is via a metric. temperature in the summer can provide Currently, the most common metric that is information about the thermal diffusivity used to “measure” a site is the mean annual properties of the soil, while looking at the air/surface/ground temperature, and there is evolving lag series over the winter can an approximate relationship between the provide an understanding of which sites are mean temperature and the probability of more or less likely to be affected by the there being permafrost or not: the lower the insulating effects of snow cover. These can mean temperature, the more likely that there then be compared from year to year to is permafrost present. By comparing mean decide whether site properties are changing temperatures, one can also decide which or staying relatively constant. areas are more and less susceptible to thaw. Beyond this and other “bulk” statistics such INTEGRATING HIGH as measurements of deviation or variance, RESOLUTION FIELD however, there are very few metrics that can OBSERVATIONS AND be gleaned from temperature time series that can summarize comparable site MODELLING IN ORDER TO characteristics in a meaningful way. IMPROVE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF The goal of this presentation will be to HYDROLOGICAL CHANGE IN suggest ways in which useful metrics can be THE ARCTIC NORTHWEST devised and programmed so that key aspects TERRITORIES of sites - or, at least, proxies for key aspects at sites - can be rapidly extracted from their MARSH*, P.1, WALKER, B.1, corresponding time series for comparison. MANN, P.1, TOURE, A.1, WILCOX, E.1, The approach used is heavily dependent on JITNIKOVITCH, A.1, RUDY, A.C.A.1, phase lag analysis of coupled time series, ENSOM, T.1, DERKSON, C.2, and which measures the time delay (lag) SONNENTAG, O.3 between temperature changes in the air and the proportional changes they cause in the (1) WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY, surface temperature. Consider that a WATERLOO, ON (2) ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE temperature logger sitting on the surface of CANADA, TORONTO, ON the ground would have a very short lag, (3) UNIVERSITY OF MONTRÉAL, MONTRÉAL, while one sitting below an organic or clay QC layer or a large amount of snow cover would [email protected] have a much longer lag. The climate is changing across the NWT at an unprecedented rate, transforming all After explaining a little about the rudiments aspects of the environment, including of lag theory, I will show how it can be vegetation, snow and permafrost. At the applied to quickly get summary values that Arctic treeline near Inuvik, and along the
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 46 Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway (ITH), the THE SOUTH RAE MAPPING temperature is warming dramatically, PROJECT: NEW RESULTS precipitation is decreasing, and shrubs are FROM BEDROCK MAPPING expanding across the tundra. In response, the hydrological system is changing in MARTEL*, E.1, REGIS, D.2, unexpected ways. As one example, although PEHRSSON, S.J.2, THIESSEN, E.J.3, spring snowmelt is occurring earlier in the ACOSTA-GONGORA, P.2, and year, streamflow is occurring later. The JAMISON, D.4 reason for this is poorly understood, and current hydrological models are unable to (1) NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL predict this change. These, and other SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT (2) GEOLOGICAL SURVEY CANADA, unexpected changes to lakes and streams OTTAWA, ON requires a greatly improved understanding (3) SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY, of changes in climate, vegetation and VANCOUVER, BC permafrost in order to understand past (4) UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO, WATERLOO, changes, and consider future implications of ON [email protected] a changing climate on the arctic environment, communities and The Rae craton extends from the Athabasca infrastructure. In this presentation, we will Basin to Baffin Island and covers more than describe a series of integrated field 15% of the Northwest Territories’ landmass. observations at the Trail Valley Creek Although the Rae craton is four times the research watershed south of Tuktoyaktuk, size of the Slave craton and as big as the NWT, in the western Canadian Arctic and Superior craton, its complex tectonic history along the ITH. This paper will focus on and metallogenic potential is poorly describing novel observation methods to understood. Recent efforts by the Geological characterize the arctic environment, Survey of Canada, through the Geo-mapping including the use of unmanned aerial for Energy and Mineral program in systems, cosmic ray sensors, and eddy collaboration with the Northwest Territories covariance systems, for example. These Geological Survey, have led to a better datasets will be used to test the high understanding of this remote, under- resolution hydrologic models required to explored region. understand past, and future, changes in hydrology. Field work was conducted in 2012, 2015 and 2016 in the southern Rae craton in southeastern NWT. Bedrock mapping at 1:250,000 scale was completed over parts of 4 map sheets NTS 75A, B, G and H. Thematic complementary research includes U-Pb geochronology, Ar-Ar geochronology, lithogeochemistry, metamorphic petrology, economic geology, and structural analysis.
The southern part of the Rae craton has been subdivided into eight tectonometamorphic domains (from east to west: Snowbird, Firedrake, Ena, McCann, Penylan, Howard,
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 47 Lynx, and Porter). Studying the unique Five of the eight domains (Snowbird, tectonometamorphic history of each domain Firedrake, Ena, McCann, and Penylan) will allow for a better understanding of the record high pressure (8-12+ kbar) and high Rae craton’s assembly and ultimately the temperature (850 °C) at peak metamorphism amalgamation of Laurentia. With the (1.9 Ga) during early phases of the Trans- exception of the Proterozoic Penylan Hudson Orogeny (Snowbird Orogen). A domain rocks, the study area is mostly number of crustal-scale structures across the comprised of Archean metaplutonic rocks southern Rae craton, one of which was and less extensive Archean to newly recognized during this study, partially Paleoproterozoic metasedimentary rocks. accommodated exhumation of this large Rocks of the Snowbird domain include a high-pressure terrane during the early phases metasedimentary sequence (<2.73 Ga) of the Trans-Hudson Orogeny (1.9-1.86 Ga). intruded by ultramafic sills (ca. 2.63 Ga) REE mineralization and alkaline magmatism which host Ni-Cu mineralization. The are spatially and temporally associated with Firedrake domain consists mostly of these structures. amphibolite facies orthogneiss (2.69-2.66 Ga) with relict granulite assemblages, TREE-RING injected by extensive granodiorite migmatite RECONSTRUCTION OF (1.84-1.82 Ga). The McCann domain is STREAMFLOW IN THE SNARE dominated by Archean metaplutonic and metasedimentary rocks metamorphosed at RIVER BASIN, NORTHWEST high temperature (820 °C) and moderate TERRITORIES, CANADA pressure (7 kbar) during the Arrowsmith Orogeny (ca. 2.35 Ga). Proterozoic gabbro MARTIN*, J.P. and PISARIC, M.F.J. dykes (2.27 Ga) have in turn been BROCK UNIVERSITY, ST. CATHARINES, ON metamorphosed at high pressure. The [email protected] Penylan domain consists of a Proterozoic Drought is an important component of many gabbroic anorthosite complex (ca. 2.04 Ga) ecosystems in North America, resulting in and associated quartz-syenite/monzonite environmental and socioeconomical intrusions (ca. 2.03 Ga). Preliminary results impacts. In the context of ongoing climatic indicate that these rocks have been and environmental changes, issues of metamorphosed to high-pressure granulite drought are becoming problematic in conditions at 1.84 Ga. The Howard domain northern Canada, which have not been consists of previously unmapped traditionally associated with drought-like metasedimentary rocks and meta-andesite. conditions. Since this region relies heavily This domain’s magnetic signature extends on the production of hydroelectricity as an north to the Boomerang Uranium deposit, energy source, prolonged drier than average adjacent to the Thelon Basin. The Howard, conditions can threaten the energy security Lynx, and Porter domains record a strong of some northern communities. Across greenschist grade overprint (age uncertain), Northwest Territory (NWT), water levels which likely obliterated older higher and streamflows were significantly lower in pressure and/or temperature assemblages. 2014/2015. The Government of the NWT Preliminary monazite U/Pb geochronology was forced to purchase diesel fuel at a suggests that the high grade metamorphism significantly higher cost to generate enough occurred at 2.57 Ga. electricity to supplement the reduced power
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 48 generation normally supplied by the Snare activities. Ice-rich permafrost is most River hydroelectric system. sensitive to disturbance and vulnerable to thermokarst, which is the result of The aims of this presentation are i) to differential ground settlement in response to present jack pine and white spruce tree-ring the melting of ground ice. Proactively chronologies from southern NWT; ii) to distinguishing areas of ice-rich permafrost reconstruct past streamflow of the Snare from ice-poor permafrost is critical to the River basin; iii) to evaluate the frequency routing, design and maintenance of new and magnitude of extreme drought roads and highways, upgrades to northern conditions, and iv) to identify which large- community infrastructure, and adaptation to scale atmospheric or oceanic patterns changes in vegetation communities and control regional hydraulic conditions. wildlife habitats.
Preliminary results show that the growth of In order to inform ongoing and future jack pine and white spruce populations is resource industry activities within a 2,100 better correlated with monthly climate km2 area northeast of Lac de Gras, indices rather than seasonal/annual hydraulic Northwest Territories, we completed conditions. Nonetheless, we present a permafrost thaw settlement hazard mapping streamflow reconstruction of the Snare in association with a detailed surficial River that is well correlated with the geology mapping project funded by the summer North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) Northwest Territories Geology Survey. index, albeit the strength of the correlation is Permafrost mapping was derived using a non-stationary. Spectral analysis project-specific, semi-automated corroborates the synchronicity between classification of terrain units on the negative NAO conditions and drought accompanying, 1:20,000-scale surficial conditions in the southern NWT. From an geology map prepared through interpretation operational standpoint, considering that the of stereo aerial photography and LiDAR- general occurrence of positive/negative derived elevation data. The interpretation of NAO can be predicted, these results could permafrost characteristics was based on an facilitate hydroelectric planning in the understanding of local landform-ground ice Northwest Territories. associations, as determined by available borehole information and surface PREDICTIVE MAPPING OF expressions of ground ice (e.g., ice-wedge PERMAFROST THAW polygons, enlarging thaw ponds). SETTLEMENT HAZARD NEAR A permafrost thaw settlement hazard LAC DE GRAS, NORTHWEST classification was developed to represent the TERRITORIES likelihood and potential magnitude of thaw settlement within a particular map unit in MCKILLOP*, R.J. and SACCO, D.A. response to an unspecified natural or PALMER ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING anthropogenic disturbance to the ground GROUP INC., VANCOUVER, BC thermal regime. The likelihood of thaw [email protected] settlement within a particular map unit was Permafrost terrain across northern Canada determined based on the percentage of exhibits a variable response to disturbance similar map units that contain indicators of by climate change or anthropogenic ground ice: high likelihood (>50% of
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 49 polygons that represent similar landforms THE GEM-2 GLACIAL exhibited evidence of ground ice); moderate SYNTHESIS PROJECT: likelihood (10-50% exhibited evidence of OVERVIEW AND REPORT OF ground ice); and low likelihood (<10% exhibited evidence of ground ice). The FIELD ACTIVITIES IN THE potential magnitude of thaw settlement was KIVALLIQ REGION, NUNAVUT defined based on the relative thickness of 1 2 surficial material within a polygon, given MCMARTIN*, I. , TREMBLAY, T. , 3 1 the observed propensity for the thickest GODBOUT, P.-M. , CAMPBELL, J.E. , 1 deposits to exhibit the most severe (highest and KERR, D.E. relief) thermokarst settlement: high (1) GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, magnitude (typically >5 m of surficial OTTAWA, ON material); moderate magnitude (typically 2-5 (2) CANADA-NUNAVUT GEOSCIENCE OFFICE, m of surficial material); and low magnitude IQALUIT, NU (3) UNIVERSITÉ DU QUÉBEC À MONTRÉAL, (typically <2 m of surficial material). MONTRÉAL, QC [email protected] Permafrost thaw settlement hazard was A new project was initiated as part of the defined based on a combination of the GEM-2 Program in mainland Nunavut and likelihood and potential magnitude of thaw Northwest Territories to compile and settlement within a particular map unit, document glacial features and reconstruct yielding a five-level hazard classification. the glacial history in a poorly mapped core The highest thaw settlement hazards occur region of the Keewatin Sector of the in terrain dominated by thick till hummocks, Laurentide Ice Sheet (LIS). This updated many of which already exhibit spectacular regional compilation will provide a much thermokarst landforms, including thaw needed framework for an improved ponds, thermal erosion gullies, “eye-liner understanding of glacial dispersal patterns. slumps” and central collapse basins. Targeted fieldwork was completed in 2017 Complex assemblages of 30 m-deep, crater- in the Baker Lake and Arviat areas, NU, to like landforms are a testament to the severity answer questions related to the nature of the of previous thermokarst activity in areas landscape and surficial materials under the thought to have preserved buried glacial ice, Keewatin Ice Divide (KID), the chronology and serve as a precedent for what may occur of glacial and deglacial events, and glacial elsewhere in response to climate change or dispersal characteristics along paleo-ice anthropogenic activities. streams. The post-glacial marine limit of submergence was examined, measured and sampled for terrestrial cosmogenic nuclide (TCN) exposure dating and infrared stimulated luminescence dating. Significant variations in the elevation of marine limit across the area are associated with ice margins in contact with the Tyrrell Sea close to the remnants of the KID. The terrain around the KID varies in surface material composition and thickness, drainage development and degree of weathering. West of Arviat and near Baker Lake the
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 50 terrain is indicative of a warm-based, Sonoma Resources, in conjunction with erosive glacial regime, and grades into an PTX Technologies, has developed a new, intermediate cold-based, protective (non- innovative liquefaction technology which erosive) terrain NE of Baker Lake towards improves the economics of LNG use, and is the uplands south of Wager Bay. The economically scalable for both small and determination of relative erosion rates in till medium sized commercial applications. The and bedrock under the KID using TCN use of this technology at Sonoma's planned exposure dating will help to evaluate how regulatory-approved 80,000 USgpd LNG glacial sediments can be used for mineral facility in northern Alberta will enable exploration in areas potentially complicated delivery of LNG to road connected mines by inherited compositional signatures. and communities in the NWT at very Surface till composition examined in three competitive pricing compared to other fuel ice stream terrains suggests long-distance providers. The cost savings in the use of transport of distinctive lithologies. LNG are impressive, and can make the Geochemical and lithological analyses of difference in mine feasibility. surface till samples, coupled with lithogeochemical analysis of distinct Transportation infrastructure and LNG Dubawnt Supergroup lithologies, will be distribution are vitally linked. Establishment integrated with previous regional sampling of this supply chain will create a robust results and the updated glacial history to environment for investment in mines and permit a better evaluation of glacial other projects, and may also lead to transport characteristics in areas of shifting development of stranded NWT reserves of ice flows and ice streams and across relict natural gas. landscapes preserved under non-erosive basal ice regimes (ice divide and/or cold- HOW STANDARDS HELP based ice). REDUCE THE VULNERABILITY OF ARCTIC INFRASTRUCTURE INFRASTRUCTURE, NATURAL RESOURCES, AND THE MOORE, C. ADVANCEMENT OF AN STANDARDS COUNCIL OF CANADA, INNOVATIVE CANADIAN LNG OTTAWA, ON TECHNOLOGY [email protected] Rapid environmental and economic changes 1 are having a profound impact on the MILLER*, P.E. and 2 physical and built environments of the NIKIFORUK, C.F. Arctic. Permafrost degradation is posing a (1) SONOMA RESOURCES LTD., CALGARY, AB significant challenge to owners, operators (2) PTX TECHNOLOGIES INC., CALGARY, AB [email protected] and maintenance professionals of northern infrastructure. As a consequence, new Natural gas is abundant, clean, cheap, and in policies and mechanisms are needed to help its liquid state (LNG) it is safe in transport. northern communities adapt and reduce the Support for LNG's creation and distribution vulnerability of their infrastructure to the through infrastructure development can help impacts of climate change. Since 2011, five to solve many of the NWT's energy and standards have been developed and investment disadvantages. incorporated into regulatory policies and guidelines across the North in critical areas,
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 51 including managing changing snowload RC drill program to bulk sample the Faraday risks for northern community infrastructure 2 and Faraday 3 kimberlites, and to collect a and moderating the effects of permafrost mini-bulk sample from the Faraday 1 degradation on existing building kimberlite. Following the RC program, foundations. The latest NISI standard, diamond drilling and ground geophysical “CAN/BNQ 2501-500: Geotechnical Site surveys continued on the property. Investigations for Building Foundations in Operations were split between summer and Permafrost,” is the most downloaded winter field efforts. standard to date, speaking to the demand for permafrost research and standardized The RC drill pads and a seasonal spur road guidance in the North. off the Gahcho Kué seasonal road were completed in January to coincide with the This session aims to explore how standards opening of the Tibbit-Contwoyto winter have been successful in leveraging the latest road and facilitated the mobilization of a in permafrost research to reduce the second large diameter RC rig, operated by vulnerability of Arctic infrastructure and Midnight Sun Drilling Inc., to the property. how, through engaging northern The first RC drill rig was already on-site, infrastructure experts, permafrost scientists allowing for drilling to commence before the and local policymakers, Canada has become opening of the winter road. a global leader in Arctic-focused standardization. A total of 262.6 tonnes of Faraday 2 kimberlite, 276.4 tonnes of Faraday 3 KENNADY NORTH PROJECT kimberlite, and 26.4 tonnes of Faraday 1 2017 FIELD SEASON UPDATE kimberlite were obtained via RC drilling between January 19 and April 10. The bulk MOORE*, R.1, HRKAC, C.2, and samples were processed by Dense Media NELSON, L.2 Separation (DMS) at the Saskatchewan Research Council in Saskatoon. The results (1) KENNADY DIAMONDS INC., VANCOUVER, of this work were used to estimate a maiden BC (2) AURORA GEOSCIENCES LTD., inferred mineral resource of 5.02 million YELLOWKNIFE, NT carats for the Faraday kimberlites. The [email protected] resource is contained in 3.27 million tonnes The Kennady North Property, wholly owned of kimberlite with a grade of 1.54 carats per by Kennady Diamonds Inc. (KDI), is located tonne and an average value of US$98 per 280 km northeast of Yellowknife adjacent to carat assuming a 1 mm diamond bottom the DeBeers/Mountain Province Gahcho cutoff size. The Faraday resource adds to the Kué mine site. Exploration on the property indicated resource of 13.62 million carats of dates back to the 1990s, during which time diamonds declared for the Kelvin kimberlite several kimberlites were discovered. KDI re- in 2016. The Kelvin resource is contained in initiated exploration in 2012 and has since 8.50 million tonnes of kimberlite with a completed extensive geophysical, till grade of 1.60 carats per tonne and an sampling, diamond drilling, and large- average value of US$63 per carat. diameter reverse circulation (RC) drilling bulk sampling programs. Diamond drilling commenced in July 2017. The program consisted of nine HQ-diameter In 2017, KDI completed a large-diameter holes for a total of 2,766 meters. Diamond
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 52 drilling focused on extending the Faraday 2 cycles, all of which have ecological and kimberlite at depth and delineating the societal implications. As well, the new Faraday 1-3 kimberlite complex. The first Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway (ITH) hole at Faraday 1-3 and a single hole drilled represents the largest manipulation of at the Kelvin kimberlite were completed for surface conditions in the region. In this geotechnical purposes. heterogeneous, ice-rich permafrost environment, the nature of responses to Aurora Geosciences Ltd. conducted these pressures, will vary with geotechnical geophysical programs in the winter and and thermal properties of subsurface summer of 2017. All work was completed materials and landscape factors. on and adjacent to Blob Lake, located approximately 14 km southwest of Kelvin The Transportation Resilience in the Arctic camp and 3 km southwest of the Gahcho Informed by Landscape Systems (TRAILS) Kué mine site. The winter program activity, funded by the Climate Change comprised 5,780 stations of ground gravity, Geoscience Program, NRCan, operates in 451.4 line-km of total field magnetics, and partnership with Northwest Territories 401.8 line-km of OhmMapper capacitively- Geological Survey to conduct innovative coupled resistivity. The summer program permafrost research with territorial and comprised 6,146 ground gravity stations and academic partners to address questions bathymetry surveys for 12 lakes. regarding landscape change and inform infrastructure management decisions. Exploration results have been very TRAILS - ITH treats the ITH as a landscape encouraging, and Kennady Diamond Inc. transect for conducting multidisciplinary anticipates the continuation of this success research on permafrost thermal conditions, in 2018. terrain sensitivity, and climate change impacts on terrain and infrastructure. The TRAILS – ITH: research is predicated on the development of COLLABORATIVE high-quality surficial geology and terrain GEOSCIENCE TO SUPPORT maps, assessment of subsurface ground ice and material properties, monitoring and INFRASTRUCTURE summary of ground thermal data, and data MANAGEMENT IN A availability. CHANGING NORTH The first goal of this project is to work with MORSE*, P.D.1 and KOKELJ, S.V.2 partners to consolidate available ground (1) GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, temperature and geotechnical data. OTTAWA, ON Secondly, we aim to improve permafrost (2) NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL terrain and surficial geology maps. Third, SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT we will support the analysis and synthesis of [email protected] ground ice data. The project will also Permafrost evolution of the western analyse ground thermal data from across the Canadian Arctic landscape is subject to treeline transition, examine local scale unprecedented transformative pressures. variability with respect to natural gradients Climate-driven thaw is accelerating and infrastructure, and support permafrost geomorphic changes, altering hydrological modelling to examine future scenarios. systems, and affecting nutrient and carbon Finally, the project will synthesize these
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 53 datasets to re-examine the role of glacial USING THE PAST TO INFORM legacy and post-glacial landscape THE FUTURE: A modifications on contemporary terrain PALEOECOLOGICAL sensitivity and embankment performance. Two early research activities relate to PERSPECTIVE OF THE borehole and terrain mapping projects. IMPACTS OF DROUGHT AND FIRE ON LAKES AND FORESTS In February 2017, 16 thermally- instrumented boreholes were established. MOSER*, K.A.1, PISARIC, M.F.J.2, Multiple proxies collected are aimed at TURNER, K.W.2, CECI, M.2, examining the suite of subsurface ground GARNER, C.2, HARRIS, D.M.2, ice, geotechnical, carbon and geochemical MARTIN, J.P.2, PRINCE, T.2, SIA, M.1, conditions encountered across a range of and VISCEK, J.A.2 environments representing ice-marginal (1) UNIVERSITY OF WESTERN ONTARIO, moraine, lacustrine plain and riparian areas. LONDON, ON This investigation revealed massive ice (2) BROCK UNIVERSITY, ST. CATHARINES, ON juxtaposed against ice-poor granular [email protected] deposits; organic deposits, up to 4-5 m thick Throughout the Arctic and sub-Arctic, there in tundra, overtop of ice-rich lacustrine are numerous ecological stressors affecting deposits; and ice-poor gravels laid down on the landscapes and biota of this relatively near-surface silty shale. Together environmentally sensitive region. Climate these data illustrate the heterogeneity change is chief amongst these. A warming implicit in this glaciated and post glacially climate during the 20th century, which has modified landscape. Quaternary deposits occurred at rates and magnitudes in the and Holocene environmental history exert North that exceed those in most other parts strong control over landscape variation and of the world, has led to cascading impacts. the physical, geochemical, and carbon In sub-Arctic and Arctic regions of Canada, characteristics of permafrost. Geochemical widespread climate warming is thought to be and carbon flux changes can be anticipated affecting disturbance regimes including under warming climate conditions or as a those related to wildfire and drought. The result of physical disturbance such as quarry 2014 fire season in Northwest Territories activities. was notably severe with ~390 reported fires burning nearly 3.5 million hectares of forest In May 2017, a terrain mapping exercise cover. Similarly, warm and dry conditions was initiated using very high-resolution caused low lake levels and reduced stream imagery and LiDAR data to identify flow. As a result hydroelectric power surficial geomorphological features and generation was severely curtailed in both landscape types within 5 km of the ITH. 2014 and 2015. The purpose of our research These data will provide an important is to examine the cumulative impacts of platform for understanding ground ice drought and wild fires and their effects on distribution and testing/validating remote forests and aquatic systems in the southern sensing tools, and will facilitate assessment NWT. of landscape change and revision of the local surficial geology. Our first objective is to determine the duration, intensity and frequency of fire and drought during the past several 100s to
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 54 1000s of years, allowing us to determine variability. The impact of forest fires on specific links between fire frequency and streams is being studied by examining climate. Our second objective is to communities of macroinvertebrates (bugs determine the magnitude and direction of living in streams). Preliminary results from change in hydrology, nutrient concentrations the first year of a three year project will be and lake primary production in response to presented. warming temperatures. Lake primary production, a measurement of the PROVENANCE, REGIONAL photosynthetic rate of primary producers, is CORRELATIONS AND an important measurement as increases in TECTONIC SIGNIFICANCE OF lake primary production can lead to a degradation of freshwater quality. By THE PORTER LAKE AND LYNX comparing records from lakes recently LAKE OUTLIERS, SOUTH RAE affected by wildfire and those unaffected by CRATON, NORTHWEST wildfire, we will gain an understanding of TERRITORIES the connections between wildfire, nutrient concentrations, and lake primary production NEIL*, B.1, PEHRSSON, S.J.2, GIBSON, in the context of climate warming. H.D.1, MARTEL, E.3, THIESSEN, E.J.1, and CROWLEY, J.4 Our research is using a multi-proxy, (1) SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY, BURNABY, paleoecological approach to determine long- BC term (2000 years) records of drought, (2) GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, wildfire and water quality. To accomplish OTTAWA, ON the overall objective of our research we will (3) NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL use dendrochronology (tree ring analysis) SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT (4) BOISE STATE UNIVERSITY, BOISE, ID and paleolimnology (analysis of lake [email protected] sediment records) in combination with modern sampling. This is a powerful Recent bedrock mapping in the south Rae combination that allows us to examine craton, Northwest Territories, was carried ecosystem response to multiple stressors at a out as part of the GEM2 South Rae Project, wide range of temporal scales. a collaborative effort between the GSC and Dendrochronology is being used to NTGS. Mapping ~50km east of the reconstruct river flows and precipitation in Nonacho basin identified two the Snare River system during the past 2-3 Paleoproterozoic sedimentary units centuries. Lake sediment records from four informally termed the Porter Lake outlier lakes in the Yellowknife area spanning the (PLO) and Lynx Lake outlier (LLO). The past ~2000 years are being analyzed for unmetamorphosed PLO, and low- diatoms (used to infer past lake levels and metamorphic-grade LLO are in the Porter drought), sedimentary chlorophyll a (as a and Lynx domains, and are separated from measure of lake production and water amphibolite to granulite facies rocks of the quality), and macroscopic charcoal (forest Penylan and McCann domains to the east by fires). Contemporary lake conditions are the Howard Lake shear zone (HLsz). being measured and will be compared to Presented herein are the results of field work paleolimnological findings to evaluate and detrital zircon LA-ICPMS – U-Pb age whether lake responses to drought and and trace element data from both outliers. wildfire are within the range of natural
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 55 Arkose and polymictic conglomerate of the LLO may be temporally correlative with PLO were deposited in alluvial fan and assemblages 2-3 of the Amer and Ketyet fluvial settings after ca. 1.92 Ga. An upper River groups. The location of the LLO along Nonacho Gp correlation is proposed for the strike from these groups and the rift affinity PLO based on its similar detrital signature of the youngest detrital zircons supports and maximum depositional age. previous models for ~2.33–1.95 Ga rifting Furthermore, the clast lithologies and along the length of the Rae craton. sedimentological characteristics of the PLO conglomerate match descriptions of the The ca. 1.92-1.83 Ga PLO and <2.05 Ga Thekulthili Fm. (upper Nonacho Gp). The LLO were likely at or near the surface PLO is therefore assigned a minimum during ca. 1.84 Ga metamorphism in the depositional age of ca. 1.83 Ga, as Penylan domain. Their location west of the constrained for the Nonacho Gp by the cross HLsz therefore corroborates previously cutting Sparrow Dyke swarm. Detrital proposed east side up movement on the zircon dates (ca. 2.80-2.67, 2.55-2.3, and HLsz to juxtapose amphibolite-granulite 2.0-1.9 Ga) within the PLO indicate facies rocks of the Penylan and McCann derivation from the Taltson-Thelon orogen domains with the relatively low-grade Porter and/or Queen Maud block. The poorly and Lynx domains. sorted and coarse nature of PLO however suggests a local provenance. These TRANSPORTATION seemingly contradictory outcrop CORRIDORS AND ACCESS TO observations and detrital zircon data present RESOURCES IN THE possible implications regarding the southern extent of the Queen Maud block and its NORTHWEST TERRITORIES relationship to the understudied Porter 1 2 domain. Sedimentary clasts indicate that the NEUDORF*, R. and STRAND, P. PLO was derived, at least in part, from a (1) DEPARTMENT OF INFRASTRUCTURE, recycled sedimentary source. A possible GOVERNMENT OF NORTHWEST source is the lower Nonacho Gp, which TERRITORIES, YELLOWKNIFE, NT (2) DEPARTMENT OF INDUSTRY, TOURISM possesses an adequately similar detrital AND INVESTMENT, GOVERNMENT OF signature to have supplied detritus to the NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, YELLOWKNIFE, PLO. NT [email protected] Zircon from the quartzitic and metapelitic In a largely greenfields region like the LLO indicate it was deposited after ca. 2.05 NWT, there are opportunities to plan new Ga. Overall, the detrital zircon dates match infrastructure projects with resource the age of Archean greenstone belts in the potential firmly in mind. Under the GNWT central Rae craton, widespread ca. 2.6 Ga Department of Infrastructure's (INF) plutonism of the Rae craton and ca. 2.03 Ga Transportation Strategy, INF is advancing igneous crystallization in Penylan domain the planning for three transportation immediately east of the study area. Grains corridors: the Tłı̨chǫ All-season Road, the coeval with igneous crystallization in the Slave Geological Province (SGP) Access Penylan domain comprise the youngest Corridor, and the Mackenzie Valley population and possess “rift-chemistry” Highway. (Nb/Th >100). Based on the maximum deposition age and detrital signature, the The SGP is a region of high mineral
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 56 potential and is host to the NWT's diamond the staking of the Harriet claims. Bulk mines and most of the NWT's past stream and bank sediment sampling in 2016 producing gold mines. The SGP has the funded by the Government of the Northwest potential to sustain the NWT mineral Territories’ Mineral Incentive Program development cycle for decades to come. The returned samples with 5, 7 and 8 gold grains current route being advanced was based on and gold concentrations from 558 to 610 mineral potential mapping to guide the ppb. planning to maximize the potential for future resource projects. The Quaternary history of the foothills of the Mackenzie Mountains is complex and This talk presents an overview of the current placer gold has not been previously reported infrastructure initiatives and priorities from the area. There are no documented underway and planned by the GNWT, sources for gold in this region. Previous highlighting the role of mineral potential mapping by the Geological Survey of mapping in scoping of the SGP route. Canada identified a complex stratigraphic sequence composed of colluvial, alluvial, PLACER GOLD AND THE glaciofluvial and ice-contact deposits QUATERNARY overlying Laurentidien and Cordilleran tills STRATIGRAPHY OF THE as well as westward sourced pre-glacial sediments. The regional mapping also REDSTONE RIVER, AN suggested the potential for pre-glacial ORIENTATION STUDY IN THE alluvial gravels in abandoned paleo-drainage FOOTHILLS OF THE pathways, a setting common for placer gold MACKENZIE MOUNTAINS deposits in the Klondike.
NORMANDEAU*, P.X.1, An orientation study was conducted in the YAKELEYA, D.2, FALCK, H.E.1, and summer of 2017 by the Northwest DUK-RODKIN, A.3 Territories Geological Survey (NTGS) in collaboration with claim holders in the area, (1) NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT to assess the surficial sediment stratigraphy (2) MINERAL INCENTIVE PROGRAM, TULITA, of a part of the Redstone River, and assess NT the gold potential identified by traditional (3) GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, knowledge. The current field investigation CALGARY, AB centers on the confluence of Harriet Stream [email protected] with the Redstone River (63° 55’, 125° 32’), Gold panning and prospecting from streams 30 km east of Wrigley Lake. The Harriet is commonly associated with the famous Stream valley runs west to east and contains placer fields of the Yukon, California and large terraces of alluvial sediments. The Alaska. A new discovery seeks to add the investigation also took place over the Moose foothills of the Mackenzie Mountains to this Nest Creek valley which runs north to south list. Tales of historic gold prospecting along and briefly connects with the Harriet Stream the Redstone River were passed down before reaching the Redstone River. The through several generations to Harriet Moose Nest Creek meanders through a large Gladue, the Yakeleya brothers’ floodplain rich in organic matter and flanked grandmother. Reconnaissance prospecting by gently sloping walls overlain by fueled by a desire to verify the tales led to glaciolacustrine sediments. Preliminary
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 57
results from 7 bulk stream and bank that explain regional and local patterns of sediment samples taken within the 2017 distribution; and 3) to identify the various NTGS led sediment sampling returned 1 to 2 phases of arsenic present in local soils. gold grains in 5 samples. Gold grains are present in the alluvial terraces and in stream A total of 479 near-surface soil samples sediment proper of the Harriet Stream both were collected within a 30-km radius of downstream and upstream of Moose Nest Yellowknife during the past three summers Creek. Gold grains are also present in raised to explore regional variation in soil arsenic eastward flowing stratified gravels 300 concentrations. Site locations were focused meters above the Redstone River south of on undisturbed areas to minimize human the Harriet Stream. These gravels are influence and determine the effects of legacy partially overlain by glaciolacustrine airborne emissions. Sampling targeted soils sediments and contain weakly developed from four distinct terrain units, including: soils. Field investigations support the outcrop soils, forest canopy soils, forest possibility of a paleo-drainage connection outcrop soils, and peat. between the Wrigley Lake and the Redstone River through the Harriet Stream’s valley. Total elemental analyses have been Direct drainage could have taken place completed on samples from the Public either during deglaciation through Health Layer (0 to 5 cm) at all sites. Arsenic catastrophic drainage of pro-glacial lakes or concentrations in peat samples range from during pre-glacial times. 2.9 to 3,400 mg/kg with a median of 96 mg/kg. Concentrations in outcrop soils range REGIONAL AND LOCALIZED between 3.5 and 3,000 mg/kg with a median DISTRIBUTION OF ARSENIC IN of 165 mg/kg. Forested outcrop soils range SOIL IN THE YELLOWKNIFE from 2.1 to 4,700 mg/kg arsenic with a median of 150 mg/kg. Finally, arsenic REGION concentrations in samples from forested canopy areas range from 1.0 to 1,300 mg/kg OLIVER*, J.T.1, MAITLAND, K.M.1, 1 2 with a median value of 38 mg/kg. Non- JAMIESON, H.E. , and PALMER, M.J. parametric comparisons determined that (1) QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY, KINGSTON, ON arsenic concentrations in forested areas are (2) CARLETON UNIVERSITY, OTTAWA, ON significantly different than all other terrain [email protected] units (p < 0.018), and no significant Historical mines in the Yellowknife area differences were observed between the produced airborne emissions containing remaining terrain units. arsenic trioxide (As2O3) from the roasting of gold-bearing arsenopyrite (FeAsS) ore. Distance from the Giant Mine roaster is an Recent studies have highlighted a persistent important control on the concentration of legacy in local lake sediments and surface arsenic in regional soils (R adj. = 0.543) waters 50 years after the bulk of these despite substantial local variations. Spatial emissions were released. Questions still analyses performed in ArcGIS indicate that remain about the amount and nature of soils surrounding Giant Mine, and to a lesser arsenic residing in soils. The objectives of extent Con Mine, are elevated in arsenic this research are: 1) to characterize the relative to background concentrations. regional distribution of arsenic in Micro-analytical techniques were used to Yellowknife area soils; 2) to identify factors characterize the mineralogy and arsenic
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 58 hosting phases in soils. Anthropogenic communities to make informed decisions sources of arsenic are characterized by the about their land. Building upon the success presence of As2O3 and distinctive arsenic- of its first five-years, GEM continues to bearing iron-oxides derived from roaster produce new, publicly available, regional- stack emissions. Preliminary results indicate scale geoscience knowledge in Canada's As2O3 is present in 89% of samples tested North. (n = 71). Identification of the mineralogy of arsenic is important because speciation The GEM program was first launched in influences the bioaccessibility of arsenic, 2008 as a five-year, $100 million initiative which is essential to consider for risk to produce new, publicly available, regional- assessment. scale geoscience knowledge in Canada's North. In 2013, the GEM program was This regional soil sampling initiative renewed until 2020 with an additional $100 complements previous lake, sediment, and million. soil geochemical surveys undertaken in the area. This research provides important In its first five years (2008–2013), Geo- insight into connections between terrestrial mapping for Energy and Minerals program and aquatic systems in the region by undertook 20 field projects in the three providing information on soil geochemistry, territories and the northern parts of six mineralogy, and mobility. This research is provinces (Ontario, Quebec, British also an important source of information to Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and support ongoing risk assessments to human Newfoundland and Labrador); completed 35 and ecological health from arsenic derived regional geophysical surveys; released over stack emissions. 840 open files of new geoscience maps and data, published on the Natural Resources UPDATE ON THE GEOLOGICAL Canada Website; and delivered more than SURVEY OF CANADA'S GEO- 800 technical information sessions at venues MAPPING FOR ENERGY AND frequented by industry, government and NGOs. MINERALS PROGRAM Taking into account remaining knowledge OZYER, C.A. gaps where modern geological mapping is GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, most needed, both onshore and offshore, the CALGARY, AB GEM program defined six regions of [email protected] interest: the Mackenzie Corridor region, the The Geo-mapping for Energy and Minerals Northwestern Cordillera region, the Rae (GEM) program is laying the foundation for Craton region, the Baffin Island region, the responsible land-use and resource Hudson Bay / Ungava region, and the development in the North by providing Western Arctic region. Key activities of the modern public geoscience that will set the GEM program involve on-the-ground field stage for long-term decision making. observations, the assessment and analysis of legacy samples and data, targeted airborne Geoscience knowledge produced by GEM geophysical surveys and remote sensing, and supports evidence-based exploration for new advanced laboratory investigations. energy and mineral resources and provides important inputs that help northern In 2017, research scientists from the GEM
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 59 program successfully carried out 27 research along the Quebec coast. This research activities, 26 of which will produce an focuses on the Ontario Far North, a activity report, 12 of which included particularly understudied portion of the fieldwork. Research activities include HBL, to investigate permafrost thermal geological, geochemical and geophysical conditions and geomorphological change surveys. These activities have been associated with permafrost degradation. undertaken in collaboration with provincial and territorial governments, Northerners and Five permafrost stations, with maximum their institutions, academia and the private sensor depth ranging from 4-11 meters, are sector. GEM will continue to work with located in the continuous zone near these key partners as the program advances. Peawanuck and in the discontinuous zone This presentation will provide an overview west of Attawapiskat. Here we present an of GEM activities conducted in 2017. eight-year continuous record of ground thermal regime and permafrost temperatures PERMAFROST MONITORING for four permafrost monitoring stations IN THE HUDSON BAY installed since 2009. Mean annual air LOWLANDS: PRELIMINARY temperature at the monitoring stations ranged from -2.9°C near Peawanuk to - RESULTS FROM THE ONTARIO 0.6°C in the discontinuous permafrost zone, FAR NORTH however near surface ground temperature was near 2°C at all sites (±0.5°C). 1 2 PACKALEN, M.S. , PIRONKOVA, Z. , Permafrost temperatures were warm, with 1 MCLAUGHLIN, J.W. , and the lowest top of permafrost temperature 3 ROY-LÉVEILLÉE*, P. measured near Peawanuk, at -0.6°C, while (1) ONTARIO MINISTRY OF NATURAL near Victor mine the top of permafrost RESOURCES AND FORESTRY, SAULT STE. temperature varied from -0.1 to -0.4°C. At MARIE, ON the deepest monitoring station, located in the (2) ONTARIO MINISTRY OF NATURAL discontinuous zone, mean temperatures were RESOURCES AND FORESTRY, PETERBOROUGH, ON above 0°C at = 10 m depth. (3) LAURENTIAN UNIVERSITY, SUDBURY, ON [email protected] Changes in the extent of palsas and peat Hudson Bay Lowlands (HBL) forms the plateaus in the HBL are investigated using largest continuous peat complex in Canada, Worldview-2 satellite imagery in the second largest in the world, and combination with georeferenced historical represents a globally significant carbon store aerial photographs. Using a representative in excess of 30 Pg of biospheric carbon. site in the sporadic discontinuous zone, This physiographic region, which extends results indicate a 26.3% decrease in the area through the continuous, discontinuous, and occupied by palsas and peat plateaus sporadic permafrost zones of Ontario, between 1954 and 2011. This is consistent Manitoba, and Quebec, is home to several with qualitative observations of extensive remote indigenous communities and hosts palsa and pleat plateau degradation in both several infrastructure development projects the discontinuous and continuous permafrost against a backdrop of rapid climatic change. zones of the HBL. These records, together Yet information on permafrost conditions in with remotely sensed images and ground the HBL is limited to a few studies near surveys, are further used to delineate Churchill and Wapusk, in Manitoba, and permafrost extent and evaluate carbon
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 60 dynamics in the HBL. Active areas of LINKING WILDFIRE ACTIVITY research include assessment of hydrological AND METAL FLUXES TO and ecological changes in HBL associated NORTHERN LAKES AT with permafrost degradation at a range of spatial and temporal scales, supported by a DECADAL TIMESCALES network of stream gauges, Eddy Flux 1 2 towers, and peat and permafrost sampling. PELLETIER*, N. , BLACK, J. , CHÉTELAT, J.3, PALMER, M.J.4, PELLISSEY, J.S.5, TRACZ, B.5, TMAC RESOURCES — HOPE 1 VERMAIRE, J.C. , and BAY EXPLORATION AND VAN DER WIELEN, S.6 GEOSCIENCE UPDATE (1) CARLETON UNIVERSITY, OTTAWA, ON (2) YELLOWKNIFE DENE FIRST NATION, PARSONS, S. YELLOWKNIFE, NT TMAC RESOURCES INC., TORONTO, ON (3) ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE [email protected] CANADA, OTTAWA, ON (4) CARLETON UNIVERSITY, OTTAWA, ON TMAC's efforts are devoted to the (5) WEK'ÈEZHÌI RENEWABLE RESOURCES exploration, evaluation and development of BOARD, YELLOWKNIFE, NT Hope Bay Greenstone belt that hosts three (6) TŁĮCHǪ GOVERNMENT, BEHCHOKǪ̀ , NT [email protected] known gold deposits: “Doris”; “Madrid”; and “Boston”. TMAC completed a Current drought conditions in northwestern Preliminary Feasibility Study (effective date Canada are conducive to more frequent and of March 31, 2015), that demonstrated the severe wildfires that may mobilize mercury technical feasibility and commercial and other metals accumulated in soil and viability of Doris, Madrid and Boston. biomass. There is evidence that wildfires TMAC poured its first gold bar on February can remobilize and transport mercury within 9, 2017 and achieved commercial and outside catchments by atmospheric production, effective June 1, 2017, at its volatilization, particulate emissions and Doris Mine and Mill Complex. catchment soil erosion. However, the effect of fires on mercury fluxes to nearby lake The 2017 exploration and geoscience sediments remains unclear. In this study, we programs were designed to support several use a combination of eight dated lake aspects of exploration at Hope Bay ranging sediment cores and two nearby from immediate production support, through ombrotrophic peatland cores to investigate advanced exploration, to the generation of the effects of wildfires on mercury fluxes to regional targets in preparation for drilling. A lake sediments. Lakes varying in catchment key strategy of the exploration program is to size and distance from recent fire events develop and maintain a project pipeline were sampled. Mercury concentrations in consisting of highly prospective targets at the environmental archives were measured, various stages of evaluation. and macroscopic charcoal particles (>100 μm) were counted at high resolution in the sediments to observe the co-variation of the local fire history and mercury fluxes. Mercury flux recorded in ombrotrophic peat cores provided an estimate of the historical atmospheric mercury flux from local and
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 61
regional atmospheric deposition. The kinematic history of the Selwyn Basin is not mercury flux recorded in lake sediments well defined over much of its length, and its corresponds to the sum of direct atmospheric kinematic relationship to the adjacent deposition and catchment transport. In Mackenzie foreland fold and thrust belt to combination, these archives will allow for the northeast is also poorly constrained. This the partitioning of mercury loading study aims to address some of these attributable to catchment transport from deficiencies via a detailed structural analysis direct atmospheric deposition. After of penetrative deformation of the southern correcting the fluxes for particle focusing Selwyn Basin. and terragenic elements input, flux from different lakes are compared based on their Structural data was collected along two catchment size and their temporal and staggered SW-NE sections in the Nahanni spatial proximity known fire events. region of NWT and Yukon. The northern Altogether, our preliminary results using section, from Summit Lake to Howard's these paleolimnological methods provide Pass, traverses the Selwyn Basin, the new insights on mercury transport processes overlying Earn Group, and the March Fault, that are predicted to become more important a regional WNW-striking fault previously under a changing climate. interpreted as a thrust. The southern section, from Little Owls Lake to the Fork Creek PRELIMINARY STRUCTURAL range, traverses the Hyland Group. North of CONSTRAINTS ON THE Little Owls Lake, a regionally consistent, GEOMETRY OF SELWYN moderately to steeply dipping, penetrative foliation is observed in most outcrops, and it BASIN FROM LITTLE OWLS is axial planar to folding at all scales. At LAKE TO HOWARD'S PASS, Little Owls Lake, three fabrics are NAHANNI MAP SHEET (NTS consistently observed: a moderately steep 105I), NORTHWEST dipping crenulation foliation (S1) axial TERRITORIES planar to NW-plunging and NW-dipping inclined folds; an overprinting subvertical PENNER*, B.1, HICKEY, K.A.1, crenulation cleavage (S2) axial planar to KENNEDY, L.1, MARTEL, E.2, and upright folds (F2); and a late northeast- FALCK, H.E.2 striking, steep crenulation cleavage (S3) with no associated mesoscopic or (1) UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, macroscopic folding (S3). Based on similar VANCOUVER, BC (2) NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL attitudes and fold geometries, the S2 fabric SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT observed at Little Owls is correlated with [email protected] the regional foliation observed north of Mesozoic crustal shortening related to Little Owls along both sections. Chlorite- continental collision during the Cordilleran zone metamorphism extends across both Orogeny is well documented throughout sections, and both grade into biotite-zone Yukon and Northwest Territories. In the metamorphism along the Fork Creek range. Nahanni region of southwest NWT, rocks of At the southern end of the Fork Creek range the Selwyn fold belt have undergone cordierite, andalusite, and rare staurolite penetrative ductile deformation and preserve porphyroblasts are developed in coarse- several generations of folding and foliation grained biotite-quartz schists. This zone of development. The internal geometry and higher metamorphic grade is spatially
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 62 associated with the Nahanni pegmatite suite, (CMIP5). The long-term climate simulations and is likely a function of heat conducted include historical ones for 1850 to 2005. from a source intrusion at depth. Poorly Other long-term simulations are available constrained discontinuities in the F2 fold for 2006 to 2100 for the range of RCP train are interpreted as late, high-angle scenarios. Although the data are available to normal faults with minor offset. No the public, the datasets are huge and are structural or stratigraphic evidence for found in the Net CDF/CF format - a binary significant thrusting was observed during and header-based data form and the variable mapping across the March Fault. data are stored in multidimensional arrays.
The development of penetrative foliations, A new user of the CMIP5 data for future fold continuity, and lack of evidence for climate projections would typically want to thrust shortening along the section together know what is the reliability and relative indicate that, in contrast to the Mackenzie uncertainty in using such projections. For FAT belt, there is no geometric requirement most engineers, this would entail a for significant displacement along thrust comparison of the simulations with faults within the Little Owls to Howard's measurements. This presentation takes a Pass sections. Fewer deformation events are selection from the CMIP5 simulations of recorded along the Fork Creek range and mean monthly temperature for the period along the Summit Lake section than in the 2006 to 2016 for three sites (Yellowknife, Little Owls Lake area. This may indicate Inuvik and Iqaluit) and compares them to that deformation propagated from south to the Environment Canada meteorological north (present coordinates) along the station mean monthly temperatures. The section, and/or from deeper to shallower objective is to investigate what a new user stratigraphic levels in the crust. would learn about the reliability of CMIP5 temperature projections from such an CMIP5 CLIMATE SCENARIOS approach. A secondary objective is to show COMPARED TO how some open-source tools can be used to METEOROLOGICAL DATA process and visualize the data. Surface temperature data are needed in ground FROM 2006 TO 2016 FOR thermal analyses for geotechnical design of YELLOWKNIFE, INUVIK AND earth structures founded on permafrost. IQALUIT
PROSKIN, S.A. THURBER ENGINEERING LTD., CALGARY, AB [email protected] The Intergovernmental Panel on climate change has completed comprehensive temperature and precipitation projections using various Global Climate Models (GCM) and Representative Concentration Pathways (RP) scenarios of carbon dioxide emissions for the future. These data are available to the public under The Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 63 THE COPPERMINE RIVER study of hydrothermal fluids to gain deeper TRANSECT: A SLICE insight on the physical and chemical THROUGH 700 MILLION YEARS controls on uranium mineralization; 2) New and compiled stratigraphic and geochemical OF EARTH'S HISTORY results allow detailed stratigraphic
1 1 subdivision of the Coppermine River Group. RAINBIRD*, R.H. , SKULSKI, T. , Lowermost Coppermine River Group flood DAVIS, W.1, HALVERSON, G.P.2, 3 4 basalts are approximately contemporaneous MERCADIER, J. , IELPI, A. , with the underlying Muskox layered MEEK, R.4, TURNER, E.C.4, and 5 intrusion and are part of the Mackenzie LORON, C. magmatic event. Middle to upper (1) GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, Coppermine River basalts were fed by the OTTAWA, ON Mackenzie dyke swarm. High magnesium (2) MCGILL UNIVERSITY, MONTREAL, QC basalts and picrites in the lower succession (3) UNIVERSITÉ DE LORR, VANDOEUVRE- LES-NANCY, FRANCE are being evaluated for their nickel and (4) LAURENTIAN UNIVERSITY, SUDBURY, ON platinum group element resource potential; (5) UNIVERSITÉ DE LIÈGE, LIÈGE, BELGIUM 3) detailed stratigraphic and [email protected] sedimentological studies of immature, The 2017 Coppermine River transect mainly fluvial, sandstones in the upper examined a thick succession of Precambrian Coppermine River Group (Husky Creek strata that include Paleoproterozoic (ca. 1.7 Formation) are providing valuable insight on Ga) clastic and carbonate sedimentary rocks the dynamics of Precambrian river systems. of the upper Hornby Bay and Regional distribution and thickness nonconformably overlying Mesoproterozoic estimates show that sedimentation was (ca. 1.5 Ga) Dismal Lakes groups, volcanic focused in a region straddling the and younger clastic sedimentary rocks of the Coppermine River valley and interbedded 1.27 Ga Coppermine River Group, and basaltic lava flows indicate that deposition disconformably overlying clastic was contemporaneous with the latter stages sedimentary rocks of the Mesoproterozoic of Mackenzie magmatism; 4) Detailed (ca. 1.1 Ga) lower Rae Group. These rocks stratigraphic and sedimentological studies of were examined and sampled along a the lower Rae Group, which is uniquely superbly exposed, roughly south to north exposed in the Coppermine River valley, transect through the shallowly dipping (< 15 reveal a storm-dominated shallow marine or degrees) Coppermine Homocline, beginning possibly lacustrine paleo-environment. Such at Dismal Lakes and following the studies also provide a context for Coppermine River to the Hamlet of Kupfersheifer-style copper sulphide Kugluktuk. Our current understanding of mineralization that has been explored at the this area from newly acquired and ongoing interface between reducing black shales in research is as follows: 1) Uranium the Rae Group and oxidizing red sandstones mineralization in sandstones of the Hornby in the underlying Husky Creek Group. Bay Group is contemporaneous with the widespread 1.27 Ga Mackenzie magmatic event and similar diagenetic fluids to those identified in the Athabasca Basin contributed to deposition of the uranium. We have initiated a detailed, property-scale,
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 64 ENVIRONMENTAL DNA – REAL time results in the field. This means no TIME RESULTS IN THE FIELD searching for an appropriate laboratory, no TO CONFIRM THE PRESENCE prolonged wait (weeks or months) for results, and minimal training required by OF TARGET SPECIES field staff. In addition, since field employees can obtain samples from shore without REECE, P.1, MURDOCH, M.2, 3 4 entering a watercourse or waterbody, safety BONHOMME*, E. , THOMAS, M. , risks are significantly reduced. HANNER, R.4, and CROOKES, S.4 (1) STANTEC CONSULTING LTD., SIDNEY, BC We will review the proof-of-concept testing (2) STANTEC CONSULTING LTD., that has been conducted to demonstrate the FREDERICTON, NB benefits of this eDNA field tool to confirm (3) STANTEC CONSULTING LTD., YELLOWKNIFE, NT the presence of aquatic species, along with (4) BIODIVERSITY INSTITUTE OF ONTARIO, the quality control measures that have been GUELPH, ON built into the tool to provide reliable results. [email protected] We will also review examples of how eDNA Project proponents require rapid and reliable sampling has been incorporated into assessment of biota in aquatic habitats to monitoring projects to augment conventional support regulatory requirements and survey approaches and to address management decisions such as challenging questions for the energy and environmental assessments and mitigation transportation industries. planning. Sampling the environment for environmental DNA (eDNA) has recently PALEOENVIRONMENTAL emerged as a reliable and cost effective RESEARCH ON EARLY method for biomonitoring. eDNA is DNA CENOZOIC SEDIMENT FILLS shed by organisms into their surrounding environment. The environment is sampled IN LAC DE GRAS KIMBERLITE and then tested for the presence of DNA PIPES: PROGRESS AND from the target species of interest. This new PROSPECTS approach does not require the capture, or even visual confirmation of the target REYES*, A.V.1, WOLFE, A.P.1, species. As compared with conventional TIERNEY, J.E.2, SIVER, P.A.3, field surveys, sampling for eDNA is rapid, ROYER, D.L.4, GREENWOOD, D.R.5, less labor-intensive, and provides an BURYAK, S.1, and DAVIES, J.H.F.L.6 objective way to confirm species presence or (1) UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA, EDMONTON, absence. It also provides distinct advantages AB with respect to worker safety. While the (2) UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA, TUCSON, AZ promise of benefits is high, a substantial (3) CONNECTICUT COLLEGE, NEW LONDON, CT constraint remains in that the analysis of (4) WESLEYAN UNIVERSITY, MIDDLEBURY, eDNA is predominantly performed by CT academic research laboratories that lack a (5) BRANDON UNIVERSITY, BRANDON, MB commercial model for delivery of timely and (6) UNIVERSITY OF GENEVA, GENEVA, reliable results, with predictable costs. SWITZERLAND [email protected] A field-based eDNA sampling and testing Several Lac de Gras kimberlite pipes host tool has recently emerged and provides real- thick accumulations of stratified post-
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 65 eruptive lacustrine sediment and peat. Given pipes that are unremarkable for the purpose the range of Lac de Gras kimberlite of diamond exploration. emplacement ages, these fills - though rare - provide a unique sedimentary archive of CENTRAL MACKENZIE paleoenvironments during the sustained VALLEY BASIN ANALYSIS Early Cenozoic “greenhouse” interval, in a PROJECT high-latitude region otherwise devoid of Phanerozoic sediment cover. Extensive ROCHELEAU, J. exploration drilling has provided a valuable window into this unique sedimentary record, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL which would have otherwise remained SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT [email protected] covered by Quaternary glacial deposits. Our focus to date has been multidisciplinary Middle to Upper Devonian strata in the study of the Giraffe pipe sediment fill: an Central Mackenzie Valley of the Northwest ~80 m-thick sequence of post-eruptive Territories have been extensively studied by lacustrine silt overlain by peat, which paints the Northwest Territories Geological Survey a remarkable picture of a humid-temperate (NTGS) and the Geological Survey of Middle Eocene forest ecosystem on the Canada. Large sample and analytical Canadian Shield. Post-eruptive chronology datasets are now available, particularly for is provided by interbedded distal tephra the Horn River Group. Large-scale basin horizons, likely sourced from Alaska, that modeling that combines data from multiple have been dated by glass fission-track and geological disciplines to analyze the zircon U-Pb techniques. Paleoclimate formation and evolution of sedimentary proxies derived from pollen, wood cellulose basins in order to aid in the evaluation of oxygen isotopes, and biomarkers converge hydrocarbon resources has, however, to date on reconstructed mean annual temperatures not been completed for the region. The >17 °C warmer than present, with mean NTGS will use available lithogeochemistry, winter temperatures above freezing, and petroleum geochemistry, thermal maturity, mean annual precipitation ~4x present. Two biostratigraphy, mineralogy, stable isotope independent reconstructions of CO2 from geochemistry, structural geology, and well preserved conifer foliage suggest that tectonostratigraphy as inputs for a new basin this warming occurred under relatively modelling project covering the Mackenzie modest atmospheric CO2 concentrations of Plain and portions of the adjacent Peel 430-630 ppm. These findings provide direct Plateau, Peel Plain and Franklin Mountains field-based evidence for dramatic past arctic regions. warming at CO2 concentrations that were well within the range of projections under Currently the NTGS petroleum group is in “business-as-usual” emissions scenarios, the preliminary phase of the two-year basin underscoring the capacity for exceptional modelling project. The first phase consists polar amplification of climate change under of the identification of gaps: datasets that are modest CO2 concentrations once both fast either lacking entirely or available only in and slow feedbacks processes become non-digital form. Of particular interest is the expressed. Our studies at Giraffe pipe also incomplete structural dataset for the study highlight the scientific value of archived area. Structural features such as troughs and exploration drill core in the Lac de Gras arches are rarely available in a usable digital kimberlite field, particularly with respect to format, and must be digitized and annotated
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 66 for incorporation into a basin model. This Tracing surficial dispersal patterns of process entails converting features on a indicator minerals within glacial sediments hardcopy map or scanned image into vector in the main up-ice direction has greatly features in a geographic information system contributed to numerous mineral discoveries (GIS). The features are traced and of economic value in the Northwest represented as points, lines or polygons as Territories. However, many cases have also appropriate. A review of relevant scientific reported perplexing scenarios of dispersal literature will be undertaken to identify trains seemingly lacking a source, or known features that need to be digitized and to sources without a spatially associated determine when these structural features dispersal train at the surface. These ‘special’ were active. cases often hinder exploration efforts, and tend to remain poorly understood; yet these The next phase of the project will involve cases are becoming increasingly important the creation of a basin model using specialty to decipher as exploration moves into more software with the existing datasets as inputs complex terrains. to the model. The objective is to test iterations of the model until the end result is We present an overview of our research a reasonable match to current known done in the Lac de Gras area over the past conditions in the basin. This will lead to an few years in collaboration with the accurate model for burial history, thermal Northwest Territories Geological Survey maturity, maturity history, and hydrocarbon and their partners investigating the effect of migration. There is the possibility that the multiple ice flows, variable bedrock model may potential new hydrocarbon topography and drift thickness, and the plays. Ultimately, the results of this project complexities of glacial sedimentary will be incorporated into the NWT environments on 2D and 3D mechanical Petroleum Atlas. (detrital) dispersion. Our research draws from surface and subsurface datasets from TRACING THE BREADCRUMBS various sources at both the regional and BACK TO THEIR SOURCE: local scales. We show that despite the EXPLORING GEOLOGICAL occurrence of relatively long, continuous, surficial patterns extending in the direction FACTORS CONTROLLING of the latest-strongest ice flow event in the PRODUCTION OF ATYPICAL region, a subtle record of the time- GLACIAL DISPERSAL transgressive glacial history is also PATTERNS OF INDICATOR frequently preserved. These records yield MINERALS information about the net effect on sediment dispersion of multiple ice flow phases, ROSS*, M.1, KELLEY, S.E.1, bedrock geology, basal topography, and JANZEN, R.J.D.1, STIRLING, R.A.1, glacial depositional processes. Our findings NORMANDEAU, P.X.2, and suggest these geological factors played a key ELLIOTT, B.2 role in producing some of the most irregular and enigmatic dispersal patterns in the (1) UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO, WATERLOO, region. They also offer insights into how to ON (2) NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL best characterize and explain the signal (or SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT lack thereof) from elusive buried sources of [email protected] potential economic interest.
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 67 BROAD-SCALE GEOPHYSICAL disturbed and undisturbed grid cells used to CONTROLS ASSOCIATED build the model and 30% reserved for an WITH THERMOKARST independent model validation. Using random forest modelling, the spatial patterns LANDSCAPE SENSITIVITY of RTSs were investigated in relation to
1 2 specific geophysical variables (i.e., distance RUDY*, A.C.A. , LANTZ, T.C. , to glacial limit/Laurentide Ice Sheet, slope, KOKELJ, S.V.3, and 4 permafrost characteristics, surficial geology, LAMOUREUX, S.F. etc.). The random forest model calibrated (1) WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY, and validated well with correct classification WATERLOO, ON of 90% for the model and 83% for (2) UNIVERSITY OF VICTORIA, VICTORIA, BC independent validation. Model results (3) NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT highlight the impact of glacial legacy and (4) QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY, KINGSTON, ON ground ice preservation on the large-scale [email protected] pattern of RTS susceptibility. Other Permafrost landscapes are undergoing rapid important variables relevant for RTS changes as increasing temperatures and initiation were, slope (standard deviation), changing precipitation regimes are surficial geology, ground temperature and intensifying thermokarst processes lake density. Modeled probabilities were associated with active layer thaw and then classified into susceptibility classes melting ground ice. Retrogressive thaw producing a broad scale map of RTS slumping (RTS) is an intensive form of susceptibility. slope thermokarst that can transport large volumes of sediment and solutes downslope, This research is an important next step alter drainage networks and affect providing a better understanding of broad- downstream riparian ecosystems. The abrupt scale geomorphic and climatic processes increase in the extent and rate of RTSs in the associated with thermokarst development. past decade reflects changes in landscape This framework is necessary to anticipate stability and poses substantial risk to the consequences of climate change on northern infrastructure and ecological terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. systems, both terrestrial and aquatic. Consequently, it will make a vital Through the utilization of statistical contribution to allow northern communities modelling, the aim of this research is to and policymakers to make more informed examine the broad-scale geophysical decisions on infrastructure development, controls on landscape sensitivity to RTSs water resources and heritage assets. and to develop a regional RTS susceptibility map. NUNAVUT EXPLORATION OVERVIEW 2017 Broad-scale (15 x 15 km grid cell) mapping of terrain affected by RTSs has been RUSSER, M. 2 completed for a large area (1,274,625 km ) INDIGENOUS AND NORTHERN AFFAIRS of the Northwest Territories and adjacent CANADA, IQALUIT, NU Yukon and Nunavut using moderate [email protected] resolution (SPOT5) imagery. The resulting Mineral exploration and development in gridded RTS inventory was used to calibrate Nunavut during 2017 focused primarily on and validate the model with 70% of
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 68 gold, with lower level of activities reported the Mary River iron mine, budgeted $4.2 in base metals and diamond exploration. million towards exploration which included Spending intentions indicated an infill drilling and ore characterization, approximately 20 per cent drop in overall ground geophysics, sampling, and additional exploration expenditures, down to $163 staking. Baffinland has applied for million, which puts Nunavut in fifth place permission to upgrade the tote road to a rail relative to the other Canadian provinces and line and construct a second ore dock and territories. ship loader to accommodate capesize vessels, allowing an increase in ore TMAC Resources Inc. and Agnico Eagle transportation capacity to 12 million tonnes. Mines Ltd. were the most active companies Aston Bay's Storm (copper) and Seal (zinc) in the territory, and are both focused on projects were the only targets for base metal gold. TMAC's new gold mine at Doris North exploration in 2017. The program on these entered commercial production this year, two prospects located on Somerset Island while exploration continued underground consisted of airborne gravity gradiometry below the diabase dyke and to the south at survey and a short field program examining the Boston and Madrid deposits. Agnico important surface zones and a historical core Eagle expects to invest $1.2 billion US over review. three years to advance Meliadine and Amaruq to production, scheduled for 2019. Exploring for diamonds in 2017, Dunnedin Agnico Eagle also conducted an extensive Ventures conducted an extensive till exploration program of geophysical sampling survey at the Kahuna project in surveying, till sampling and rotary air blast preparation for a drilling program. North drilling between the two deposits. Arrow embarked on a drilling campaign and collected a mini-bulk sample from its Auryn Resources embarked on a major Naujaat Diamond Project. Peregrine exploration program at its 100 per cent- Diamonds concentrated its efforts on owned Committee Bay project, including advancing the exploration of the CH-6 over 30,000 meters of rotary air blast kimberlite at its Chidliak Diamond Project drilling. The company also completed a till by completing over 5,000 metres of drilling. sampling program and acquired high- resolution drone imagery at its Gibson- The mineral potential of the territory MacQuoid gold project. Following the continues to generate interest, with a number revised recommendation of the Nunavut of projects continuing into advanced stages Impact Review Board, Sabina Gold and and permitting. Nunavut now boasts an Silver continued exploration drilling at the operating mine in each of the three regions, Goose property. The company intersected a with two anticipated in the near term. new high grade mineral zone at Llama, with results from other drilling pending. Other gold projects active in 2017 included Pistol Bay (Northquest Ltd.), Kiyuk (Cache), Kuulu (NxGold), Baffin Gold (Kivalliq Energy), South Kitikmeot, Hard Cash and Yandle Properties (Silver Range).
Baffinland Iron Mine Corporation, operating
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 69
WHY YOUR KIM-BEARING more applicable to diamond exploration. As TILL SAMPLES MAY NOT BE a result, multiple high-resolution surficial LEADING YOU TO mapping and associated sediment sample data evaluations have been initiated in and KIMBERLITE around the Lac de Gras region. These studies have reinforced that there is SACCO*, D.A.1, MCKILLOP, R.J.1, and 2 significant spatial variation in the suitability WARD, B.C. for till sampling, and found that subglacial (1) PALMER ENVIRONMENTAL CONSULTING meltwater corridors and glacial lakes were GROUP INC., VANCOUVER, BC common. Furthermore, many of the (2) SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY, BURNABY, previously collected till samples were BC [email protected] affected by these processes, which can have a significant influence on KIM Kimberlite indicator mineral (KIM) concentrations and the shape of their concentrations in till are commonly used in dispersal patterns. Meltwater can truncate glaciated areas such as Northwest Territories dispersals and concentrate heavy minerals. to identify glacial dispersal from a Glacial lakes can either dilute or concentrate kimberlitic source. However, sampling of heavy minerals depending on whether the till that has been modified by post- environment was proximal or distal. Specific depositional processes, or material that is landform assemblages and characteristics not till, can obscure the original glacial have been documented that can be used to dispersion and mislead exploration efforts. identify these dispersal-modifying The recognition of subtle changes in processes, and used to produce a surficial material type or the occurrence of till context that is more suitable to exploration. modification is obstructed by periglacial This improved surficial context facilitates processes that homogenize the landscape. the collection of in situ till samples and the Due to restrictions of scale, it is nearly interpretation of existing surface sediment impossible to identify and represent these data resulting in lower-risk exploration subtle landscape variations in regional-scale targets. surficial mapping. The uniform till cover depicted in the regional mapping does not reflect reality, and therefore does not provide the necessary surficial context to inform till sampling programs and evaluation efforts.
The Northwest Territories Geological Survey and several private exploration companies have recognized the importance of identifying differences in material type and processes that can remobilize and alter the composition of till. Recent improvements in the availability of high- resolution imagery and digital elevation data have provided the means to perform more detailed surficial studies at a scale that is
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 70
NEW GEOSCIENCE warming and the resulting increased CONSTRAINTS FOR BOOTHIA shipping, will increasingly be exposed to PENINSULA, NUNAVUT: issues related to resource assessment and economic development. UPDATE ON THE GEM-2 INTEGRATED GEOSCIENCE OF High-resolution aeromagnetic data acquired THE NORTHWEST PASSAGE in 2013-16, provided a foundation on which PROJECT to conduct bedrock mapping during 6-weeks in 2017. Metasedimentary rocks and their SANBORN-BARRIE*, M.1, REGIS, D.1, migmatized equivalents, coincident with FORD, A.1, OSINCHUK, A.2, quiet magnetic zones of little amplitude, are DRAYSON, D.3, BALLINGER, J.B.4, and widespread and range from semipelite UGALDE, H.4 through inhomogeneous diatexite to homogeneous diatexite/peraluminous garnet (1) GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, OTTAWA, ON ± sillimanite ± cordierite leucogranite. (2) UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA, EDMONTON, Localized tonalitic gneiss may reflect an AB older basement substrate. Metasedimentary (3) UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA, WINNIPEG, rocks are cut by a mafic plutonic suite MB dominated by diorite-quartz diorite ± (4) BROCK UNIVERSITY, ST. CATHARINES, ON [email protected] gabbroic anorthosite. The mafic suite typically contains hornblende- Much of Boothia Peninsula, north-central clinopyroxene-orthopyroxene-magnetite ± Nunavut was mapped in 1962 (Blackadar, biotite and is expressed as linear high 1967, GSC Bulletin 151) when its amplitude magnetic anomalies. Several Precambrian exposures were broadly generations of felsic granitoid rocks include subdivided into mafic and felsic gneisses voluminous K-feldspar porphyritic biotite- and granitic rocks. This largely textural garnet quartz monzonite-granodiorite, whose classification at 1:506,880 scale provided origin and involvement in regional shearing minimal insight into protolith and crustal will be a focus of graduate research. affinity which, in turn, has long hampered Widespread garnet-bearing leucogranite sills understanding of the tectonic evolution of typically display lower strain than their this region and its integration into regional hosts, suggesting relatively late-stage tectonic models. With a mandate to provide emplacement due to elevated geotherms. modern, relevant geoscience for Canada and Weakly foliated to massive orthopyroxene its stakeholders, NRCan’s Geomapping for alkali-feldspar granite and hornblende Energy and Minerals (GEM) program is syenogranite underlying southeastern acquiring new geophysical and geological Boothia Peninsula correspond to magnetic data for Boothia Peninsula and Somerset anomalies of moderate amplitude. These Island. This will significantly upgrade the may, in part, correlate with a pluton dated at geoscience framework of this area, provide ca. 1846 Ma (J. Ryan, unpublished U-Pb precise age determinations and data, 2009) to the adjacent south. lithogeochemical characterization of its The deformational history of Boothia main units, expand the impact of mainland Peninsula is polyphase with widespread, GEM findings, and ensure relevant data and strongly developed, shallow to flat-lying knowledge is made available to an isolated fabrics revealed to be a S1+S2 transposition region of Nunavut that, due to global fabric, axial planar to inclined to recumbent
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 71 F2 folds. F2 folds and fabrics are refolded by the aerial deposition of arsenic trioxide upright F3 folds, and are sinistrally deflected (As2O3) originating from Giant Mine and by a regional southwest-striking, moderately other historical ore-roasting operations in northwest-dipping shear zone that extends at the Yellowknife area. Arsenic trioxide has least 160 km, transecting the southern part persisted in lake sediments for more than 60 of the peninsula. Many of these deformation years, though its partial dissolution has features are evident in the magnetic data as resulted in the formation of As-bearing Fe- discontinuities of the main trends, offsets in oxyhydroxide and As-bearing sulphides, otherwise continuous anomalies, and phases which are known to be less curvilinear trends following the folds. The bioaccessible than As2O3. However, the role timing of sedimentary deposition, magmatic of lake morphometry in controlling the activity, and structural development will be distribution, solid-phase speciation, and determined so that their significance with mobility of As in Long Lake sediments is respect to the Archean Rae, ca. 2.5-2.35 Ga not fully understood. Arrowsmith and ca. 2.0-1.9 Ga Thelon orogens can be assessed. Forty-seven sediment cores were collected in July 2016 to assess the spatial and depth THE INFLUENCE OF distribution of As, total organic carbon SEDIMENT FOCUSING ON THE (TOC), and other relevant geochemical SPATIAL AND DEPTH variables in Long Lake sediments. Sample locations were chosen to maximize spatial DISTRIBUTION OF ARSENIC IN coverage of the basin. The top 20 cm of each LONG LAKE SEDIMENTS core were sub-sectioned in 5 cm intervals. Linear regression modelling was used to 1 1 SCHUH*, C.E. , JAMIESON, H.E. , explore the relationship between As, other 2 3 PALMER, M.J. , and MARTIN, A.J. redox-sensitive elements, TOC, and water (1) QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY, KINGSTON, ON depth in all sediment depth intervals. (2) CARLETON UNIVERSITY, OTTAWA, ON Dialysis arrays (peepers) were also deployed (3) LORAX ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES, at two shallow-water sites to collect high- VANCOUVER, BC resolution profiles of dissolved species in [email protected] bottom water and porewater, and to The distribution of sediments in a lake is determine the rate of As diffusion across the largely controlled by sediment-focusing sediment-water interface. processes that redistribute fine-grained sediments from shallow-water areas of Arsenic concentrations in Long Lake erosion to zones of accumulation in deeper sediments range from 2.2 to 3420 mg/kg. parts of the lake basin. The spatial extent of Two distinct types of sediment As these zones is dependent on several lake concentration profiles were identified: Type morphometric variables including water 1 profiles, in which the highest As depth, fetch, and basin slope. In Long Lake, concentrations occur at depth in the which is used for recreational purposes by sediment column; and Type 2 profiles, in Yellowknife residents, recent work has which As concentrations are highest at the shown that sediment arsenic (As) sediment surface. These profile types are concentrations are elevated relative to interpreted to represent areas of sediment Canadian and regional guidelines. The accumulation and erosion, respectively, and degree of As enrichment can be attributed to are influenced by both water depth and
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 72 proximity to basin slopes. Sediment As Formation in central Alberta, near the town concentrations and TOC were strongly of Fox Creek. It demonstrates that correlated with water depth in surficial earthquakes in this region cluster into sediments; however, these correlations distinct sequences in time, space, and focal weaken with increasing sediment depth. At mechanism using (i) cross-correlation both peeper sites, the diffusion of dissolved detection methods to delineate transient As across the sediment-water interface temporal relationships; (ii) double- accounts for >90% of the measured difference relocations to confirm spatial dissolved As concentration in surface clustering; and (iii) moment tensor solutions waters. to assess fault motion consistency. The spatiotemporal clustering of the earthquake The results indicate that the spatial and sequences is strongly related to the nearby depth distribution of As in Long Lake hydraulic fracturing operations. In addition, sediments is controlled by both water depth a preference for strike-slip motions on and basin slope. Sediment focusing directly subvertical faults with an approximate 45º influences the distribution of As in P-axis orientation was identified, which is sediments by concentrating fine-grained consistent with expectation from the As2O3 particles in areas of sediment ambient stress-field. The hypocentral accumulation. This process indirectly affects geometries for two of the largest magnitude the solid-phase speciation and mobility of (M ~4) sequences that are robustly As through the concomitant accumulation of constrained by local array data provide organic carbon in depositional zones, which compelling evidence for planar features drives the redox state of porewaters to more starting at Duvernay Formation depths and reducing conditions, that may in turn extending into the shallow Precambrian enhance rates of As diffusion into the basement. These lineaments are interpreted overlying water column. as subvertical faults orientated approximately north-south, consistent with A SEISMOLOGICAL the regional moment tensor solutions. In OVERVIEW OF THE INDUCED conclusion, the sequences were triggered by EARTHQUAKES IN THE pore-pressure increases in response to hydraulic fracturing stimulations along DUVERNAY PLAY NEAR FOX previously existing faults. CREEK, ALBERTA
1 2 2 ARCHAEOLOGY FOR SCHULTZ*, R. , WANG, R. , GU, Y.J. , SEABRIDGE GOLD'S HAUG, K.1, and ATKINSON, G.3 COURAGEOUS LAKE (1) ALBERTA GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, EDMONTON, AB EXPLORATION PROGRAM: A (2) UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA, EDMONTON, BOLD SURVEY PLAN AB (3) WESTERN UNIVERSITY, LONDON, ON [email protected] SEIP, L.P. ERM CANADA CONSULTANTS, VANCOUVER, The presentation summarizes the current BC state of understanding regarding the induced [email protected] seismicity in connection with hydraulic Conducting archaeological studies early in fracturing operations targeting the Duvernay the mining life cycle can provide
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 73 opportunities to engage with local The 2017 drilling extended the strike length communities, assist with preliminary mine of the Daves Pond zone to 400 metres and site design, and preserve the heritage of the tested the vertical depth to 125 metres. This North. There are many challenges in zone consists of higher grade gold bearing conducting archaeological fieldwork in the quartz veins hosted within mafic volcanics north and one of the most common is that and intermediate to felsic tuffs of the modern geologists often target the same Banting Group. These zones are 2 to 6 metre resources that people have been targeting for wide shear zones with 3 to 5%, 1 to 10 cm, 1000s of years for making stone tools. boudinaged, quartz-chlorite-pyrite- Results of archaeological study will be arsenopyrite-stibnite veins. These veins are discussed, as well as some of the challenges sub-parallel to the main schistosity, cutting of archaeological research in the north and it at low-angle. Some of the more significant how they were addressed to meet the needs intersections are: of Seabridge Gold's Courageous Lake Project in the NWT. • 10.90 g/t Au over 2.08 m in hole TERRAX MINERALS INC. — TSO17-016 YELLOWKNIFE CITY GOLD • 13.96 g/t Au over 1.90 m in hole PROJECT — UPDATE ON TSO17-019 DRILLING The 2017 drilling extended the strike length SEXTON*, A., HEBERT, E., of the Sam Otto zone from 350 metres to MCALLISTER, B., STUDD, D., 750 metres and increased the vertical depth FINDLEY, A., OVERHOLT, C., to 325 metres. This zone consists of quartz MACKAY, D., STOKES, I., veins hosted in intermediate and felsic tuffs CHADWICK, T., HARKEMA, S., of the Banting Group. The overall width of GABRIEL, D., WALLACE, S., the mineralized zone is 123 to 143 metres HARRIS, J., and CAMPBELL, S. with grades of 0.48 g/t to 0.59 g/t gold. TERRAX MINERALS INC., YELLOWKNIFE, NT Within this wider package there are [email protected] footwall, main and hanging wall zones that During 2017 TerraX completed 14,690 range from 7 to 10 metres in width with metres of diamond drilling in 43 NQ drill grades of 1.10 g/t to 2.19 g/t gold. The gold holes. The majority of this drilling was mineralization is best developed in a wide completed on the Mispickel, Sam Otto and shear zone. This zone has well developed Daves Pond targets with 12,187 metres in sericite alteration, cross-cut by pyrite and thirty-four drill holes. The remainder of the arsenopyrite mineralized quartz veins. Fine- drilling was completed on the Samex target grained, <1-2% pyrite and <1-3% at Banting Lake, 3 drill holes totaling 919 arsenopyrite needles occur throughout the metres, and the extension of the Con Shear altered wallrock to the quartz veins. on the Southbelt property, 6 drill holes Moderate developed matrix chlorite, biotite totaling 1,585 metres. Gold mineralization and silica occur throughout the zones. Some was intersected in all targets. The most of the more significant intersections are: significant gold mineralization was intersected at the Dave's Pond and Sam Otto targets.
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 74 • 0.59 g/t Au over 123.50 m Analysis of thaw depths indicates that at including 2.19 g/t over 10.81 m sites located within ice-rich terrain, in hole TSO17-026 increases in thaw penetration (measured relative to original ground surface) over the • 0.48 g/t Au over 143.00 m last two decades can be as much as double including 2.07 g/t over 7.00 m in the increase in active layer thickness over hole TSO17-028 the same period. For example, data from two sites in the Central Mackenzie Valley THAW DEPTH MONITORING IN indicate that between 1993 and 2014 thaw THE MACKENZIE VALLEY, penetration increased by 21-29 cm, a NORTHWEST TERRITORIES process which was accompanied by 12-15 cm of settlement. The active layer thickness SMITH*, S.L. and DUCHESNE, C. over this period, however, only increased by GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, 10-12 cm. The loss of frozen ground over OTTAWA, ON time, may therefore be considerably more [email protected] than that indicated by the change in active In permafrost regions, increases in thaw layer thickness alone. depth in response to a warming climate have considerable implications for landscape Data analysis from the active layer stability, infrastructure integrity, drainage monitoring network help describe relations and ecosystems. In ice-rich terrain, increases between thaw penetration, settlement and in thaw depth can result in significant ground conditions. These results can ground settlement due to melting of excess advance our understanding of changes in ice. This leads to a reduction of the thawed regional permafrost conditions. They can layer so that over time, active layer also contribute to better representation of thickness (i.e. thickness of the seasonally active layer processes in models and thawed layer) may change very little even improved prediction of future permafrost though the lower boundary of the active conditions. layer continues to progress deeper into the ground.
Mechanical probing is often used to monitor active layer thickness but this method does not consider changes in surface elevation over time and therefore does not provide an accurate picture of the loss of frozen ground that may occur in response to a warming climate. Thaw tubes however, do allow tracking of both thaw penetration, relative to a fixed datum, and thaw settlement. Thaw tubes have been used, by the Geological Survey of Canada, throughout the Mackenzie Valley since the early 1990s as part of a permafrost monitoring program. Records up to 25 years long exist for over 40 sites.
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 75 CHARACTERISTICS, quartzite, iron formation, and garnet-bearing METAMORPHIC metabasite. The proportion of mafic to ASSEMBLAGES AND aluminous units is nearly equal. This supracrustal assemblage resembles the PRELIMINARY IN SITU Paliak supracrustal belt found along Wager MONAZITE AGES OF TWO Bay, and contains 2.70 Ga andesitic volcanic DISTINCT SUPRACRUSTAL rocks. Metamorphic assemblages in the ROCK PACKAGES IN THE Lorillard supracrustal package indicate TEHERY LAKE–WAGER BAY upper-amphibolite peak conditions with AREA, NORTHWESTERN retrogression (decompression) to lower- amphibolite conditions. Preliminary results HUDSON BAY, NUNAVUT from in situ SHRIMP monazite dating suggest the Lorillard rocks experienced STEENKAMP*, H.M.1, WODICKA, N.2, 3 conditions conducive for monazite growth at and GUILMETTE, C. ca. 2.70–2.67 Ga, 2.6 Ga, and 1870–1820 (1) CANADA-NUNAVUT GEOSCIENCE OFFICE, Ma. IQALUIT, NU (2) GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, The Pennington supracrustal package occurs OTTAWA, ON (3) UNIVERSITÉ LAVAL, QUÉBEC CITY, QC primarily in synformal structures north of [email protected] the Chesterfield shear zone. This assemblage is characterized by thick basal quartzite with The Tehery Lake–Wager Bay area (western sillimanite and muscovite, abundant biotite Hudson Bay, Nunavut) comprises mostly psammite, lesser garnet + biotite ± felsic to intermediate Archean orthogneiss, sillimanite semipelite–pelite, and discrete and Archean to Paleoproterozoic layers of biotite + hornblende metabasite. supracrustal rocks of the Rae craton. Recent The aluminous units are more abundant than geological mapping has led to the the mafic units. This supracrustal package identification and division of the resembles the Paleoproterozoic Ketyet River supracrustal rocks into two packages based Group documented to the west-southwest. In on their lithological and metamorphic contrast to the Lorillard supracrustal assemblages, relative abundances, and package, rocks of the Pennington structural character. The ultimate goal of supracrustal package preserve lower this research is to better define the orogenic amphibolite-facies assemblages with processes operating at mid-crustal levels in minimal retrogression, and monazite with in this portion of the Western Churchill situ SHRIMP ages of ca. 1870–1830 Ma. province during the early- through terminal- collisional phases (1.92–1.80 Ga) of the Trans-Hudson orogen. Studies are underway to link the timing of monazite growth with the growth and The Lorillard supracrustal package contains breakdown of other mineral phases, and to a diverse lithological assemblage intruded investigate the potential link between major by boudinaged ultramafic rocks, and is structures and the distribution of preserved as laterally discontinuous panels metamorphic assemblages in the different that are foliation-parallel within the supracrustal packages. This information will basement orthogneiss. Rock types include help unravel the tectonometamorphic biotite ± garnet psammite–semipelite, garnet histories of the two supracrustal sequences, + biotite ± sillimanite ± cordierite pelite, which will provide further geological
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 76 context for the Tehery Lake–Wager Bay “serious harm to fish that are part of a area within the Trans-Hudson orogen. commercial, recreational or Aboriginal fishery, or to fish that support such a A PERSPECTIVE ON FISH fishery” and how in practice is similar to the HABITAT PROTECTION IN THE previous prohibition of “the harmful NORTH UNDER RECENT AND alteration or disruption, or the destruction, of fish habitat” (HADD). However, there FORTHCOMING CHANGES TO remains some uncertainty around the THE FISHERIES ACT application of the Act to waterbodies where small-bodied species are concerned. Impacts 1 2 STEVENS*, C. and CLIPPERTON, K. to Ninespine Stickleback, a common species (1) GOLDER ASSOCIATES LTD., EDMONTON, throughout the North, can result in a range AB of regulatory approaches and outcomes from (2) GOLDER ASSOCIATES LTD., CALGARY, AB a Self-Assessment to an Authorization [email protected] application. The Government of Canada recently launched public consultation on DEPTH PROFILES OF implementing new changes to the Fisheries GEOCHEMISTRY AND Act, with changes expected within the year. Five years since the last major revision to ORGANIC CARBON FROM the Fisheries Act in 2012, there remains PERMAFROST AND ACTIVE limited available data on how those LAYER SOILS IN THE amendments influenced both the efficiency NORTHERN SLAVE of regulatory processes and the effectiveness GEOLOGICAL PROVINCE, of protections to safeguard fish and fish NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, habitat and aquatic species at risk. We provide a private sector perspective on the CANADA recent changes and expected amendments to SUBEDI, R.1, CASTAGNER, A.1, the Act for mining developments in the 2 1 North. We review the introduction of the KOKELJ, S.V. , and GRUBER*, S. staged process of project Self-Assessment (1) CARLETON UNIVERSITY, OTTAWA, ON and Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) (2) NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT Request for Review options for regulatory [email protected] oversight, which is a feature of the Fisheries Act that received criticism during recent The geochemistry of permafrost is relevant public consultation. The process is assumed for understanding the impacts of thaw or to be beneficial (in terms of timeliness and past environments. Permafrost geochemistry cost) for proponents of projects or activities and organic carbon were investigated in the where minor impacts can be effectively Lac de Gras region, Northwest Territories, mitigated, while simultaneously allowing for Canada. Here, the surface cover consists of DFO resources to be targeted towards mostly thin till derived from shield bedrock projects with the highest risk of causing and has undergone only moderate shifts in serious harm and requiring an Authorization ecosystems since deposition. The area thus and offsetting plan. We also discuss the represents a geomorphic and climatic setting often criticized terminology included under that differs from other more intensively Section 35 for the current prohibition of studied permafrost areas in northwestern
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 77 Canada. In 2015, permafrost and active- NOVEL KIMBERLITE layer samples from 24 sites were collected EXPLORATION TOOLS: in soil pits and in boreholes with depths up DELINEATING COUNTRY to 10 metres to examine the vertical and spatial distribution of water content, organic ROCK HYDRATION matter content and soluble cations. These ASSOCIATED WITH varied between the active layer, near-surface KIMBERLITES USING VIS- permafrost and the permafrost at depth. SWIR HYPERSPECTRAL POINT Near-surface solute enrichment of DATA COLLECTED FROM permafrost was evident at some sites in each DRILL CORE terrain type, but the majority of sites had lower cation contents in near-surface TAPPERT*, R.1,2 and TAPPERT, M.C.1 permafrost than in the active layer. Active- layer organic soil was often solute-rich (1) HYPERSPECTRAL INTELLIGENCE INC., compared to till or esker mineral soils at GIBSONS, BC (2) LAKEHEAD UNIVERSITY, THUNDER BAY, similar depth. This difference was attributed ON to organic soils sequestering more solutes in RALF@HYPERSPECTRAL- the active layer, relative to underlying INTELLIGENCE.COM mineral soil permafrost. In the Lac de Gras Many kimberlite ore bodies are relatively area, the absolute concentration of soluble small and the presence of overburden can cations in the active layer and near-surface make it challenging to intersect a kimberlite permafrost of mineral soils is about one target during exploration drilling. If order of magnitude lower than those kimberlite is not intersected during drilling, reported in previous studies from it can be difficult to decide whether an northwestern Canada. In July 2017, existing kimberlite body has been missed or additional fieldwork was conducted near the whether the geophysical target was not Kennady Diamonds Inc. (KDI) camp. Here, kimberlite. A preliminary spectroscopic 13 soil pits and 13 boreholes were sampled study conducted in 2017 provides evidence for geochemical analyses. These new that kimberlites with sizes exceeding 30 analyses will help expand this study and meters hydrate the adjacent country rock. evaluate the spatial variation of soil The detection of such ‘hydration halos’ in geochemistry in the northern Slave barren country rock drill cores can provide Geological Province. crucial evidence for the existence of nearby undiscovered kimberlites. To gain a better understanding about the size and morphology of hydration halos around different kimberlite ore bodies, hyperspectral point data were collected from drill cores comprised of crustal rocks recovered in close proximity to known kimberlites (e.g., Kelvin, Farraday, and Pikoo kimberlites). The information obtained as a result of this study will likely serve as a foundation for the development of a rapid, low-cost kimberlite exploration tool that can help evaluate kimberlite potential in
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 78 areas where kimberlite was not intersected measurements and samples for geochemical during drilling. and mineralogical analysis were taken at one metre intervals. Laboratory analyses LITHOSTRATIGRAPHY, conducted include: source-rock analysis to CHEMOSTRATIGRAPHY, determine the TOC content, maturity, and THERMAL MATURITY, AND quality of the shales as a hydrocarbon source rock; vitrinite reflectance analysis to SOURCE-ROCK POTENTIAL OF determine the thermal maturity of the rocks; THE HORN RIVER GROUP AT major, minor and trace element TWO OUTCROPS IN THE lithogeochemical analysis to determine the SOUTHERN PEEL PLATEAU chemical make-up of the rocks used as AREA, NORTHWEST proxies for various paleoenvironmental TERRITORIES indicators; X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis to determine the mineral make-up of the rocks; and thin-section analysis to determine TERLAKY*, V., FIESS, K.M., and grain size, sorting, composition, and fossil ROCHELEAU, J. identification. NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT The Bluefish Member and Canol Formation [email protected] are organically rich, with TOC ranges of The Givetian-Frasnian aged Horn River 2.84-8.20 and 1.51-8.12%, respectively – a Group comprises the Hare Indian, Ramparts, trend mirrored by high gamma-ray counts and Canol formations, and is present over and elevated uranium concentration. Source large areas of the Mackenzie Plain, Peel rock analysis derived Tmax data indicate that Plain and Peel Plateau regions of the both units are postmature with a mean value Northwest Territories. Recently, the organic- of 612 °C. Vitrinite reflectance values range rich shale Bluefish Member of the Hare widely from 0.65-2.15 %R0, indicating a Indian Formation and the Canol Formation rock maturity between the oil and have been the focus of research as self- condensate wet gas zone, although these sourcing unconventional reservoirs with results are questionable due to data quality excellent economic potential. In the summer issues resulting from weathering and small of 2016, two outcrops in the southern Peel particle size. The Bluefish Member has Plateau were selected for field examination moderate and variable silica content (22- and sampling to fill areal gaps in existing 66%), whereas the Canol Formation has datasets of the Horn River Group. This talk relatively more consistent and elevated highlights the analytical results obtained values (62-89%), suggesting higher rock from the sampling program at these two brittleness. The SiO2/Zr ratio trend suggests outcrops. that the Bluefish Member has predominantly terrestrial silica input, whereas the Canol The 70 m long section at Arctic Red River Formation has increased biogenic silica. The East and the 52 m long section at Flyaway relative input of terrigenous material is Creek expose the top of the Hume determined by the terrigenous input profile Formation, overlain by a near-complete (TIP) and Th/U ratio. The Bluefish Member section of the Horn River Group. In the shows an increasing trend of terrigenous field, the sections were photographed and input, whereas the Canol Formation suggest described in detail. Spectral gamma-ray sustained reduced terrigenous input. Proxies
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 79 for paleoredox conditions include the Ni/Co south Rae craton at ca. 1.94-1.90 Ga. This ratio and the enrichment factor of vanadium metamorphic footprint in the southeastern (EFV). Although values are susceptible to Rae craton considerably overlaps the weathering effects, results are likely useful metamorphic ages ascribed to the TMZ for overall trends. The Bluefish Member, (1.94-1.92 Ga) bounding the southwest Rae and the lower and upper 10 m of the Canol craton. The intervening south Rae craton is Formation were deposited under at least only 400 km between these orogens and the partially anoxic conditions (EVF>1 and few studies that have attempted to reconcile Ni/Co ratio >7), whereas most of the middle their competing effects within the Rae of the Canol Formation was deposited under provide pressure-temperature-time- oxic or dysoxic conditions (EVF<1 and deformation (P-T-t-d) data that point to Ni/Co ratio <7). 1.94-1.92 Ga events in the TMZ and 1.92- 1.90 Ga events in the STZ. To complicate EVOLUTION OF <2.0 GA matters, Archean rocks in the south Rae METASEDIMENTARY ROCKS craton may have experienced up to 5 INVOLVED IN 1.9 GA BURIAL tectonometamorphic events and high-grade examples have been shown to preferentially METAMORPHISM AND record the older >2.0 Ga events, thus they EXHUMATION ADJACENT TO underrepresent younger histories. THE SNOWBIRD TECTONIC ZONE, SOUTHEAST RAE Paleoproterozoic metasediments aged <2.0 CRATON MARGIN, Ga, however, have proven to be very SOUTHEAST NORTHWEST important in reconstructing the burial and relative metamorphic signatures of distinct TERRITORIES crustal domains at ca. 1.9 Ga, but these studies are primarily concentrated north of THIESSEN*, E.J.1, GIBSON, H.D.1, 2 2 Lake Athabasca in Saskatchewan and within REGIS, D. , and PEHRSSON, S.J. the TMZ. In Northwest Territories the (1) SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY, BURNABY, largest crustal domains adjacent to the STZ, BC the Snowbird domain, contains (2) GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, Paleoproterozoic and Archean OTTAWA, ON [email protected] metasediments that have been mapped over an extent of ca. 50 x 230 km and extend into The earliest tectonic entities that were active northern Saskatchewan. during amalgamation of the supercontinent Nuna occur bounding the western Churchill Herein we examine the timing and nature of province; the Taltson-Thelon Magmatic regional loading of <1.96 Ga metasediments zone (TMZ, 1.99-1.92 Ga) to the west and and related movement of exhumational the Trans Hudson Orogen (THO, 1.86-1.80 structures in the Snowbird domain to gain a Ga) to the east. Bisecting the western better understanding of polyphase regional Churchill province is the enigmatic metamorphic events. State-of-the-art Snowbird Tectonic Zone (STZ) that techniques (in situ U-Pb monazite demarks the boundary between the Rae geochronology, rutile and zircon (west) and Hearne (east) cratons and thermometry, quartz-in-garnet barometry exhibits a significant high grade and pseudosection analysis) are utilized to metamorphic footprint along its trace in the examine two <2.0 Ga metasedimentary
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 80
packages along the western margin of the in measurement technology and remote Snowbird domain; the results provide a sensing, estimating basin-wide SWE detailed P-T-t-d history between 1.94-1.84 remains a challenge and an active area of Ga. We conclude the Snowbird domain has research. In remote northern basins simply undergone regional metamorphism with increasing the number of sites to improve peak conditions of 850 °C and 8 Kbar at SWE estimates can be costly. In this study, 1.92 Ga along a clockwise P-T path with historical snow surveys (1978-2017) exhumation and cooling recorded as early as conducted by the NWT Power Corporation 1.91 Ga coeval with exhumation along across the ~14,000 km2 Snare River basin major crustal-scale structures. This single- near Yellowknife, NWT at a network of ten stage metamorphic path is consistent along survey sites (with approximately ten SWE the trace of the STZ within <2.0 Ga observations per site) were analyzed to metasedimentary rocks and its signature identify local and regional scales of dissipates towards the TMZ. Coeval variability in SWE, snow depth, and snow greenschist-facies metasedimentary rocks bulk density. Two late winter field seasons separate the TMZ and STZ, and lead us to (2016, 2017) of enhanced snow surveys suggest 1.94-1.90 Ga metamorphism along were conducted. These included extensive the STZ is not significantly influenced by depth measurements at existing sites, 16 TMZ events and is likely the product of a new sites, and surveys conducted on lakes. major regional tectonic event associated with the STZ boundary. This work is part of The coefficient of variation of SWE for sites a NTGS-GSC collaboration funded by the measured north of treeline was 0.74 Geo-mapping for Energy and Minerals compared with a much lower value of 0.28 program. south of treeline. The relation between snow depth and SWE was also much stronger TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL north of treeline (R2=0.91) compared to VARIABILITY OF SNOW south of treeline (R2=0.55). With WATER EQUIVALENT, SNOW consideration of these differences and the time required to perform a snow depth DEPTH, AND SNOW DENSITY measurement compared to a density AT LOCAL AND REGIONAL measurement, optimal sampling ratios were SCALES IN A 14,000 KM2 SUB- computed. For sites north of treeline, a depth ARCTIC BASIN to density ratio of 10:1 was found to be optimal, and for sites south of treeline, the TOKARSKI*, D., RICHARDSON, M., optimal ratio was 5:1. Uplands, both north and PALMER, M.J. and south of treeline, had a mean of 35% more SWE compared to adjacent lakes. CARLETON UNIVERSITY, OTTAWA, ON [email protected] Snow on lakes was consistently shallower and denser, and all snow cover properties End of year, basin-wide, snow water measured were less variable. The number of equivalent (SWE) is an important samples needed to achieve SWE estimates hydrologic variable for use in hydro-power within a specific confidence interval on management and spring water level lakes was less than a quarter of that required prediction. For large northern basins, SWE for adjacent uplands. is often estimated using a sparse network of snow survey sites. Despite many advances Between site-variability of snow properties
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 81 were also assessed on an inter-annual basis. content. The context of glacial, glaciofluvial, Sites north of treeline were poorly correlated fluvial and colluvial transport will be to each other whereas sites south of treeline discussed. The Canada-Nunavut Geoscience were strongly correlated. North of treeline Office (CNGO) has a mandate to promote sites consistently contributed approximately mineral exploration in the territory; this three times the error to basin wide SWE includes gathering baseline information estimates than sites south of treeline. about the geochemistry and mineralogy of Therefore, sampling strategies for this large surficial sediments. Mineral exploration, sub-Arctic basin should be refined for geotechnical, environmental and aggregate improved efficiency and accuracy by resource studies require accurate surficial accounting for differences in both within geology maps and glaciodynamic and between-site variations in snow depth interpretations. Publications with detailed and density. Specifically, basin-wide annual versions of those results can be found online SWE estimates can likely be improved by on cngo.ca, in the CNGO Summary of increasing the number of sites visited in the activities published since 2012, and on northern half of the basin. Increasing the geoscan.nrcan.gc.ca. depth to density measurement ratio at these sites will help to offset the time cost AIRBORNE MAG/EM DATA required to visit more sites in the north. INTEGRATION OF SLAVE However, long-term records indicate a PROVINCE KIMBERLITES, statistically significant trend towards increasing variability in the depth to SWE NORTHWEST TERRITORIES relation, implying that the sampling regime 1 1 may need to be adapted in the future in UGALDE*, H. , FURLAN, A. , VEGLIO, E.1, MILKEREIT, B.1, response to climate change impacts on snow 2 2 hydrology. MIRZA, A.M. , and ELLIOTT, B. (1) UNIVERSITY OF TORONTO, TORONTO, ON (2) NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL RECENT SURFICIAL GEOLOGY SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT PROJECTS AT THE CANADA- [email protected] NUNAVUT GEOSCIENCE As part of the Slave Province Geophysical, OFFICE Surficial Materials and Permafrost Study, the Northwest Territories Geological Survey TREMBLAY, T. (NTGS) commissioned high resolution CANADA-NUNAVUT GEOSCIENCE OFFICE, geophysical surveys in the Slave Geological IQALUIT, NU Province (SGP). The high resolution [email protected] aeromagnetic survey was flown from This presentation will provide an overview February to April 2017 and comprise 87,600 of the results obtained at the Canada- line-km of data flown at 100 m line spacing Nunavut Geoscience Office (CNGO) from and nominal aircraft terrain clearance was different surficial geology projects since 60 m with drape flying over the Central 2010 on Boothia Peninsula, Melville Slave craton block. The horizontal gradient Peninsula and southeastern Baffin Island magnetic and frequency domain EM (including Hall Peninsula). The focus will (FDEM) survey was flown from February to be on till, glaciofluvial sediments and river March 2017 acquired at 75 m line spacing sediments geochemistry and heavy mineral over 6 other blocks with nominal terrain
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clearance of 60 m to maintain bird height of serpentinization (Clark, 1997). On the other 25 m, covering 4,580 line-km (Munn Lake, hand, remanent magnetization can change Margaret Lake, Zyena Lake, Lac de Gras the polarity of the observed magnetic West, Big Blue and Mackay Lake). The anomalies or even completely remove the objective of this work is to develop multi- expected signature due to an equal but parameter models to help mineral opposite combination of remanent and exploration and mining companies better induced magnetic components. Therefore, a understand the range of geophysical thorough compilation of petrophysical and signatures associated with kimberlites in the mineralogical data over kimberlites and SGP. altered rocks in the vicinity of known occurrences is critical for the geological A regular geophysical-based approach for understanding of the existing geophysical kimberlite exploration usually involves data. inverting geophysical data with limited geological input. In this contribution we This contribution will show some present different ways of looking at the preliminary processing and compilation geophysical data and try to obtain a more work completed over the Slave province thorough geological understanding out of it. kimberlites using the newly acquired The workflow starts with a complete GIS geophysical data. compilation of all the ancillary data available in the area: previous industry INTEGRATING INUIT reports, geology, remote sensing, QAUJIMAJATUQANGIT (IQ) topographic layers. Secondly, we compute a AND CARIBOU COLLARING number of interpretation sub-products from the total magnetic intensity data (tilt DATA INTO SCREENING derivatives, analytic signal, and other edge LEVEL RISK ASSESSMENT AT detection routines). The next stage involves THE AGNICO EAGLE the computation of a susceptibility MEADOWBANK MINE, distribution from the FDEM data (Tschirhart NUNAVUT et al., 2015). With this we are able to generate a magnetic model of the near VANENGEN*, R.1 and BAXTER, L.2 surface susceptibility distributions, which are then subtracted from the observed data. (1) AGNICO EAGLE MINES LTD., BAKER LAKE, NU The resultant map shows anomalous sources (2) CONSULTANT, GUELPH, ON that could be associated to either remanent [email protected] magnetization and/or deeper sources. Currently, analysis of contaminant
concentrations in soil and vegetation is Following the work of Sterritt (2006), post- conducted every three years at the Agnico emplacement alteration is ubiquitous in Eagle Meadowbank Mine, located 70 km kimberlite pipes. Alteration results in north of Baker Lake, Nunavut, in order to production of secondary oxide minerals and verify initial impact predictions. Caribou alteration of primary oxide minerals to were, and continue to be, a particular focus phases with different magnetic of this Wildlife Screening Level Risk susceptibilities (e.g. non-magnetic iron Assessment (SRLA) program, since they are oxides). This can lead to a dramatic increase frequently identified as an important species of magnetic susceptibility due to to Inuit stakeholders. The SLRA analysis
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 83 includes a calculation of hazard quotients newly discovered extensive, high-grade gold (HQs) for minesite and reference areas, zones, and broad domains of lower grade using updated exposure data and toxicity mineralization. reference values (TRVs), as available. Details will be presented for Nighthawk's Agnico's partnership with the GN to support model for gold mineralization, as defined by caribou collaring provides a means to verify geochemical studies on Colomac drill core assumptions about the amount of time sampled during its 2012 and 2014 animals spend in the Meadowbank area, exploration program. The data confirms reducing some uncertainty in the exposure Colomac's analogue to that of the Golden assessment, and highlighting the potential Mile gold deposits, Kalgoorlie, Western for indirect value in this type of multi- Australia; all are hosted by a differentiated agency collaboration. Under both baseline mafic sill of similar age with a more sodic, (2006) and operational conditions (2011, siliceous, and brittle, upper portion that is 2014), HQ values have been <1 (negligible amenable to clean fracturing during regional risk) for all COPC/ROC combinations structural deformation, fluid transport, and except chromium and beryllium for Lapland mineral deposition, and within which gold is Longspur. These results demonstrate the preferentially concentrated. This contrasts relatively high concentrations of naturally with the ductile behavior of the (gabbroic) occurring chromium in area soils, and utility lower portion of the sill and the surrounding of robust baseline monitoring in interpreting mafic volcanic rocks. The identification of the results of assessments conducted under hydrothermal breccias within the quartz operational conditions. diorite is consistent with Nighthawk observations at other Colomac Zones, and is INDIN LAKE GOLD PROJECT — further visual evidence of hydro-fracturing 2017 COLOMAC UPDATE and the (precursor to) mineralization proposed by Nighthawk for Colomac. WAYCHISON*, W. and BYRON, M. Differentiated mafic intrusions are known to NIGHTHAWK GOLD CORP., TORONTO, ON contain significant gold deposits, and [email protected] Kalgoorlie's Golden Mile dolerite is one of Nighthawk Gold Corp. is a Canadian based the world's largest with production more mineral exploration company currently than 60 million ounces of gold to date. It focused on advancing its Indin Lake Gold also hosts higher grade gold zones, but at Property, a 222,203-acre land package Colomac the existence of similar distinct located 200 kilometres north of zones had not been documented until Yellowknife, Northwest Territories within Nighthawk's discovery of Zone 1.5 in 2014, the Indin Lake Gold Camp. a well constrained, high-grade domain targeted based on the Kalgoorlie model. An Inferred Mineral Resource estimate of Nighthawk has identified similar bodies at 2.101 million oz gold at a 1.64 g/t gold Zone 3.5 and Zone 2.0, and other average grade (0.6 g/t gold cut-off) is possibilities along strike. defined at its Colomac Gold Project. Only a small portion of the mineralized Colomac Results of Nighthawk's 2017 drill program and Goldcrest intrusions are captured by this have extended the near surface dimensions 2013 estimate, leaving an underexplored and of the high-grade core to Zone 1.5 to be highly prospective deposit that hosts several upwards of 200 metres long, 30 to 50 metres
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 84 in true width, extending from surface to 350 ubiquitous around the large gold deposits in metres, and open to depth. While the latest Yellowknife. The redox shifts can be drilling to depth, i.e. C17-15C, has expanded corroborated by mineralogical data at the Zone 1.5 by an additional 250 metres to a Con Mine. vertical depth of 600 metres, and delivered a three-fold expansion of the mineralized true LINKING PERMAFROST width of Zone 1.5 to over 150 metres GEOMORPHOLOGY TO suggesting the sill expands to depth, opening ORGANIC MATTER RELEASE vast new areas for exploration. Better 2016- 17 results from Zone 1.5 include hole C16- AND DECOMPOSITION 03B, which cut 72.65 metres (50 metres true width) of 5.58 g/t gold, including 17.80 WEISS, N. metres of 17.72 g/t gold, and C17-08, which STOCKHOLM UNIVERSITY, STOCKHOLM, returned 55.35 m (51.00 m true width) of SWEDEN 3.00 g/t gold, including 19.50 m of 5.58 g/t [email protected] gold, and 6.80 m of 10.45 g/t gold. Extensive Pleistocene permafrost deposits are widespread throughout the Arctic and Ongoing regional exploration continues to are highly susceptible to climatic change. illustrate the potential of this underexplored Millennia of aeolian sedimentation and gold camp. syngenetic permafrost accretion have resulted in thick layers of fine-grained, ice- GEOCHEMICAL VECTORING rich material with a relatively high organic ON GOLD SYSTEMS USING matter (OM) content. Climate-driven geomorphological activity can cause CARBON ISOTOPES substantial changes in these landscapes, and lead to the release and decomposition of WEBB, D.R. large amounts of (previously sequestered) DRW GEOLOGICAL CONSULTING LTD., OM, in turn resulting in greenhouse gas VANCOUVER, BC emissions. [email protected] Ore-related metasomatic alteration is The potential climate feedback is controlled imparted upon structurally and chemically by the amount of OM stored in permafrost modified supracrustal rocks in the (quantity), its intrinsic capacity to Yellowknife Greenstone Belt. Evidence decompose (quality), and the amount of suggests that the formation of these gold material that can become available for deposits involved large volumes of weakly decomposition (availability). OM quantity saline, near neutral CO2/CH4-rich fluids at inventories are increasingly accurate, and o o 390 C +/- 15 C with fO2 near the pyrite- the importance of detailed quality pyrrhotite transition. Gold mineralization assessments is widely recognised. was enhanced by fluid-gas unmixing of Geomorphological studies in permafrost carbon species induced by pressure landscapes, however, are less commonly fluctuations that caused periodic excursions linked to OM decomposition, despite its in the Eh of the fluids, destabilizing the great significance. soluble gold complexes. These shifts in eH 13 can be tracked in part by the δ C of the Different permafrost degradation processes aerially extensive carbonates that are result in different OM release pathways. For
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example, thermal erosion causes abrupt guidance on strategic, regional, and project release, whereas steady deepening of the impact assessment; provide effective co- active layer happens more gradually. ordination across jurisdictions; ensure Furthermore, different release mechanisms Aboriginal rights and Treaty rights are affect OM differently: sudden release considered and the duty to consult and involves the bulk, whereas gradual active accommodate is fulfilled; conduct impact layer deepening involves preferential assessment in a timely, effective, transparent breakdown of more labile components. manner; and ensure impact assessment is evidence-based and includes Indigenous Here we illustrate the importance of Knowledge and public participation. This degradation processes using results from a presentation will compare the assessment case study of a 5 m-deep exposure in framework and practices in the Mackenzie Yedoma (ice-rich aeolian permafrost) in NE Valley with the Expert Panel's Siberia, Russia. Chemical characterisation recommendations and will begin to explore revealed strata of more- and less- areas where the Review Board may need to decomposed material throughout the profile prioritize policy or process work, such as: (cryopedolith), consisting of different types strategic or regional assessment, follow-up of OM with contrasting quality, and thus programs to ensure measures are different rates of in situ decomposition after implemented and effective, and continuing thawing. The same exposure, however, efforts to improve the incorporation of included a section of recently thawed Traditional Knowledge. permafrost material, where we suggest that sudden ground ice melt has resulted in the NUMERICAL GEOTHERMAL release of most of the OM, regardless of ANALYSIS: AN IMPORTANT quality. Although this might intrinsically not COMPONENT FOR THE be the most labile source of OM, an improved understanding of the frequency DESIGNS AND EVALUATIONS and extent of such events is essential to FOR STRUCTURES IN properly evaluate their significance. PERMAFROST REGIONS
THE EXPERT PANEL REPORT ZHANG, G. ON THE REVIEW OF TETRA TECH CANADA INC., EDMONTON, AB ENVIRONMENTAL [email protected] ASSESSMENT IN CANADA: Ground temperature is a key parameter in HOW THE MACKENZIE most designs and evaluations in permafrost engineering. However, ground temperature VALLEY MEASURES UP naturally varies with space and time and changes with a change in a ground thermal WHELER, B. boundary condition that can be induced by a MACKENZIE VALLEY ENVIRONMENTAL new construction, operation, or simply IMPACT REVIEW BOARD, YELLOWKNIFE, NT climate change. A numerical geothermal [email protected] analysis using a finite element method is an The Expert Panel for the Review of effective tool to evaluate and predict ground Environmental Assessment in (southern) thermal conditions for a project for which Canada recommended the formation of an ground thermal conditions or their changes Impact Assessment Commission to: provide are critical.
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A numerical geothermal analysis is widely • A mined-out open pit with water used to evaluate the long and short term filling, and impact of infrastructure development on in- • A deep gas/oil well thaw study. situ permafrost in cold regions. Typically this infrastructure can include: shallow and deep foundations, mine tailings and waste BASELINE, INDICATORS AND rock storage facilities, landfills, landfarms, UNCERTAINTIES OF GREAT roads and embankments, water and tailings SLAVE LAKE FISHERIES dams, pipelines, tunnels, open pits, deep ECOSYSTEM UNDER gas/oil wells, shafts, and artificial ground MULTIPLE PRESSURES freezing facility, etc. A typical geothermal analysis includes the following key steps: ZHU*, X.1, LEA, E.2, TALLMAN, R.F.1, • Gathering site information including CHAPELSKY, A.J.1, LEONARD, D.L.3, climatic data and measured ground CARMICHAEL, T.J.1, and EVANS, M.4 temperatures, (1) FISHERIES AND OCEANS CANADA, • Conducting a calibration thermal WINNIPEG, MB (2) FISHERIES AND OCEANS CANADA, analysis to determine key site INUVIK, NT specific input parameters, (3) FISHERIES AND OCEANS CANADA, YELLOWKNIFE, NT • Simulating the site specific (4) ENVIRONMENT AND CLIMATE CHANGE construction or operation conditions CANADA, SASKATOON, SK to predict the short-term and long- [email protected] term thermal performance of a Great Slave Lake (GSL) is a typical subject earth structure, oligotrophic system, simultaneously • Conducting parametric sensitivity experiencing multiple vectors of natural and analyses to assess the potential anthropogenic disturbances. Assessment of project risks due to uncertainties of these impacts has become somewhat of a input data, and challenge due to a lack of available baseline information. Since 2011, an integrated • Finalizing the analysis to provide a ecosystem-based survey, including set of key parameters for design, limnology, zooplankton and benthos as well construction or operation. as fish and fisheries, has been implemented Six typical projects will be summarized in over the main basin of GSL during June this presentation to demonstrate the through August. The overarching objectives important role and application of a of this multiple-year field survey were 1) to numerical geothermal analysis. These will establish baseline conditions of GSL include: ecosystem, 2) to explore the effective • A building shallow foundation with indicators of the ecosystem, and 3) to a heat pump system, characterize baseline-centered uncertainties accounting for spatiotemporal dynamics, • A Thermopile building foundation, effective sample sizes and observation • A frozen core dam with a errors. thermosyphon system, As a result of size of the lake, the baseline • A dry stack tailings facility, survey was rotated annually between
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Resolution Bay, Moraine Bay, Yellowknife Thirdly, among 387 effective gillnet Bay and Simpson Islands while the western settings, three coregonids, Lake Whitefish, basin of GSL was repeated every summer. Least Cisco and Lake Herring, dominated Firstly, water temperature showed a the multispecies community compositions. consistent thermocline structure 10-15 m The spatial distribution of total fish below the surface, whereas turbidity varied abundance differed among management depending on discharges from the Slave areas whilst significant differences in River, which are altered by water regulation biomass density were strongly related to and natural fluctuations of precipitation. variables of depth, thermal stratification and Secondly, copepods dominated zooplankton conductivity. Lastly, several sources of abundance, comprising 80% of all samples. uncertainty were identified due to the nature Approximately 78 % of the total of the deepest parts of the lake, frequency of zooplankton density from all samples repeated sampling and effective sample size. occurred in shallow sites (<20 m) and was Incorporated with these baseline, indicators negatively correlated to depth. Benthic and uncertainties identified, we recommend invertebrates were dominated by ostracods further long-term integrated monitoring (mean ± SE; 599 ± 74 individuals/m²) and activities be continued in association with amphipods (551 ± 47 individuals/m²) which capacity-building of indigenous accounted for over 69% of the total density communities, integration of traditional of benthic invertebrates, followed by ecological knowledge and co-management oligochaetes, bivalves and chironomids. regimes.
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Abstracts - Poster Presentations Presenting Author denoted by *
CUMULATIVE IMPACT (1998) as well as comprehensive land claim INFORMATION AND and self-government agreements in NWT; ENVIRONMENTAL however, it is unclear whether information about cumulative impacts is being ASSESSMENT DECISION- effectively used to inform EA decisions. A MAKING IN THE MACKENZIE recent NWT Environmental Audit (2015) VALLEY, NORTHWEST has highlighted this weakness and the need TERRITORIES to provide meaningful cumulative effects information to decision-makers. ARNOLD*, L.1, HANNA, H.1, and NOBLE, B.2 This project is conducted in collaboration with the Government of Northwest (1) UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, KELOWNA, BC Territories, Cumulative Impact Monitoring (2) UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN, Program (CIMP). The research involved two SASKATOON, SK stages: 1) a document review of all 36 [email protected] completed EA reports since the In a setting where resource development is implementation of the MVRMA, and 2) advancing at a rapid pace, an understanding semi-structured interviews with of cumulative impacts, which result from the representatives from EA decision-making combination of environmental stressors, is organizations, and organizations acting as vital for informed decision-making. This interveners providing formal input during project examines Environmental Assessment EA processes including territorial (EA) in the Mackenzie Valley, Northwest government, research, and First Nation Territories (NWT) and how information government and management organizations. about the cumulative impacts to freshwater The goal of the document review was to systems is used to guide decisions about explore how cumulative impacts are development activities. evaluated throughout EA processes. Interview questions were designed to further EA is an established tool for assessing investigate the findings of the document development projects, but is often criticized review and focused on four key areas: how for its project-based focus and limited scope. cumulative impacts are defined, what Cumulative Effects Assessment (CEA), is information and issues are evaluated for increasingly seen as a way of improving EA, freshwater cumulative impacts, the but since it requires multiple information information needs of the organizations, and types and large scales of analysis integrating the practices and challenges of decision- it into EA processes has proved challenging making. A total of 16 semi-structured in practice. Monitoring cumulative impacts interviews were completed in Yellowknife is a requirement of The Mackenzie Valley by telephone during July and August 2017. Resource Management Act (MVRMA)
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 89 The preliminary findings suggest that there the fine fraction of the tailings (particles <63 is uncertainty in terms of the process and µm in diameter) and dust that could be responsibility for assessing cumulative inhaled or ingested from Giant mine to impacts during EA. Challenges exist for identify the As-hosting solid phases therein. decision-making and intervening Surface tailings material was sampled from organizations in obtaining and interpreting three of the tailings impoundments on site, both technical data and value-based and sieved to <63 µm. From May to July of information and knowledge about the 2016, a total suspended particulate (TSP) potential cumulative impacts of proposed high volume air sampler was set up to projects. The poster will present the continuously sample airborne material preliminary results of this research in detail, coming from the tailings. For the surface focusing on how cumulative impacts are tailings and dust samples, bulk chemical considered, the key challenges for data was determined via inductively coupled cumulative impact evaluation and decision- plasma-optical emission spectrometry (ICP- making within EA, and potential OES) and -mass spectrometry (ICP-MS); opportunities for improved processes. mineralogical data via scanning electron microscope (SEM)-based automated CHARACTERIZATION OF mineralogy, electron microprobe analysis ARSENIC-HOSTING SOLID (EMPA), and synchrotron-based micro X- PHASES IN GIANT MINE ray diffraction (µXRD), micro X-ray fluorescence (µXRF); and oxidation state TAILINGS AND TAILINGS DUST data for As via X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES). Bulk chemical data BAILEY, A.S. and JAMIESON*, H.E. show elevated concentrations of As, Sb, Zn, QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY, KINGSTON, ON Pb, Cu, and Ni. The As in the tailings is a [email protected] mix of As1-, As5+, and As3+, and is more Dust from the tailings at Giant mine, an concentrated in the <63 µm fraction (3000 – abandoned mine in northern Canada, has 9300 ppm As) than in the unsieved tailings. been a concern among local residents, Roaster-generated Fe-oxides (maghemite), particularly those from Ndilo, a Ca-Fe arsenate, and arsenopyrite comprise Yellowknives Dene First Nation community the majority of As-bearing particles in the located approximately 2.5 km southeast of surface tailings; Ca-Fe arsenate poses the the site. Historically, roaster waste greatest risk to human health of these three containing arsenic (As) trioxide was co- as it is the most bioaccessible. Fe-oxides deposited with flotation tailings, thereby were the only As-host found in the dust. increasing the potential risk to human health Very little arsenic trioxide was found in the since arsenic trioxide is the most toxic and tailings, and no arsenic trioxide was found in bioaccessible solid form of arsenic. the dust samples. This is because the tailings Presently, there are approximately 16 that were exposed to arsenic trioxide- million tonnes of tailings covering 95 bearing roaster emissions during the 1950s hectares on the Giant mine property. These and 1960s have long since been buried by tailings are left vulnerable to high velocity more recent tailings. However, previous winds after snow melt in the late spring, studies have shown that the soils near the when it is too cold to apply a dust Giant mine tailings do contain arsenic suppressant to the tailings. The main trioxide from historic stack emissions, objective of this research is to characterize indicating that these soils might actually
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 90 present a higher risk than the tailings samples related to ore deposits have some themselves. similar patterns that make them different from the common patterns, so they can be SPATIAL ANOMALY detected as a different cluster. DETECTION WITH MULTIVARIATE The LUCC method relies on the fact that multivariate anomalous samples are likely GEOCHEMICAL DATA FROM far from cluster centroids in multivariate THE MACKENZIE MOUNTAINS space. Consequently, applying different clustering configurations on different data 1 1 CABRAL PINTO*, F. , PRADES, C. , transformations will likely lead to 2 1 FALCK, H.E. , and DEUTSCH, C. disagreement when assigning these samples (1) UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA, EDMONTON, to clusters. This method measures AB disagreement between different clustering (2) NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL methods on different data transformations. SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT The spatial anomaly method identifies [email protected] samples that are different from the Anomaly detection plays an important role surrounding samples in the geographic in geological exploration – to find the space. This method is based on the number locations where there are anomalous of samples assigned to a different cluster concentrations of ore minerals on the earth. before one of the same cluster is Univariate and multivariate techniques for encountered. anomaly detection are based on data transformation and clustering techniques. The results show at least one anomaly type Different algorithms can be combined to at 228 locations out of a total of 8959 identify multivariate anomalous samples, sample locations, approximately 2.5% of the going beyond the anomalies recognizable total. The small anomalous cluster method from individual measurements and adding detected a total of 128 anomalies and it is more value to the analyses. followed by LUCC (117), univariate (73), and spatial anomalies (18). In addition to straightforward univariate anomalies, three methods for multivariate There are 30 locations where all three anomaly detection were applied on stream multivariate methods detected an anomaly. silt samples from the Mackenzie Mountains: The anomalies are not randomly distributed. (1) small anomalous clusters, (2) Lack of Another interesting observation is that Uniform Clustering Classification (LUCC) almost all univariate anomalies are anomalies, and (3) spatial anomalies. considered multivariate anomalies, but there are many multivariate anomalies that are not The analyses were performed on pathfinder identified by one variable at a time. The elements for sedimentary hosted copper- anomaly locations were checked against 44 base metals deposits. The goal is to identify showings in the area – known ore deposits samples that are anomalous in the that have been or are in production or multivariate space. The first method uses advanced exploration. 90% of the showings different combinations of clustering and data have an anomalous sample closer than 10 transformations for finding small anomalous km, 70% closer than 5 km and 30% closer clusters. The idea behind this method is that than 1 km. Although further validation is
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 91 required, the multivariate methods appear detailing the client's interpretations of the promising to complement conventional test results are welcomed by the NTGS but analyses. are not mandatory.
THE NEW GOVERNMENT OF With construction of the storage facility THE NORTHWEST complete, the chore of accurately describing TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL the contents of the collection to allow clients to easily discover materials continues. The MATERIALS STORAGE challenge now lies in developing an accurate FACILITIES AND OTHER and comprehensive searchable database INITIATIVES FOR THE LONG- from a diverse array of digital and paper TERM PRESERVATION OF records currently describing the collection. GEOLOGICAL SAMPLES New donations to the collection are CAIRNS, S.R. welcomed on a case by case basis. The NTGS is interested in curating well- NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL characterised samples from mineral SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT [email protected] occurrences not represented in the collection. Drill holes best exemplifying the A new storage facility and laboratory mineralisation, structure and stratigraphy of housing the growing geological collections a showing are most desired. Sample of the Northwest Territories Geological donations along with data such as drill logs, Survey (NTGS) in Yellowknife officially sections, geochemistry, and photos are opened on September 22, 2017. The facility preferred. provides clients access to drill cores from mineral deposits across the NWT, archived Storage space at the facility is limited; thus hand samples collected during mapping and housing collections of drillcore beyond a geological research, thin sections, and representative hole for a deposit is geochemical powders. impractical. Diamond drilling is expensive, and the entire core record from an An unheated storage warehouse holds the exploration program is valuable and worthy physical collection, and a separate heated of long-term curation. To assist the long- facility allows for sample study and logging. term preservation of these materials when Client access to the collection is supervised left onsite, the NTGS intends to continue to and arranged by appointment with the stabilise and preserve core farms through NTGS. Logging and non-destructive testing shoring-up racks, re-affixing box labels, of samples from the collection is cross-stacking the cores from ailing racks, unregulated. Destructive testing of sample and fire-smarting storage areas as time and materials requires a research agreement with resources allow. To facilitate this field the NTGS. Research agreements will be preservation program, the NTGS welcomes predicated on obtaining the most data information on the location of these possible from a sample and destroying the materials, storage style, condition of the smallest amount of sample possible for the materials, core rack maps, logs, and any testing. All data generated from such testing other information adding value to the will be provided to the NTGS and will materials. The NTGS can also provide become publically available. Reports advice on best preservation practices for
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 92 core collections in the field, and suggest WHERE HAVE ALL THE ways to archive drill core to maximize GARNETS GONE – LENA WEST chances for long-term survival and utility of PALEO-CLIMATE the collection. DAVIES, R.1 and DAVIES*, A.W.2 INVESTIGATION INTO THE (1) TALMORA DIAMOND INC., TORONTO, ON EXTENT OF SLUMPING AND (2) TALMORA DIAMOND INC., HOUSTON, TX ITS IMPACT ON LANDSCAPE [email protected] MORPHOLOGY WITHIN THE Talmora Diamond Inc. has explored the THOMSEN RIVER WATERSHED west flank of the Melville Hills in the Lena IN AULAVIK NATIONAL PARK, West diamond region of the Northwest NORTHWEST TERRITORIES Territories since 2003.
1 2 The standard Canadian diamond exploration CONWAY*, H. and CHEYNE, E. model of sampling glacial tills for kimberlite (1) PARKS CANADA, INUVIK, NT indicator minerals (KIMs) and using pyrope (2) AURORA RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INUVIK, NT garnets to define mineral trains leading to [email protected] geophysical targets worked for the Dharma kimberlite but the Darnley Bay kimberlites In our warming climate, permafrost are magnetic anomalies that were slumping continues to occur along the banks subsequently sampled down-ice. In spite of of the Thomsen River (and its tributaries) in pyrope garnets occurring widespread across Aulavik National Park, on Banks Island. Lena West no other pyrope train was Community members from the town of defined and the kimberlite source of most Sachs Harbour are concerned about the Lena West pyropes has not been found. impacts that sediment released by slumping may be having on local fish populations and Diamondex proved that most if not all Lena have encouraged Parks Canada to study this West pyropes within the Cretaceous basin phenomenon in detail. Therefore, in 2016 a are secondary, pre-Cretaceous and their multidisciplinary project was undertaken to source lies to the east, probably outside the study the chemical and biological impacts of basin in the Melville Hills. permafrost slumping on the Thomsen River watershed. In 2017, the focus was on Cluster analysis shows the similarity of investigating the extent of slumping in the pyropes across Lena West as far east as the Thomsen River watershed and the amount of Paleozoic dolomites on the west flank of the sediment being released into the watershed. Melville Hills but they differ from those of Using a DJI Inspire 1 UAV, we mapped 10 Darnley Bay and Dharma. The same holds slumps on 2 different watersheds, and have for other KIMs. The number of ilmenites calculated the surface area and volume of and chromites have peak values outside the each slump using PhotoScan software. This Cretaceous basin in the Melville Hills but has allowed us to make conclusions about the number of pyropes drops dramatically. the life cycle of a slump, the rate of change So, “where have all the garnets gone?” of slumping in our study area, make predictions about the future of the Thomsen It was noted that pyropes that are recovered River watershed, and discover trends across show diagenetic alteration and laterite was the Arctic and North America.
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 93 noted in the background mineralogy. Pieces grades of weathered kimberlite should be of laterite were noted in the field. Some higher and vertical mining may be an rusty coloured clay recovered from a alternative to open pit mining to reduce magnetic anomaly has a chemical environmental footprints. composition similar to tropically weathered kimberlite from Sierra Leone. Kennecott BEHAVIOR OF A REINFORCED, noted that drill holes within the Cretaceous HIGH FILL EMBANKMENT basin west of the Melville Hills intersected FOLLOWING WINTER remnants of a paleo-laterite. CONSTRUCTION NEAR Fossil evidence indicates Arctic Canada was TUKTOYAKTUK, NORTHWEST warm and wet during the early Eocene TERRITORIES thermal maximums (50-55 Ma). Tropical weathering will have affected the tops of DE GUZMAN, E.M.B.1, kimberlite pipes and destroyed garnets and ARENSON*, L.U.2, ALFARO, M.C.1, and chrome diopside but will have had little DORÉ, G.3 effect on ilmenite and no effect on chromite. (1) UNIVERSITY OF MANITOBA, WINNIPEG, MB Tropical weathering affected all parts of the (2) BGC ENGINEERING INC., VANCOUVER, BC Canadian craton but the weathering was (3) UNIVERSITÉ LAVAL, QUÉBEC, QC invariably eroded and any remnants were [email protected] removed by glaciation. A rare example of The Inuvik to Tuktoyaktuk Highway (ITH), lateritic alteration of kimberlite in Canada is Northwest Territories, Canada, which is Peregrine's CH-7 kimberlite on Baffin planned to open to the public on November Island. It has a 100 m thick surface zone 15, 2017 will be Canada's first all-weather described as fresh kimberlite mixed with access to the Arctic Ocean. The 120 km kimberlite completely altered to red mud. highway will provide a land connection to About 300 m of this pipe has been eroded the northern community of Tuktoyatuk and since emplacement and most since Eocene is located above the Arctic Circle, in the warming. zone of continuous permafrost. In order to protect the environment and preserve the In the Melville Hills, the Cretaceous sea permafrost under the embankment fill, interrupted erosion of Jurassic kimberlites. construction of the highway was only There was also very little erosion in the carried out during the winter. However, Horton River valley and upland plateau there is limited understanding as to how since Eocene warming. Subsequent frozen embankments fills compacted in the glaciation was absent or weak so that the winter behave and how the insufficient weathered tops of kimberlite pipes, with compaction impacts the overall embankment missing pyropes, should be preserved. performance. In April 2015 two instrumented test sections were constructed The effect of weathering related to the at a section of the embankment where the warmest period of the past 65 million years fill exceeded a height of 5 m. Next to the 20- has been preserved in the Melville Hills. m long reference section not containing Weathering alters remnant magnetism and geotextiles layers, a 20-m long test section pyrope garnets will not be useful for was constructed with three (east side) and defining mineral trains. However, diamond four (west side) layers of a wicking woven
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 94 geotextile, Mirafi® H2Ri supplied by MONITORING PERMAFROST TenCate. Both the reference and test EROSION PROCESSES AND sections are continuously monitored for their IMPLEMENTING ADAPTATION performance. Strain gauges were installed on the geotextiles to measure elongation MEASURES IN KUGLUK during the initial stages of construction and TERRITORIAL PARK, natural thawing during the spring and NUNAVUT summer following winter construction. They are further instrumented with thermistors for DUCHARME*, M.A.1, temperature readings, ShapeAccelArrays IKPAKOHAK, F.2, PAPATSIE, L.3, (SAAs) for the vertical and lateral PETRASEK-MACDONALD, J.3 , movements, vibrating wire piezometers for ALLARD, M.1, and COULOMBE, S.4 porewater pressures, and thermal (1) UNIVERSITÉ DE LAVAL, QUÉBEC, QC conductivity sensors for suctions. (2) COMMUNITY JOINT PARKS MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE FOR KUGLUK This poster presents results from the first 2.5 TERRITORIAL PARK, KUGLUKTUK, NU years of monitoring. The thermistors (3) DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT, GOVERNMENT OF NUNAVUT, IQALUIT, NU confirm that the foundation of the (4) POLAR KNOWLEDGE CANADA, embankment is cooling and the permafrost CAMBRIDGE BAY, NU table is rising into the fill as expected. On [email protected] the other hand, warming was observed at the This ongoing community-based research toe, likely because of increased snow project takes place in Kugluk Territorial accumulation and water ponding during the Park approximately 12 km outside the summer. The SAAs show that the reinforced community of Kugluktuk. The community section experiences approximately 25% less members in Kugluktuk regularly use the lateral displacement than the control section, Park area and its surroundings to access however, the vertical displacements were traditional camping and hunting grounds slightly higher in the reinforced section. that are essential for sustenance, culture, and Finally, strains in the reinforcement form well-being. This project addresses a very during early summer (July / August) as the specific climate change impact: enhanced thaw front penetrates the embankment. The erosion and gullying of terraces along the strains were the highest during the first thaw riverbank of the Coppermine River. ATV season following construction and have trails in Kugluk Park are particularly since significantly declined. Unfortunately, affected. More specifically, changes linked thaw has not progressed to the pore pressure to climate change such as change in transducers or the thermal conductivity vegetation and snow cover, change of active sensors, hence none of these data are layer thickness, and melting of ice wedges available. have intensified soil instability thus contributing to increased rates of erosion.
Permafrost thaw also contributes to destabilizing the ground conditions and triggering erosion, slumping, and mudslides. As these changes continue to threaten soil and ground integrity, the Community Joint Parks Management Committee (CJPMC)
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 95 identified the need to find a suitable long- GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF term route for the trail as a top priority in CANADA BEDROCK MAPPING their Park's Management Plan. In response AND STRATIGRAPHIC to this priority, the Nunavut Parks and Special Places Division and Climate Change STUDIES, SHIELD TO SELWYN Secretariat at the Government of Nunavut's TRANSECT, NORTHWEST Department of Environment (GN DOE) are TERRITORIES working with the community of Kugluktuk and Centre d'Études Nordiques (CEN) from FALLAS*, K.M. and Laval University to support this priority. In MACNAUGHTON, R.B. July 2017, territorial stakeholders, university (1) GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, researchers, and researchers from the CALGARY, AB Cambridge Bay's Canadian High Arctic [email protected] Research Station joined local Nunavut Parks As a contribution to the Mackenzie Project staff along with local youth and an Elder to of the Geological Survey of Canada's (GSC) establish permafrost mapping and Geo-mapping for Energy and Minerals monitoring sites in Kugluk Territorial Park Program, bedrock mapping and stratigraphic as the first phase in this two-year project. studies spanning the Colville Hills region to The methodology involves mapping erosion the northeastern margin of the Selwyn basin landforms by multi-year photo interpretation have been underway since 2015. Our work from 1954 to 2010, measurements of cliff improves existing geological maps of the retreat rates, permafrost temperature area, clarifies the stratigraphic history of the monitoring, active layer monitoring and region with a focus on Neoproterozoic to geotechnical properties (consolidation cell Silurian units, and refines the structural test and particle size analysis) as well as relationships across the Mackenzie Platform mapping changes of surface drainage from the plains deep into the deformed belt. patterns related to permafrost thaw. The This transect includes sedimentary strata process in addressing this issue and the hosting petroleum systems in the Colville lessons learned along the way will provide Hills, Mackenzie Plain, and Peel Plain & experience at the community and regional Plateau, as well as mineral systems in the level on how to address impacts of northern Mackenzie Mountains. Therefore, permafrost thaw, erosion, and slope an improved understanding of the tectono- instability and the challenges of doing so. stratigraphic history is expected to provide new insights into these systems.
Fieldwork within the Colville Hills (NTS map areas 96K, 96L, 96M, and 96N) was conducted in 2015, and new map compilations at 1:250,000 scale for this area are now in press. In 2016, a GSC field party conducted mapping and stratigraphic studies in the northern Mackenzie Mountains (NTS map areas 106G and 106H) to document geological relationships in the southwestern Mackenzie Platform. Map compilation and stratigraphic research in this region is
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 96 currently underway. Mapping activities resolution chemostratigraphy collected with shifted southward into the Bonnet Plume a portable x-ray fluorescence (XRF) Lake area (NTS 106B) in 2017 to examine instrument in core at a 10 cm interval with the transition from the Mackenzie Platform additional measurements taken where to the Selwyn Basin, near the Northwest features of interest are present, and outcrop Territories-Yukon boundary. Samples were measurements ranging from 10 cm to 1.0 m collected for stratigraphy, biostratigraphy, spacing. Data collected in this study are geochemistry, geochronology, and from the MGM Shell East Mackay I-78 thermochronology studies related to the core, the Husky Little Bear N-09 and H-64 mapping activity. Lab work is underway and cores, and the Mountain River outcrop (65° results are being incorporated into new 14' 21.7" N, 128° 35' 40.6 " W). The data are structural and stratigraphic interpretations. interpreted in a transgressive-regressive (T- Additional field work is planned for the R) sequence stratigraphic framework using Bonnet Plume Lake and Wrigley Lake (NTS elements predominantly detrital in origin 95M) map areas in summer 2018. (Al, K, Fe, and Ti; collectively termed terrigenous indicators) as geochemical FORMING A SEQUENCE proxies to infer maximum flooding surfaces STRATIGRAPHIC and maximum regressive surfaces. FRAMEWORK FOR THE HARE Regression is interpreted where the terrigenous indicators increase; conversely INDIAN FORMATION USING transgression is inferred where these HIGH-RESOLUTION indicators decrease. Other geochemical CHEMOSTRATIGRAPHY AND proxies used in this study are molybdenum SEDIMENTOLOGY, CENTRAL enrichment to suggest paleoredox MACKENZIE VALLEY, conditions, and Si/Zr to infer silica source NORTHWEST TERRITORIES and to identify biogenic versus detrital silica. Preliminary XRF results suggest regression throughout the Bluefish Member, HARRIS*, B.1, and a predominantly terrigenous rather than LAGRANGE RAO, M.T.1, FIESS, K.M.2, biogenic source of silica. Molybdenum TERLAKY, V.2, and GINGRAS, M.K.1 enrichment in the Bluefish Member suggests (1) UNIVERSITY OF ALBERTA, EDMONTON, primarily euxinic conditions, with some AB variability. These data will be used to (2) NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT establish a sequence stratigraphic framework [email protected] that will enable the mapping and characterization of potential unconventional The Givetian-aged Hare Indian Formation is reservoirs in the Hare Indian Formation as part of the Middle to Late Devonian Horn well as contribute to a better understanding River Group, and is composed of the lower of the sequence stratigraphy of the Horn organic-rich Bluefish Member and the upper River Group in the Mackenzie Corridor. relatively organic-poor Bell Creek Member. Previous studies have examined the chemostratigraphy of the Hare Indian Formation with a sampling interval of 0.1-1 m or coarser and only in the broader context of the lithostratigraphy of the Horn River Group. In contrast, this study uses high-
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 97 ASSESSING FACTORS developing middle to late August, signaling INFLUENCING XYLOGENESIS the end of the growing season. In addition to OF JACK PINE (PINUS microcores, automatic point dendrometers (high precision sensors) have been installed BANKSIANA), YELLOWKNIFE, on each tree within the study site creating a NORTHWEST TERRITORIES continuous record of radial stem displacement (stem swelling) in response to HARRIS*, D.M., PISARIC, M.F.J., and environmental conditions. Stem swelling MARTIN, J.P. patterns will further identify the dynamics BROCK UNIVERSITY, ST. CATHARINES, ON growth patterns of this species. The [email protected] multiproxy investigation of jack pine growth The climate of northern regions is changing dynamics will provide valuable information at a rapid pace, however the natural on the impacts of climate change on tree variability of climate in these regions is not growth within the northern boreal forest. fully understood due to the lack of long-term historical climate data. Dendrochronology, Results from this research will help inform the study of tree growth rings, is one tool dendrochronological research in this region, that may be used in order to extend these enabling the extension of the relatively short records. This research identifies factors instrumental climate data records for the influencing xylogenesis (cellular Yellowknife region. Information on the development) of jack pine (Pinus banksiana) climate-growth relations of jack pine in the in the Yellowknife, NT region to better Yellowknife area are needed to better refine future northern dendrochronological understand how changing climatic research as well as create more robust tree conditions may impact this widespread ring chronologies in relation to historical northern species. climate patterns in this region. TOWARDS UNDERSTANDING A multiproxy approach was used to identify HYDROLOGICAL PATTERNS the impacts of climate on cellular PRODUCING DROUGHT IN THE development processes, by means of a SNARE RIVER SYSTEM, combination of cellular growth analysis and a continuous record of stem radial NORTHWEST TERRITORIES displacement patterns throughout the HICKMAN*, J.1, ENGLISH, M.1, and growing season. Weekly microcores (small 2 punches from the outer most portion of the KOKELJ, S.V. tree stem) were extracted from 13 jack pine (1) WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY, trees to produce a chronology of cellular WATERLOO, ON (2) NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL development throughout the growing SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT season. Results from microcore cell counts [email protected] identify early cell development began late The Snare River hydroelectric power system April to early May 2017. First lignified is operated by the Northwest Territories (mature) cells were identified during the Power Corporation (NTPC) and uses four period between late June to early July, hydroelectric power stations to supply followed by a period of rapid cell production electricity to Yellowknife and surrounding throughout the month of July (~3 communities. In the last decade, multiple cells/week). Latewood cells begin
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 98 drought events and low water levels have to predictable hydrological conditions in the severely hampered the production of watershed. By studying a 15-year period hydroelectricity for more than half of the over which a broad range of conditions were population of the NWT. To compensate for experienced, we can examine which the loss of hydroelectric power production conditions most commonly lead to low during these times, diesel fueled generators water levels, and what the recovery time of are utilized at a significant cost. The the watershed was following the low water International Governmental Panel on conditions. By broadening our range of Climate Change (IPCC, 2014) reports knowledge surrounding the impacts of amplified warming in large portions of the antecedent conditions, our capacity to NWT and predicts this trend will continue predict low-flow events will be improved, over the next several decades, which may thereby reducing unnecessary spending on have changing effects on the annual water diesel fuel due to uncertainty in future budget and impact the regularity in which ability to generate hydroelectric power. hydroelectric power can be generated. Of significant concern to NTPC and the citizens CHARACTERIZATION OF THE of the NWT is whether drought conditions CANTUNG TAILINGS: will become more frequent in the future, and ESSENTIAL INFORMATION TO result in a potentially non-sustainable expense. This research examines the ASSESS FEASIBILITY OF hydrological mass balance over a period of REPROCESSING 15 years: 1999 to 2014, a period that 1 1 experienced both elevated water inputs and JAMIESON*, H.E. , DOBOSZ, A. , 2 droughts. PAWLIK, M. , JAMIESON-HANES, J.H.3, 2 The objective of this study is to quantify the SALMABADI, E. , and 4 components of the annual hydrological mass FALCK, H.E. balance in the Snare River watershed, (1) QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY, KINGSTON, ON inclusive of river discharge (Q), snowpack (2) UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, water equivalent (SWE), rainfall (R), VANCOUVER, BC evapotranspiration (ET), and storage (S). (3) UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO, WATERLOO, ON With very little climatic and hydrological (4) NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL research conducted in the unregulated upper SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT Snare River watershed, a significant absence [email protected] of usable data exists for the area. As such, The Cantung Mine is an unusually large and this study uses numerous data extrapolation high-grade deposit that developed in a techniques to complete an annual package of folded and overturned limestone hydrological mass balance, including above a Cretaceous granite intrusion. methods for the estimation of SWE, ET, R, Cantung was the western world's largest and S in the absence of in-situ field tungsten producer during its operation from measurements. Using a theoretical 1962 to 1985 and previously the source of probability model, patterns in antecedent nearly 10% of global tungsten production. conditions leading to drought can then be Until October 2015, a total of 108,300 identified. This type of analysis can be used tonnes of tungsten (as WO3) was recovered to gain increased understanding in how but a less well-defined amount was specific environmental conditions may lead discarded with the tailings. This study seeks
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 99
to characterize those tailings to better Library and customize the software to determine the potential economic value determine modal mineralogy. Particle size versus potential environmental liability analysis of the scheelite grains shows that stored at the site. the scheelite in the Flat River tails is significantly coarser that the scheelite in the Fifty samples were collected from surface to Tailings Pond 4 sample, probably due to 30 m depth in four tailings ponds. In either coarser crushing in the early stages of addition, a bulk sample from the Flat River production or loss of fines by fluvial tailings, which had been released during the erosion. Liberation analysis indicates that early stages of mining, was taken from the approximately 30% of the scheelite in the stream bank. These samples varied in Flat River tails is well-liberated (75 to 100% tungsten content from 0.11 to 0.65% W. The free surface), and 40% of the scheelite in the higher values are comparable to ore grades Tailings Pond 4 sample is liberated to the at proposed or operating tungsten mines. same degree. Less than 10% in both samples is unliberated (<25% free surface). In To investigate potential issues with froth addition to particle size and liberation, MLA flotation, 40 grams of each sample were will also be used for acid-base accounting mixed with 100 mL of distilled water, then for the remaining samples, thus providing a centrifuged, and the liquid phase was comprehensive characterization of the assayed for metal content and the pH tailings that can improve decisions on measured. Despite the presence of 2.7 to reprocessing. >10% S, mostly in the form of pyrrhotite, a pH of 7 to 8.3 was maintained during these COMMUNITY-BASED experiments. This suggests that acid- MONITORING FOR BETTER generating sulphide oxidation was either DECISION-MAKING limited or the solution rapidly neutralized by the dissolution of other minerals, probably KEATS*, B.J.1 and EVANS, P.C.2 carbonates. As a result, for most samples the concentration of calcium was elevated (400 (1) ROYAL ROADS UNIVERSITY, VICTORIA, to 600 ppm) such that it is likely to interfere BC (2) TRAILMARK SYSTEMS, VICTORIA, BC with a fatty-acid type of surfactant used in [email protected] froth flotation. Total organic carbon, which is known to be a depressant in froth Community-Based Monitoring (CBM) is flotation, was also measured in the tailings gaining increasing recognition as an but found to be negligible. approach to research that can involve local people and their knowledge to gather A subset of the samples has been information to support resource management characterized at Queen's University using decisions and understand environmental scanning electron microscopy coupled with change. Moreover, it is a potential site of automated mineralogy (Mineral Liberation knowledge co-production between scientists Analysis, or MLA) to determine the and indigenous knowledge holders that can variation in mineral proportions, the grain result in the production of a “multiple size distribution and liberation of scheelite evidence base” to produce novel insights. grains. Two dissimilar samples (Surface of Tailings Pond 4 and Flat River tails) have Despite CBM's great potential for trans- been used to optimize the Mineral Reference disciplinary knowledge production, more
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 100 investigation into the challenges and best Results from the Northwest Territories practices is required to understand the ways Geological Survey's Slave Province that CBM can be better represented, Surficial Materials and Permafrost Study understood and applied to contribute to demonstrate the effect that bedrock regional, scientific monitoring programs. topography and multiple ice flow phases have on the dispersal of kimberlite indicator This presentation will focus on the minerals and pathfinder elements within the preliminary results of research into these till column, even within areas of very questions, funded by the NWT discontinuous till cover. Here, we build Cumulative Impact Monitoring Program, in upon those results, utilizing a 3D indicator collaboration with the North Slave Métis mineral dataset generously donated by Alliance. Dominion Diamond Ekati Corp. and North Arrow Minerals Inc., constituting 700+ THE APPLICATION OF 3D boreholes covering ~1,400 sq. kilometers INDICATOR MINERAL between Lac de Gras, Courageous and Mackay Lakes. Our study area DATASETS TO REGIONAL- encompassing this dataset contains a diverse SCALE MODELLING OF range of surficial materials, from thick GLACIAL SEDIMENTS IN THE drumlinized till to extensive till veneer LAC DE GRAS AREA, interspersed with bedrock outcrops. Thus, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES we will use this large dataset, in conjunction with field observations and legacy mapping, KELLEY, S.E.1, ROSS*, M.1, to create a regional-scale three dimensional STIRLING, R.A.1, model of glacial sediment thickness and NORMANDEAU, P.X.2, and composition which captures the natural ELLIOTT, B.2 diversity of surficial geology of the region. Through the use of our model, we will (1) UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO, WATERLOO, ON characterize discontinuous dispersal patterns (2) NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL in three dimensions, as well as examine SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT relationships between dispersal trains and [email protected] landform assemblage, bedrock lithology, The Slave Geological Province, Northwest and post-glacial reworking. This work has Territories, has a long and complicated the potential to inform future drift glacial history. A fragmentary record of that prospecting efforts in the North, by long glacial history exists in the landscape, providing real-world analogues for dispersal even in areas of thin discontinuous till cover. trains occurring in varying surficial settings, In drift prospecting, understanding the net as well as highlighting the usefulness of effect of glacial processes at play is key to legacy geoscience datasets in advancing the interpreting dispersal patterns seen at the collective exploration knowledge. surface. In many cases, dispersal patterns are interpreted to be continuous. Yet, in reality, dispersal trains frequently occur in areas of discontinuous till cover with variable till thickness, features that hint at a more complex evolution.
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 101 RECONNAISSANCE SURFICIAL GEOLOGY OF THE K6-252 GEOLOGY, INDIN LAKE, KIMBERLITE COMPLEX, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, ALBERTA NTS 86-B MCCANDLESS*, T.1, DESGAGNES, B.2, 2 2 KERR, D.E., O'NEILL, H.B., SHIMELL, M. , and READ, G. WOLFE, S.A., and MORSE*, P.D. (1) MCC GEOSCIENCE INC., NORTH GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, VANCOUVER, BC OTTAWA, ON (2) SHORE GOLD INC., SASKATOON, SK [email protected] [email protected] The glaciated landscape within the study The Buffalo Head Hills (BHH) kimberlites area exhibits large-scale ice flow features comprise the third largest district of such as drumlinoids, crag-and-tails, fluted diamond-bearing kimberlites in Canada, with 41 kimberlites distributed over 6,000 bedrock, as well as striations, which record 2 westward to southwestward ice flow during km . The older kimberlites dated at ~85Ma the last glaciation. Glacially scoured were emplaced coevally with deposition of bedrock dominates the map area. marine strata. Systematic drilling at the K6 Discontinuous till veneer occurs throughout and K252 kimberlites indicates that these the map area. Glaciofluvial landforms, kimberlites are coeval eruptive centers that including eskers, kames, and outwash plains, comprise a larger kimberlite complex, are part of meltwater corridors which similar to those observed at Fort a la Corne, generally trend westward and Saskatchewan. The K6 kimberlite is bilobate southwestward. During deglaciation, which with two depositional centers or vents began about 10.5 ka BP, a small number of identified by gravity, with the northern vent recessional moraines were formed. forming a topographic high. Several Glaciolacustrine sediments, associated with kimberlite units have been identified on the Glacial Lake McConnell, were deposited in basis of macrocryst, lapilli, matrix and the southwestern regions. Associated xenolith modal abundances. Olivine-rich glaciolacustrine deltas and beaches occur volcaniclastic kimberlite (OLRVK) is an between 290-330 m elevation, marking high interbedded unit at the contact between the lake levels associated with the position of Cretaceous Dunvegan and the overlying the eastward receding ice front during Kaskapau Formations. Interbedded juvenile deglaciation. Isolated deltas unrelated to lapilli-rich VK (JLRVK) kimberlite rests Glacial Lake McConnell were observed at stratigraphically above the OLRVK and 370 m and 390 m. Postglacial eolian within the Kaskapau Formation. Both units sediments exhibit dunes recording both increase in thickness to the northwest toward north-northwestward and south- K252. The youngest unit and greatest by southeastward paleowind directions. volume is the main volcaniclastic kimberlite (MVK), resting on top of the upper Kaskapau Formation but cross-cutting lower marine strata and defining the northern vent at K6.
The K252 kimberlite is 300 m northwest of K6 and has several distinct kimberlite units,
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 102 of which two are clearly interbedded with Passive seismics has never been tested the Kaskapau Formation and identical to before in a permafrost-rich environment. those observed at K6. These include an OLRVK as two definable interbedded Between July 11-23rd, 2017 a Tromino lenses, and a JLRVK above the OLRVK as seismograph was used to collect passive observed at K6. The final and most seismic data over areas of known depth to voluminous unit is a matrix-supported VK overburden near Kelvin camp, owned by (MSVK). Kennady Diamonds Inc. and located approximately 300 km north-east from The K6 and K252 kimberlites are temporally Yellowknife, NWT. The geology of the and spatially related, with the earliest study area consists of Slave craton bedrock, interbedded OLRVK and JLRVK units glaciolacustrine sediments, alluvial connecting the two bodies. When projected sediments, and organic deposits. Ice-bearing at 1:1 scale and correlated to a single datum, permafrost is also present in the study area the interbedded units stratigraphically align, to considerable depth (> 30 m). Kelvin camp further supporting the interpretation of K6- falls within a continuous (underlies 90- 252 as a single kimberlite complex. The K6- 100% of landscape) and discontinuous 252 complex is likely not unique, and these (underlies 50-100% of landscape) conclusions have significant implications for permafrost zone. the exploration and economics of the BHH kimberlites. The Tromino is a seismograph instrumented with a broad-band three-component velocity ESTIMATING OVERBURDEN sensor that records ambient seismic activity. DEPTH IN A PERMAFROST- Measurements at 95 stations were taken RICH ENVIRONMENT USING using the seismograph. Data was collected along 7 transects across the ~0.5 km long PASSIVE SEISMICS: RESULTS Kelvin kimberlite pipe at 50 m spacing. Data FROM THE 2017 PRELIMINARY was also collected above 25 RC boreholes. SURVEY AT KENNADY CAMP, To collect data, the seismograph was placed NORTHWEST TERRITORIES on the surface of the ground and recorded data for 30 minutes. The ground surface MCPEAK*, S.1, MALLOZZI, S.1, consisted of relatively loose sediment and it SAMSON, C.1, ELLIOTT, B.2, and was challenging at times to place the HUNTER, J.3 seismograph into firm ground. Nevertheless, 64 out of the 95 stations returned valid data (1) CARLETON UNIVERSITY, OTTAWA, ON (2) NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL showing Horizontal-to-Vertical component SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT Spectral Resonance (HVSR) with (3) GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, fundamental frequency ground resonance OTTAWA, ON associated with a large seismic shear [email protected] velocity contrast at depth. The frequency of Passive seismics is a relatively new the peak resonance may be associated with exploration method in which vibrations from the shear wave velocity of the distant earthquakes are used as a source of unconsolidated sediment and the depth to signal. Data is processed to estimate the bedrock. depth of the interface between the overburden and the underlying bedrock. To derive depth to bedrock from the seismic
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 103 data, knowledge of the velocity-depth The Northwest Territories Geological profile in the near-subsurface is required. At Survey (NTGS) holds a large collection of this early stage of the project, this government and industry geophysical data information is not yet available; hence, the and has the mandate to make these data regional profile from the Ottawa non- available to the public. However, while the permafrost thick soil area was used as a NTGS's online data access systems are preliminary minimum depth estimate. Using being upgraded, there is no single place this assumption, preliminary results show where clients can discover what data exist in that the depth estimates to bedrock range this collection. To aid users in finding between 0.5-2 m in most the survey area. In available geophysical data, all publically a 0.55 km by 0.4 km region immediately available airborne electromagnetic, east of the main grid, the overburden is radiometric, and gravity data conducted in thicker and depth to bedrock can reach the NWT by federal and territorial values in excess of 3 m. When future shear governments, and industry are represented wave velocity measurements of overburden here on compilation maps, these finding aids are made, refined depth estimates may will be published as an NWT Open Report increase by as much as a factor of 10. in the near future.
In years two and three of the project, New high-quality geophysical data are additional passive seismic data will be collected by government and industry in acquired, together with data from other areas where data are lacking; industry- geophysical techniques, including the shear acquired data are added to the NTGS wave refraction seismic technique to obtain collection by donation and as a requirement a local velocity-depth profile for the survey of the NWT Mining Regulations. We area as an independent geophysical estimate present the details of two government of overburden thickness. The performance geophysical surveys flown in 2017, and the of passive seismics will be evaluated in outline of one upcoming project. different situations: thin versus thick overburden, permafrost of variable The NTGS conducted a high-sensitivity thickness, and overburden of different fixed wing aeromagnetic survey in the composition. Borehole measurements, for central Slave craton, parts of NTS 75M & which the depth to bedrock is known, will 75N. The aeromagnetic survey was flown also be used to validate the passive seismic with east-west traverse line spaced 100 m data. apart and north south control lines spaced 600 m apart. The nominal aircraft terrain NORTHWEST TERRITORIES clearance was 60 m with drape flying. A GEOLOGICAL SURVEY total of 87,696 line-kilometres of data was acquired, covering approximately 7,500 GEOPHYSICAL ACTIVITIES, 2 km . The aeromagnetic data is published by 2017-2018 as NWT Open Report 2017-014 (Mirza and Elliott, 2017). MIRZA, A.M. NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL The NTGS also contracted a second survey, SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT a helicopter-borne electromagnetic and [email protected] horizontal-gradient magnetic survey consisting of six blocks. Blocks were flown
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 104 with an east-west traverse lines spaced 75 m INFLUENCE OF TERRAIN AND apart and north south control lines separated HIGHWAY CONSTRUCTION ON 750 m. The nominal terrain clearance was THERMOKARST 60 m to maintain a bird height of 25 m. A total of 4,578 line-kilometres of data was DISTRIBUTION, NORTH SLAVE acquired, covering ground on parts of NTS REGION, NORTHWEST 75M, N, and 76D. The NTGS published the TERRITORIES, CANADA survey as NWT Open Report 2017-015 (Mirza and Elliott, 2017). MORSE*, P.D.1, WOLFE, S.A.1, and MCWADE, T.L.2 Both new airborne geophysical datasets are (1) GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, expected to stimulate private sector activity OTTAWA, ON and investment by providing insight into (2) CARLETON UNIVERSITY, OTTAWA, ON possible locations of intrusions and fault [email protected] structures that could be related to Permafrost degradation is occurring widely mineralization of interest, especially in the circumpolar north and is expected to kimberlite. have broad-reaching effects on the land and its inhabitants. However, there is little The Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) are quantitative information on thermokarst flying a fixed wing aeromagnetic distribution and development in northern reconnaissance in the NWT Mackenzie Canada, including southern North Slave, Mountains, parts of NTS 95M, N, 105O, P NT. Permafrost in the region is presently and 106A, B, C. The survey is designed with degrading, and modelling suggests the 800 m line and 2400 m tie line spacing. The discontinuous permafrost extent will decline nominal aircraft terrain clearance is 250 m significantly. Differential thaw subsidence with drape flying. The results of this project has already occurred along Highway 3, will be published in a joint publication of the affecting drivability and maintenance costs NTGS and GSC. Previous to this study, on this important transportation artery. The there was no aeromagnetic data available for objective of this study was to quantify this area, and these new high-resolution thermokarst development in order to aeromagnetic data can be used by multiple evaluate the dominant terrain controls, and stakeholders to enhance geoscience the influence of Highway 3, on the knowledge, promote mineral exploration, distribution of thermokarst. We mapped the and inform land use planning decisions. location and size of thermokarst ponding (a change from forest cover to water) in a 1430 km2 study area by comparing historic and modern remotely sensed imagery from 1945, 1961, and 2005.
Permafrost in the region developed in a time-transgressive manner during Holocene lake-level recession, from glacial Lake McConnell to the present-day level of Great Slave Lake (5 mm·a-1 over the last 8000 years). The past inundation has left uplands of extensive wave-washed bedrock outcrops
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with depressions filled with glaciolacustrine where permafrost peatlands degrade to fens. (GL) and glaciofluvial sediments. In Reduced thermokarst ponding at higher contrast, GL deposits cover more of the elevation may relate to the limited GL landscape, nearly 70 % of the exposed sediment cover, but also to greater time for surface, at lower elevation in Great Slave past thermokarst development due to earlier Lowlands. Ground ice accumulation emergence following lake-level recession. accompanied permafrost aggradation into Regardless, thermokarst development will the fine-grained sediments, and is evident on likely continue in low-lying forested GL the landscape in the form of widespread deposits that should be avoided by new lithalsas. infrastructure construction.
Highway 3 was constructed during the mid- THE GEOLOGY OF THE 1960s and preferentially aligned to cross FARADAY 2 KIMBERLITE PIPE, terrain underlain by fine-grained sediments NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, to avoid bedrock and waterbodies. Local silt and clay used to construct the road CANADA embankment was sourced from shallow NELSON*, L.1, HETMAN, C.M.2, and borrow pits developed along the right-of- 2 way. Following construction, many borrow DIERING, M. pits developed into ponds. Major highway (1) AURORA GEOSCIENCES LTD., realignments between 1999 and 2006 YELLOWKNIFE, NT (2) SRK CONSULTING, VANCOUVER, BC maximized bedrock traverses to reduce the [email protected] construction on thaw-sensitive permafrost and limit embankment settlement. The diamondiferous Faraday 2 kimberlite pipe is located in the Archean Slave Craton, Thermokarst ponding is widespread in the approximately 10 km north of the Gahcho study area (n = 3138). The individual area of Kué Diamond Mine. Faraday 2 is one of four most new ponding is typically small (< 5000 inclined pipes comprising the Kelvin-Faraday m2) but ranges up to 45 000 m2. kimberlite cluster. The bodies have tube-like Thermokarst development is dominantly shapes and trend towards the northwest. constrained within GL deposits, and Extensive kimberlite sheets are associated decreases with elevation. Highway with the pipes. Some of the sheet complexes construction has substantially affected have strike lengths of over 1000 m. The thermokarst development. Compared to kimberlites intrude metaturbidites of the undisturbed GL deposits, ponding density is Yellowknife Supergroup. an order of magnitude greater within 200 m of Highway 3, where more than 95 % of Faraday 2 was first targeted because of ponding has developed since 1961 and about kimberlite indicator mineral anomalies in half of the borrow pits have developed into glacial till and magnetic and gravity thermokarst ponds. anomalies from geophysical surveying. De Beers Canada intersected kimberlite at Thermokarst is likely widespread throughout Faraday 2 in 2001. Kennady Diamonds Inc. the region as GL deposits are extensive. The re-initiated exploration in the area in 2012 transition of approximately 3.57 km2 of land and has since completed extensive drilling cover from forested permafrost terrain to and sampling programs. In 2017, a 262.2- water bodies differs from the low subarctic tonne bulk sample was collected using large-
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 106 diameter reverse circulation drilling. This inclined pipe orientation is atypical of Faraday 2 has an irregular morphology and previously-described KPK systems. non-typical inclined orientation. To date, the pipe has been delineated over 450 m; it UNDERSTANDING LAND USE varies in width between 20 and 60 m and PLAN CONFORMITY between 60 and 90 m in vertical thickness. DETERMINATION FOR The pipe is inclined towards the northwest, turning further towards the west with APPROVED REGIONAL LAND increasing depth. The southeastern section USE PLANS of the kimberlite is inclined at 30°, steepening to 40° as the kimberlite turns PHILLPOT*, D. and STRETCH, V. towards the west, and shallowing to between DEPARTMENT OF LANDS, GOVERNMENT OF 0 and 20° in the most northwesterly portion NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, YELLOWKNIFE, of the body. Faraday 2 is 200 m below the NT ground surface at its current northwestern [email protected] limit. Regional land use plans are used by developers during project planning and by Detailed logging of drill core, petrographic regulators to evaluate project proposals as studies, microdiamond and macrodiamond the first step in the permitting process. The results combined with 3D modeling in intent of this poster is to clearly outline the Leapfrog Geo have defined the irregular conformity evaluation process associated external morphology of the pipe and the with land use authorizations in order to internal geology. Faraday 2 is infilled with increase understanding of how and why multiple phases of kimberlite, forming conformity checks are completed using layered units with contacts that are sub- approved land use plans. Translation of this parallel to the pipe walls. The different knowledge is key to achieving more phases of kimberlite present are related to successful and timely applications for separate emplacement events. The dominant development projects in the Northwest pipe infill is volcaniclastic kimberlite with Territories (NWT). Topics covered include lesser volumes of coherent and transitional the current state of land use plans in the kimberlite. The major volcaniclastic NWT, the functions of land use plans, what kimberlite unit at Faraday 2 is classified as a conformity determination is and who does it, ‘Kimberley-type’ pyroclastic kimberlite how conformity requirements in approved (KPK), formerly referred to as a tuffisitic plans are implemented and enforced, and kimberlite breccia (TKB). It is characterized where to find information on land use plan by thin-skinned pelletal-shaped magmaclasts conformity. The poster will provide an (formerly pelletal lapilli) and country rock example of the Government of the xenoliths set within a matrix comprised of Northwest Territories process to ensure serpentine and microlites with variable conformity with land use plans. proportions of ash-sized particles.
The sub-horizontal, inclined orientation of the pipe, internal geology, and close relationship to kimberlite sheets within Faraday 2 are generally similar to the other kimberlites in the Kelvin-Faraday cluster.
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EVOLUTION OF INCIPIENT Mean annual temperatures near the ground LOWLAND THERMOKARST surface beneath small ponds with dense FEATURES IN THE Carex spp. or aquatic mosses ranged from - 1.5 to -2.7°C, whereas such temperatures BLACKSTONE RIVER VALLEY, ranged from 0.3 to 2.9°C beneath similarly YUKON shallow but unvegetated or sparsely vegetated water in expanding ponds. ROY-LÉVEILLÉE, P. Expanding ponds exhibiting signs of LAURENTIAN UNIVERSITY, SUDBURY, ON aggressive shore erosion were often [email protected] connected to thermo-erosion gullies, which Widespread thermokarst initiation and the visibly contributed to destabilising the shore acceleration of thermokarst development in bank. Such association with thermo-erosion permafrost peatlands can result in ecological gullies also enabled rapid degradation along change, threaten the cultural integrity of some banks of seasonal ponds, preventing northern indigenous people, change rates of the stabilization that could result from carbon storage and release at high latitudes, prolonged loss of contact between the bank and affect the geomorphology of Arctic and foot and water every summer. subarctic landscapes. Despite the multilayered significance of intensified IMPLICATIONS OF THAWING thermokarst activity the processes PERMAFROST ON WATER IN controlling the early stages of thermokarst THE NORTHWEST development and the factors differentiating TERRITORIES features that will stabilize from those that will continue to expand are still poorly 1 1 RUDY*, A.C.A. , CONNON, R.F. , understood. Here we present preliminary 2 1 DEVOIE, É. , BRAVERMAN, M. , observations of conditions associated with 1 1 WILCOX, E. , WALKER, B. , the stabilization or expansion of incipient 1 1 BALSER, J. , QUINTON, W.L. , and thermokarst ponds in the Blackstone River 1 MARSH, P. valley, central Yukon. In this large valley located near the limit between continuous (1) WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY, WATERLOO, ON and discontinuous permafrost, the alluvial (2) WATERLOO UNIVERSITY, WATERLOO, ON deposits of the river bed are surrounded with [email protected] extensive moraines and outwash deposits. Climate change is substantially impacting The vegetation cover is dominated by Northwestern Canada resulting in it being tundra, and ice wedge polygon networks are one of the most rapidly warming regions on extensive. Signs of ice wedge degradation Earth. Changes in air temperature, are widespread in several parts of the valley. precipitation, ice/snow cover, wildfire However, comparison of recent remotely regimes, and vegetation all have sensed imagery with historical aerial implications for permafrost stability. photographs indicates that several Collectively, these changes will alter degradation features have been stable for at physical and biogeochemical processes on least 20 years, while others have expanded land and in rivers, lakes, and wetlands with rapidly. This stabilization is associated with direct implications for water quality and vegetation growth in the thaw features, quantity. The Northwest Territories spans causing partial terrestrialization of incipient from sporadic to continuous permafrost ponds and cooling of the ground beneath.
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 108 zones making it well situated to examine At Scotty Creek, research has shown that the changing permafrost conditions and rate of permafrost thaw has accelerated since necessary as climate warming directly the initiation of field activities in 1999 with challenges infrastructure stability. To adapt thaw resulting in the loss of tree cover and and prepare for permafrost changes, a the conversion of forested peat plateaus to complementary collection of field data, wetlands. Additionally, seismic lines and combined with modelling, is necessary to winter roads cross the study area and since understand the factors driving changes in the their emplacement have become permafrost thermal state of the permafrost and its free-areas due to the removal of trees. The implications on the hydrological system. position and evolution of the frost table has been recorded throughout the thaw season Wilfrid Laurier University and the for multiple years across the landscape to Government of the Northwest Territories investigate changing permafrost conditions signed a 10-year (2010-2020) Partnership and recent research has shown an increase in Agreement to expand the Territories' the formation of taliks. Permafrost capacity to conduct environmental research conditions at Trail Valley are more variable and monitoring. This partnership builds due to changing snow conditions, and shrub upon two consecutive Canada Foundation expansion. Deepening active layers and the for Innovation (CFI) investments that thaw of ice-rich ground has led to the provide a state of the art infrastructure initiation of ground subsidence and platform for partnership research, training thermokarst. The continued partnership and engagement. With many sites across the between Laurier and the Government of the NWT, the Wilfrid Laurier research sites Northwest Territories will encourage span the discontinuous to continuous interdisciplinary research with the focus on permafrost boundary and represent two very understanding how climate warming- different but representative regions within induced change impacts permafrost. the NWT. These research sites include the Scotty Creek Research Watershed, located STRUCTURAL FRAMEWORK near the southern extent of discontinuous FOR THE CANTUNG permafrost, and the Trail Valley Research TUNGSTEN DEPOSIT, Watershed, located in continuous permafrost at the edge of the boreal forest-tundra NORTHWEST TERRITORIES ecotone. Research at these watersheds is SALMABADI*, E.1, HICKEY, K.A.1, and focused on the integrated dynamics and 2 variability of snow, active layer depth, FALCK, H.E. permafrost, thermokarst, shrub expansion (1) UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, and forest change, and changing soil water VANCOUVER, BC storage, lake levels and streamflow. (2) NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT Automated science infrastructure has been [email protected] installed at both research stations and includes numerous climate stations that The Cantung W-Cu-Au skarn has been one record a suite of meteorological and physical of the western world’s most significant variables and are complemented by active sources of tungsten for over the past 50 layer and permafrost temperature years. Since opening in 1962, an estimated thermistors, water level recorders and frost total of 7.68 Mt of ore has been extracted table measurements. from the Cantung mine at an average grade
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of ~1.4 % WO3. The deposit is spatially and printed by a pervasive, but weakly genetically associated with 101 to 97 Ma developed, shallow dipping S2 crenulation monzogranite plutons of the Tungsten cleavage and by S3 kinks. The F1 folds plutonic suite. At Cantung, the main Mine become tighter with larger amplitude and Stock was emplaced into shallow-water shorter wavelength closer to the mine. At carbonates of the Lower Cambrian Sekwi Cantung, the axial planes to large F1 folds Formation and the underlying siliciclastic dip moderately or shallowly to the rocks of the Lower Cambrian Vampire southwest. Within the contact metamorphic Formation. Beyond the confines of the aureole above the Mine Stock at Cantung, a Cantung deposit and the Mine Stock, these subhorizontal crenulation cleavage units are macroscopically folded as part of a developed synchronously with growth of regional NW-SE trending fold event thought cordierite porphyroblasts. This foliation is to be related to the Cordilleran Orogeny. At tentatively correlated with S2 and this Cantung, Vampire and Sekwi host rocks are deformation event may have been also folded and have a well-developed responsible for folding F1 fold into a foliation that has been overprinted by shallower dipping orientation above the contact metamorphism and skarn alteration. Mine Stock suggesting emplacement of the The mine stock is not folded or internally stock was syntectonic. Given a syntectonic ductily deformed and emplacement is timing of pluton emplacement, better insight thought to have been post-tectonic. on the structural history of the deposit and However, there is some evidence for the surrounding area will aid in foliation development during contact understanding the potential connection metamorphism and there are geometric between macro-scale fold structures and the inconsistencies between folds in the mine genesis and distribution of smaller-scale and those developed regionally. To better fracture networks that may have influenced understand the geometric and kinematic the spatial distribution of mineralization. relationship of deformation in the Cantung host rocks to the history of regional TELESEISMIC INVESTIGATION deformation, and how this might relate to OF THE CRUST AND MANTLE the spatial distribution of fluid flow and LITHOSPHERE UNDERLYING skarn mineralization, we have undertaken a structural study of the Cantung mine and BANKS ISLAND, NORTHWEST surrounding regions. TERRITORIES: IMPLICATIONS FOR RESOURCE POTENTIAL Structural data was collected along four SW- NE sections in the area between the Flat SCHAEFFER*, A.J.1, AUDET, P.1, River and the Upper Hyland Valley. CAIRNS, S.R.2, ELLIOTT, B.2, Additional data was collected from the mine FALCK, H.E.2, ESTEVE, C.1, and underground workings and open pit at SNYDER, D.3 Cantung. In Vampire Formation units to the (1) UNIVERSITY OF OTTAWA, OTTAWA, ON west of the mine, beyond the aureole of the (2) NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL Mine Stock, a pervasive, steeply-dipping, SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT (3) GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, penetrative foliation (S1) is developed and this is axial-planar to subhorizontal OTTAWA, ON [email protected] plunging, upright, NW-SE striking folds that form the regional fold train. S1 is over-
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The tectonic evolution of the Beaufort Sea Seismograph Network (BISN), an array of 4 continental margin has contributed to stations installed over the summer of 2015; establish this region as a major potential these are augmented with other stations in petroleum reservoir. Controlled source off- the region, including the USArray shore seismic data suggest that Banks Island Transportable Array, CNSN and POLARIS represents the western edge of the rifted stations on the mainland and neighbouring margin established during the opening of the Arctic Islands. We compute receiver Arctic Ocean. In this scenario rifting caused functions, teleseismic shear-wave splitting Banks Island to subside and accumulate and ambient noise cross-correlations. sediments rich in petroleum source material. Crustal thickness across Banks Island is ~30 The cooling and further subsidence of these km, with a slight thinning northward sediments is important for understanding the towards Prince Patrick Island. Anisotropy thermal maturation of petroleum products. orientations indicate margin parallel fabrics, Conversely, recently published surface-wave perpendicular to those expected for a based velocity models of North America tectonically extended margined; however, indicate seismic velocity at 100-150 km the source depth of these fabrics remains depths is similar to those beneath Canada's uncertain. Crustal structure across the region diamond mines in the central Slave craton is complex, indicative of the extensive north of Yellowknife. These results suggest sedimentary cover. that Banks Island basement is instead part of the Canadian Shield and any kimberlites TRAILS: COLLABORATIVE found thereon would be promising PERMAFROST TERRAIN candidates to contain diamonds. MAPPING, DEMPSTER AND Furthermore, seismicity located within the Mackenize River Delta and offshore in the INUVIK TO TUKTOYAKTUK Beaufort Sea has been previously observed, HIGHWAYS CORRIDOR however its origin is currently unknown, 1 1 though may potentially be related to SLADEN, W.E. , MORSE*, P.D. , 2 1 incipient subduction of oceanic lithosphere KOKELJ, S.V. , SMITH, S.L. , 1 2 beneath the North American craton. JARDINE, S. , KOKOSZKA, J. , VAN DER SLUIJS, J.3, and 1 The inference of thick cratonic-like PARKER, R.J.H. lithosphere underlying Banks Island is (1) GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, incompatible with this being a tectonically OTTAWA, ON disrupted and thinned margin of the Canada (2) NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL Basin. The question, therefore is how can SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT (3) NWT CENTRE FOR GEOMATICS, one reconcile mantle structure typical of the YELLOWKNIFE, NT Canadian Shield with crust typical of a rifted [email protected] passive margin. Resolving these questions Together, the Dempster (DH) and Inuvik to requires high-resolution seismic models Tuktoyaktuk (ITH) highways create obtained from an array of broadband Canada's northernmost all-season road and seismograph stations. Here we present in- the only one to provide access to the Arctic progress results on the structure of the crust Ocean. The combined 870-km-long corridor and uppermost mantle underlying the traverses a variety of glaciated and non- western Canadian Arctic based on data glaciated terrain through Yukon and obtained from the Banks Island Northwest Territories, ranging from the
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 111 Ogilvie Mountains in the south to the Arctic software, and digitized features are input Coastal Plain in the north. Permafrost is directly to ArcGIS using DAT/EM's Capture continuous in 91 % of the corridor, but the Interface. To date, 13 images, comprising varied relief, climate, vegetation, forest fire 445 km (51 %) of the corridor, have been regimes, and landscape histories orthorectified and pan-sharpened, and 4 nevertheless have produced highly variable images (24 %) have been rendered in 3-D. permafrost conditions. The technology and Six test sections have been mapped to test awareness of climate change in 1979, when and refine mapping methodology. the DH opened, contrast sharply with those Additional feature attributes will be assigned that prevailed during the development of the according to available geoscience data soon-to-be-opened ITH, and a number of including surficial and bedrock geology, fire geotechnical challenges remain. Though the history, and drainage basin. These data will ITH was well investigated, many questions provide an important platform for also remain regarding the role of glacial understanding ground ice distribution and legacy and post-glacial landscape testing/validating remote sensing tools, and modifications on contemporary terrain will facilitate assessment of landscape sensitivity and embankment performance. change and revision of the local surficial geology. The Transportation Resilience in the Arctic Informed by Landscape Systems (TRAILS) A PILOT PROJECT TO research activity, Natural Resources Canada, INCREASE PUBLIC operates in partnership with territorial and ACCESSIBILITY OF academic institutions, including the Northwest Territories Geological Survey PERMAFROST INFORMATION and Department of Infrastructure, and also 1 1 with the support of Transport Canada. The SMITH*, S.L. , O'NEILL, H.B. , WOLFE, S.W.1, MORSE, P.D.2, purpose is to conduct innovative permafrost 2 2 research to address questions regarding KERR, D.E. , BRODARIC, B. , KOKELJ, S.V.3, and landscape change in order to inform 3 infrastructure management decisions. The KARUNARATNE, K.C. DH-ITH corridor provides a landscape (1) GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, transect for conducting multidisciplinary NATURAL RESOURCES CANADA, OTTAWA, research on permafrost thermal conditions, ON (2) GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, terrain sensitivity, and climate change OTTAWA, ON impacts on terrain and infrastructure. (3) NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT A primary goal of TRAILS is to improve [email protected] permafrost terrain and surficial geology Knowledge of the thermal and geotechnical maps by developing a robust classification properties of subsurface materials is critical scheme and mapping methodology. In May for planning infrastructure development in 2017, we initiated a terrain mapping permafrost regions. Data from borehole logs exercise using very high-resolution imagery acquired during geotechnical investigations and LiDAR data to identify and scientific research projects can further geomorphological features and landscape support engineering design and adaptation types within the 10-km-wide corridor. The of infrastructure to climate change. imagery is rendered in 3-D with Summit 3D Although such geotechnical borehole
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 112 information is currently available in INVESTIGATING THE DIVERSE published database compilations, such as GLACIAL GEOLOGY SOUTH Geological Survey of Canada Open Files, OF LAC DE GRAS, much of these data are in various formats, often in print form and not digitally NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, accessible. A pilot project has been initiated AND ITS POTENTIAL to develop a Permafrost Information IMPLICATIONS FOR DRIFT Network (PIN) to compile and increase the PROSPECTING accessibility of available records. STIRLING*, R.A.1, KELLEY, S.E.1, The pilot project will make use of existing ROSS, M.1, NORMANDEAU, P.X.2, and web architecture developed for the ELLIOTT, B.2 Groundwater Information Network (GIN), (1) UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO, WATERLOO, which connects a variety of groundwater ON information from federal, provincial, and (2) NORTHWEST TERRITORIES GEOLOGICAL territorial sources. The goal of the PIN pilot SURVEY, YELLOWKNIFE, NT project is to adapt the existing GIN [email protected] capabilities for permafrost-related Drift prospecting has been used extensively information, allowing users to view borehole southwest of Lac de Gras to find buried locations, geotechnical properties, and diamondiferous kimberlites. However, the stratigraphy through a web application, and surficial geology of that area is characterized download the data for analysis. At the end of by a great diversity of glacial deposits and the initial testing phase, a limited amount of landforms as well as variable drift thickness. geotechnical information will be available The effect of this heterogeneity on the through PIN. The future goal is to surface and near-surface expression of collaborate with additional data holders and kimberlite indicator mineral trains is poorly connect to their data compilations through understood and could have important PIN applications. This can help federal and implications. This study aims to gain an in- territorial organizations make new depth understanding of the complex surficial information publicly available on an geology south of Lac de Gras and its ongoing basis. Other types of information potential effects on dispersal patterns in such as ground temperature records (time order to improve drift prospecting strategies series data) can be incorporated into PIN in in this and other challenging regions. the future. In July 2017, we conducted fieldwork in two Through multi-agency project planning and key areas south of Lac de Gras where collaboration, the PIN initiative can identify sediments from a variety of glacial sub- the processes and resources to increase environments (subglacial, supraglacial, access to baseline information to support glaciofluvial, and glaciolacustrine) were decision making in northern Canada. It can identified and sampled (n=51). We also also contribute to a broader objective of measured ice flow indicators (e.g., striation) developing a Canadian geoscience at numerous outcrops (n=18). Samples and information network. data collected will help to determine not only the ice flow direction and relative flow ages, but also the composition of different types of glacial sediments, and possible
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post-glacial lacustrine reworked sediments the health of the land and water are a top found in the area. We will use that priority in the face of potential industrial information to explore glacial entrainment development and climate warming, the mechanisms and glacial dispersal processes, Tłı̨chǫ Government developed the Marian relevant to exploration that complement an Watershed Stewardship Program (MWSP). 3D indicator mineral dataset donated by The Marian Watershed covers a substantial Dominion Diamond Ekati Corp. and North portion (23,000 km2) within Tłı̨chǫ Lands Arrow Minerals Inc. The latter will be and is a main region for fishing, hunting, particularly useful to map till thickness and transportation. The primary objective of variability and understand the effect of the MWSP is to establish baseline data bedrock topography on 3D dispersal through the sampling of water, sediment, patterns. Overall, landform assemblages, and fish that can serve as reference points drift thickness and composition, and bedrock for detecting effects of ongoing climate topography in source and dispersal areas change and potential mining, such as will be analyzed for their implications on Fortune Minerals proposed NICO mine. In KIM occurrence patterns. This work will collaboration with the MWSP, this research advance the knowledge of the surficial aims to establish baselines of geology within an area of complex glacial hydroecological conditions and lake geology, bringing new insights into this sediment metal concentrations to better prospective region. inform continued monitoring. Paleolimnological methods are being USING PALEOLIMNOLOGY TO applied to sediment cores from nine lakes throughout the watershed. Sediment cores ESTABLISH BASELINE 210 137 CONDITIONS AND TRENDS dated using Pb and Cs are being analysed for physical (loss-on-ignition, grain FOR CONTAMINANTS AND size), geochemical (organic carbon and CLIMATE FOR A COMMUNITY- nitrogen elemental and isotope composition, BASED AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM cellulose oxygen isotope composition), and MONITORING PROGRAM, biological (diatoms) parameters, and metal MARIAN WATERSHED, concentrations. Results from Nico Lake, NORTHWEST TERRITORIES located adjacent to the NICO deposit, shows a narrow range of concentrations for most metals during the past 900 years, with the TELFORD*, J.V.1, WOLFE, B.B.1, exception of arsenic. When normalized to HALL, R.I.2, and HUM, J.3 cobalt and lithium to account for changes in (1) WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY, concentrations due to erosional intensity and WATERLOO, ON supply from the catchment, arsenic is (2) UNIVERSITY OF WATERLOO, WATERLOO, ON enriched between about ~1940-2000 relative (3) LANDS PROTECTION DEPARTMENT, to the pre-industrial As/Co, As/Li ratio that TŁĮCHǪ GOVERNMENT, BEHCHOKǪ̀ , NT existed during the Little Ice Age (~1580 and [email protected] ~1940). Prior to ~1580, arsenic is also In 2005, full surface and sub-surface land enriched, exceeding values apparent in the th rights of 39,500 km2 in the central latter half of the 20 century. The Northwest Territories (Tłı̨chǫ Lands) were stratigraphic record clearly shows evidence acknowledged in the Tłı̨chǫ Agreement. that natural processes can lead to arsenic Driven by the ethos that the preservation of enrichment at this location, which may
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 114 confound ability to detect anthropogenic outcrops, bouldery tills, wet areas and sources. Ongoing studies of other lake freshly eroded sediments; 3) the digital sediment cores will be used to further compilation of geology data for the area. understand mechanisms that drive This poster also presents an integration of stratigraphic variation in arsenic modern and traditional knowledge on concentrations and other metals of concern permafrost conditions. Recent fieldwork throughout the watershed. involved the installation of several permafrost and ground temperature SURFICIAL SEDIMENTS, LAND monitoring stations along with ground COVER MAPPING AND geophysics, airborne mapping, and satellite PERMAFROST remote sensing of seasonal ground displacement. Site locations were chosen to CHARACTERISTICS IN THE represent a variety of conditions including WESTERN HUDSON BAY AREA, developed and undeveloped land, and NUNAVUT different geological settings. From new data in Rankin Inlet, average summer ground TREMBLAY*, T.1, temperature is -5.6°C at 12 m depth for a OLDENBORGER, G.A.2, site on developed land and -6.6°C at 7 m BELLEHUMEUR-GÉNIER, O.2, depth for a site on undeveloped land. These SHORT, N.3, and LEBLANC, A.-M.2 results are in agreement with other (1) CANADA-NUNAVUT GEOSCIENCE OFFICE, contemporary ground temperature data IQALUIT, NU available for the area, but could suggest (2) GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, warming of the permafrost if we compare OTTAWA, ON them with historical ground temperatures. (3) CANADA CENTRE FOR MAPPING AND Results are site specific, but observations EARTH OBSERVATION, OTTAWA, ON [email protected] indicate correlation between surficial geology, apparent conductivity and seasonal The Western Hudson Bay project is a ground displacement that could be used for Canada-Nunavut Geoscience Office permafrost mapping. A remote sensing (CNGO) –led geoscience project collecting interpretation methodology was designed to and compiling surficial geoscience and extract relevant land cover information for permafrost data for infrastructure. Western infrastructure studies from RapidEye Hudson Bay area lies in the continuous satellite images. In collaboration with the permafrost zone, where 90–100% of the Geological Survey of Canada’s mapping ground surface is underlain by permafrost. group, existing paper surficial geology maps Permafrost and ground ice are important were digitalized and compiled for the area, features of the landscape that can and surficial geochemistry data is currently significantly affect land-based infrastructure. compiled in a single database at CNGO. This poster presents 1) fieldwork conducted in Rankin Inlet to determine ground temperatures, and provide information on permafrost and ground ice conditions for the region; 2) a methodology for interpreting land cover from RapidEye images to enhance spatial knowledge on potential aggregate sources (gravel deposits), bedrock
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 115 AN OVERVIEW OF BOOTHIA by glacial till, particularly over western PENINSULA - SOMERSET Boothia Peninsula. Historically, little in- ISLAND, NORTHERN depth study has been done of the area with the first extensive survey conducted in 1962, NUNAVUT, DERIVED FROM and a later mapping campaign in 1986-92. AIRBORNE MAGNETIC DATA – INITIAL FIELD INTEGRATION Interpretive study of airborne geophysical RESULTS data for this region started with an aeromagnetic survey flown over the area in UGALDE*, H.1, BALLINGER, J.B.1, 2016. These data were processed and SANBORN-BARRIE, M.2, and compiled with previous GEM-2 surveys REGIS, D.2 flown to the north and south of the current project area in 2013 and 2014. The compiled (1) BROCK UNIVERSITY, ST. CATHARINES, ON (2) GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, dataset provides a wealth of data to OTTAWA, ON complement ongoing geological mapping of [email protected] the area and for regional correlation. The Geo-mapping for Energy and Minerals Preliminary geophysical interpretation work (GEM-2) program from Natural Resources in the southeast part of the survey area Canada is laying out the foundations for shows several deformation events that extensive integrated geoscience programs in resulted in at least two generation of folds Canada's North. One of the activities within and three main orientations of brittle faults. the Rae craton is the Boothia Peninsula- From younger to older, the main structural Somerset Island project: Integrated trends are east northeast, northeast and Geoscience of the Northwest Passage. northwest. Cross-cutting relationships between dykes allow to separate at least 2 Besides updating the geological map of the different swarms in the area, striking area, this project is focusing in elucidating northwest and northeast. In terms of the extent, age and character of crustal lithology, each of the main lithological units domains underlying Boothia Peninsula and is characterized by a distinct pattern: Somerset Island; identifying any mineral metasediments are weakly magnetic and resources attributed to, and affected by the show minor low amplitude magnetic rifting and collision of the Thelon Tectonic anomalies; intrusives have a moderate Zone in the area; and expanding the impact response with medium wavelength and of mainland GEM-2 Rae-Chantrey findings amplitude; and late gabbroic dykes are north across the Arctic Islands. The characterized by their strong magnetic integration of airborne geophysics and anomalies. These patterns provided a remote sensing with all the available field preliminary definition of contacts, which geological data and ancillary analysis is were verified and refined during the field paramount to fulfilling these objectives, mapping. since these tools can add continuity to sparse field observations. The first field mapping campaign during July-August 2017 involved bedrock The geology of the region consists of mostly mapping and collection of samples for high-grade metasedimentary rocks intruded petrological, geochronological and by a mafic plutonic suite and voluminous geochemical studies with targeted surficial metagranitoids. The region is partly covered studies across Boothia Peninsula and
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 116 Somerset Island. In this contribution we have been generated for the lakes, including show the integration of the first field water level measurements from installed mapping results with the previous data loggers and seasonal water isotope interpretation work conducted on the compositions (i.e., δ2H and δ18O) from lake geophysical data. water samples. These data are providing key insights into the contemporary water balance EVALUATING LAKE WATER conditions of the lakes. Preliminary data BALANCES IN RELATION TO suggest that the study lakes may experience CATCHMENT annual water level fluctuations in the range of approximately 0.18 to 1.4 m. CHARACTERISTICS NEAR YELLOWKNIFE, NT, AND The extent of each study lake catchment has THEIR HYDROLOGICAL been delineated using 10-m raster, Digital RESPONSE TO VARYING Elevation Model (DEM) data provided by CLIMATIC CONDITIONS the NWT Centre for Geomatics. Using the Spatial Analyst extension in ESRI ArcMap VISCEK*, J.A. and TURNER, K.W. 10.5 software, the DEM data was merged; with raster units then filled for sinks and BROCK UNIVERSITY, ST. CATHARINES, ON assigned flow direction values. Using the [email protected] Arc Hydro Tool, Batch Watershed Freshwater lakes are prominent features Delineation for Polygons, the catchments for throughout northern boreal regions which the study lake polygons were then delineated provide important habitat for flora and from the modified DEM data. Study lake fauna, and resources for local communities. catchments were found to range from Increasingly, concern has been placed on approximately 0.7 to 25,015 km2 in size better understanding how these northern (avg=2,617 km2). Several study lake lakes respond to fire disturbance and catchments were determined to fall within drought, which have been associated with larger study lake catchments. Catchment changes in climate conditions during recent characteristics, including proportion of decades. Wildfires have been particularly major land cover types and burn area will be intense in the Yellowknife, Northwest identified using remotely sensed data (e.g., Territories, area over the past several years, Landsat) in conjunction with ArcGIS Spatial and their influence on aquatic systems Analyst tools. Relative land cover remains unclear. information among delineated catchments will be compared to evaluate correlations This research project integrates a number of with lake hydrological conditions. analyses to identify the relative significance of climatic and catchment controls on the Historical lake hydrological conditions will hydrology of 19 lakes in the Yellowknife be reconstructed using cellulose-inferred region. The study lakes – located within a δ18O isotope records from extracted lake 300 km radius of Yellowknife – were sediment cores, to determine whether selected to reflect a range of catchment contemporary lake hydrological conditions characteristics, with lake surface areas are within the range of natural variability. 2 ranging from approximately 0.1 to 159 km Further, data collaborations with the 2 (avg=11.8 km ), situated within both burned National Aeronautics and Space and non-burned catchments. Several datasets Administration (NASA) - University of
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 117 California, Los Angeles (UCLA) AirSWOT The Kelvin kimberlite (Kennady Diamonds) program will help evaluate whether is located eight kilometers from the Gahcho AirSWOT, an airborne analogue to SWOT Kué diamond mine in the Northwest (Surface Water Ocean Topography) remote Territories. The kimberlite is an inclined sensing technology, can be used to broaden pipe that outcrops beneath a lake. It has a the scale of lake hydrology studies. The surface projection towards the NW more findings generated during this research than 600 m long, most which, however, is program will enhance our knowledge of how concealed under gneiss and is not exposed at warming northern climate and associated the bedrock-till interface. The research site landscape changes and disturbance are is covered in a veneer of glacial till and is influencing lakes. The work is part of a characterized by low relief (30 m total), broader research project that is using a occasional swamps and frost boils. multi-proxy, paleoecological approach to Vegetation is sparse and is dominated by determine long-term (i.e., 2000 years) low shrubs and grasses. records of drought, fire and water quality to inform future policy planning. Surface materials were mapped for use in the assessment of the geochemical response. SURFACE TILL 215 soil samples were collected from the GEOCHEMISTRY AND oxidized upper B-horizon above the LITHOGEOCHEMICAL kimberlite, both up-ice, and up to 1 km in the down-ice direction. Samples were sieved EXPLORATION FOR A to -180 microns and analyzed by four acid CONCEALED KIMBERLITE ICP-MS and aqua-regia digestion ICP-MS. Initial results indicate the soils to be WICKHAM*, A.P. and primitive with little degradation of the WINTERBURN, P.A. original mineralogy. Additional samples UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, were collected for Spatiotemporal VANCOUVER, BC Geochemical Hydrocarbons (SGH) analysis. [email protected] Diamond drill core of the gneiss host-rock is In regions where recent glaciation has buried being analyzed by fusion ICP-MS, total- kimberlites under glacial sediments, surface carbon and aqua-regia ICP-MS to identify geochemical detection methods are better and characterize the alteration mineralogy interpreted when coupled with a surrounding the kimberlite pipe and assess comprehension of the landscape formation lithological host-rock variability which may processes. Geochemical anomaly generation contribute to the surface anomalies. and preservation are controlled by surface materials, themselves a product of often MAPPING GROUND ICE complex landscape evolution. The glacial, POTENTIAL IN CANADA post-glacial, and cryoturbation processes that have affected the landscape have, in WOLFE*, S.A., DUCHESNE, C., turn, affected the dispersal of geochemical O'NEILL, H.B., and PARKER, R.J.H. signatures in the till. Results from research GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF CANADA, at the Kelvin kimberlite, Northwest OTTAWA, ON Territories will help to refine exploration [email protected] practices, resulting in reduced costs whilst improving exploration success.
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 118 Ground ice is widespread in permafrost within permafrost by a sediment cover. The regions. The thaw of ground ice initiates surficial geology, glaciation, paleo-biome, different thermokarst processes depending and permafrost map data combined with on ice type, host sediments, and distribution. knowledge-based associations between These processes are dramatically affecting environmental conditions and ground ice are landscapes and human activity in northern used in a model within a GIS to determine North America, but our current knowledge ground ice potentials for these three ice of ground ice distribution and the impacts types. associated with the thaw of ice-rich permafrost is inadequate. (1) Buried ice potentials are defined for 22 surficial sediment types. Potentials are The Permafrost Map of Canada (MCR 4177) highest within thick till, moderate within is the primary source representing ground glaciofluvial sediments, and absent in ice in Canada, but has limitations including sediment veneers and bedrock. Buried ice poor differentiation of ground ice types and potential is reduced in areas of past coarse spatial resolution. Mapping at the inundation, and modified by paleo-biome national scale necessarily includes distributions. The potentials are further extrapolation based on limited data and modified by modern permafrost distribution. expert knowledge. Our objective is to (2) Segregated ice potentials are assessed present the methodology and early results initially by the frost susceptibility of each from a new national-scale mapping effort of surficial sediment type. Areas of marine three common ground ice types: (1) inundation also define potential for saline segregated ice, (2) wedge ice, and (3) buried permafrost. The potentials are then modified ice. The ground-ice potentials are based on based on past biomes and present-day knowledge of glacial and post-glacial permafrost distributions. (3) Wedge ice sedimentary processes as well as past and potentials are initially based on the surficial present environments from existing national- material type, and the time exposed to scale datasets. These include the Surficial biomes associated with conditions Geology of Canada (GSC CGM 195), the favourable to thermal contraction cracking. Deglaciation of North America (GSC Open The potentials are then modified by the File 1574), the Glacial Map of Canada (GSC present-day permafrost distribution. Map 1253A), Paleovegetation Maps of Northern North America (GSC Open File Preliminary maps for the three ground ice 4682), and the Permafrost Map of Canada types are presented. These enhance the (MCR 4177). existing national-scale representation of ground ice on the Permafrost Map of Permafrost is commonly ice-rich due to Canada, and represent a fundamental step segregated ice formed during initial towards understanding the impacts that permafrost aggradation, and its climate warming and permafrost thaw will accumulation over time from repeated have on permafrost regions in North freezing and thawing of the active layer. America. Wedge ice forms within permafrost in regions where air temperatures are conducive to thermal contraction cracking of the ground. Buried ice, represented here primarily by glaciogenic ice, is preserved
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 119 WATER QUALITY DATA TO Preliminary findings suggest that SUPPORT CUMULATIVE understandings of both the definition of and EFFECTS DECISION-MAKING responsibility for cumulative effects assessment and management remain unclear. IN THE MACKENZIE VALLEY, Ultimately, this may be preventing NORTHWEST TERRITORIES cumulative effects from being assessed, and appropriately managed, in a comprehensive, 1 1 WONG*, L. , NOBLE, B. , and consistent and systematic manner. While it 2 HANNA, K. is evident that a great deal of environmental (1) UNIVERSITY OF SASKATCHEWAN, monitoring is conducted in the Northwest SASKATOON, SK Territories, results indicate it requires a (2) UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA, more deliberate approach to ensure that the KELOWNA, BC data collected support cumulative effects [email protected] assessment and management initiatives at Cumulative effects assessment and both the local (i.e. project) and more management of freshwater systems remains regional scales. Further analysis of current an enduring challenge to responsible government-led monitoring programs is resource management decisions across required to enable a comparison with data Canada's North. Recent practice and collected under proponent-based monitoring research indicates a clear need to improve programs. These results will both aid in how cumulative effects are assessed and advancing the integration of proponent- and managed, and to bridge the gap between government-led environmental monitoring environmental impact assessments and and be of direct value for regulatory environmental effects monitoring programs. decision making by land and water boards in This research examines how environmental the North. monitoring programs in the Mackenzie Valley, Northwest Territories, contribute to STATISTICAL MODELS FOR the identification, understanding and management of cumulative effects to INTERPRETING freshwater systems. This involved a review SPATIOTEMPORAL DYNAMICS of databases to assess the nature of OF ALLOMETRIC GROWTH OF monitoring conducted by project proponents SUBARCTIC LAKE WHITEFISH for environmental impact assessments and POPULATIONS under water licensing requirements, and the monitoring conducted by government ZHU, X. agencies for environmental effects FISHERIES AND OCEANS CANADA, monitoring. Semi-structured interviews WINNIPEG, MB complemented the review to determine the [email protected] utility of existing data to develop Many statistical models have been used for environmental baselines and to predict allometric growth of fishes. Among these, a cumulative effects. Interviewees included power-function model (W = aLb) has staff from land and water boards, industry become conventional to describe the weight proponents, consultants, independent mine (W) - length (L) relationship, indicating both oversight boards and various levels of individual and cohort fitness. Condition government. factor is also determined through this power- function, assuming regression coefficient b
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 120 is constant (a = WL-b). The primary objective of this study, using a total of 4924 Lake Whitefish from a fishery-independent survey in the main basin of Great Slave Lake (GSL), June–August, 2011–2016, is to develop a multimodel inference (MMI) framework to address the appropriateness of log-transformed length and weight model selections. Four candidate models, linear, quadratic, cubic and piecewise are included. Information-based MMI indicated that allometric growth patterns may be biased when arbitrarily selecting a linear model. Although measurements of the morphometric variables and parameter estimates are sensitive or related to fitness of individuals, substantial spatiotemporal variation may influence our ability to interpret the changes in allometric growth of subarctic populations of Lake Whitefish in the oligotrophic GSL. The potential application and associated uncertainties of MMI statistical models for the evaluation of cumulative changes in fish population abundance, hydroclimate environment and exploitation are discussed.
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 121 Index * Search by authors last name
A BURYAK, S. · 65 ABOUCHAR, J. · 1 BUTTERS, T.I. · 10 ABU BAKAR, M. · 2 BYRNE, M. · 29 ACOSTA-GONGORA, P. · 47 BYRON, M. · 84 ADAMCZEWSKI, J. · 12 ADLAKHA, E.E. · 1 C ADLAKHA, P. · 7 ALFARO, M.C. · 94 CABRAL PINTO, F. · 91 ALLARD, M. · 44, 95 CAIRNS, S.R. · 24, 92, 110 ALTY, R. · 2 CALMELS, F. · 11, 44 ARENSON, L.U. · 2, 44, 94 CAMERON, D. · 12 ARNOLD, L. · 89 CAMERON, K. · 28 ATKINSON, G. · 73 CAMPBELL, J.E. · 50 AUDET, P. · 110 CAMPBELL, S. · 74 AZDAJIC, M. · 4 CARMICHAEL, T.J. · 87 CASTAGNER, A. · 77 B CECI, M. · 54 CHACKO, T. · 6 BABAIE MAHANI, A. · 37 CHADWICK, T. · 74 BAILEY, A.S. · 90 CHAMBERLAND, J. · 7 BALLINGER, J.B. · 71, 116 CHAPELSKY, A.J. · 87 BALSER, J. · 108 CHASMER, L. · 35 BARNETT, W. · 4 CHEN, W. · 12 BAXTER, L. · 83 CHENEY, C.L. · 13 BELANGER, A. · 5 CHÉTELAT, J. · 61 BELLEHUMEUR-GÉNIER, O. · 115 CHEYNE, E. · 93 BELOSEVIC, M.B. · 6 CHIN, K.S. · 29 BENNETT, J. · 7 CLIFFE-PHILLIPS, M.A. · 14 BHUIYAN, M. · 7 CLINTON, L.A. · 14 BIRCHALL, C.J. · 19 CLIPPERTON, K. · 77 BIRLEA, M. · 8 COFFIN, L.M. · 15 BLACK, J. · 61 CONNELLY, D.M. · 15 BLAIS, J.M. · 13 CONNON, R.F. · 16, 17, 108 BONHOMME, E. · 65 CONWAY, H. · 93 BOUCHER, B. · 1 COREY, L. · 12 BOULANGER, J. · 12 COULOMBE, S. · 95 BRAVERMAN, M. · 8, 16, 108 COULTON, D. · 17 BRODARIC, B. · 112 CRAIG, J.R. · 17 BROWN, N. · 10 CROFT, B. · 12 BROWN, S. · 9, 44 CROOKES, S. · 65 BURN, C.R. · 44 CROWLEY, J. · 55
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 122 G
GABRIEL, D. · 74 D GARNER, C.S. · 29 DAVIES, A.W. · 93 GARNER, C. · 54 DAVIES, J.H.F.L. · 65 GHOFRANI, H. · 37 DAVIES, R. · 93 GIBSON, H.D. · 55, 80 DAVIS, W. · 64 GINGRAS, M.K. · 41, 96 DE GUZMAN, E.M.B. · 94 GODBOUT, P.-M. · 50 DE LA MARE, C. · 17 GORDON, V. · 29 DERKSON, C. · 46 GRANDMONT, K. · 11 DESGAGNES, B. · 102 GREENMAN, J.W. · 35 DEUTSCH, C. · 91 GREENWOOD, D.R. · 65 DEVOIE, É. · 17, 108 GREWAL, J. · 30 DEWOLFE, Y.M. · 18 GINGRAS, M.K. · 41, 97 DIERING, M. · 106 GRUBER, S. · 10, 30, 44, 77 DOBOSZ, A. · 99 GRUNER, P. · 31 DONIHEE, J. · 19 GU, Y.J. · 73 DORÉ, G. · 20, 44, 94 GUILMETTE, C. · 76 DRAYSON, D. · 71 GUNN, A. · 12 DUCHARME, M.A. · 95 DUCHESNE, C. · 75, 118 H DUK-RODKIN, A. · 57 DUMAIS, S. · 20, 44 HALL, R. · 35 HALL, R.I. · 114 HALVERSON, G.P. · 64 E HAM, L. · 31 ELGIN, R.A. · 21 HANLEY, J.J. · 1 ELLIOTT, B. · 22, 67, 82, 101, 103, 110, 113 HANNA, H. · 89 ENGLISH, M. · 98 HANNA, K. · 120 ENSOM, T.P. · 23, 46 HANNER, R. · 65 ESTEVE, C. · 110 HANSEN, K. · 32 EVANS, M. · 87 HARDMAN, M.F. · 33 EVANS, P.C. · 100 HARKEMA, S. · 74 HARRIS, B. · 41, 97 HARRIS, D.M. · 54, 98 F HARRIS, G.A. · 33 HARRIS, J. · 74 FALCK, H.E · 1, 24, 43, 57, 62, 91, 99, 109, HAUG, K. · 73 110 HE, J. · 37 FALLAS, K.M. · 25, 96 HEAMAN, L.M. · 6 FIESS, K.M. · 26, 41, 79, 97 HEBERT, E. · 74 FINDLEY, A. · 74 HEPPELLE, B. · 28 FISCHER, B.J. · 27 HETMAN, C.M. · 4, 106 FLOWER, A.F. · 27 HICKEY, K. A. · 62, 109 FORD, A. · 71 HICKMAN, J. · 98 FRASER, R.H. · 40 HOEVE, E. · 44 FROESE, C. · 27 HOLLOWAY, J.E. · 34 FULFORD, J. · 28 HOPKINSON, C. · 35 FURLAN, A. · 82 HRKAC, C. · 4, 52
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 123 HUM, J. · 114 LEA, E. · 87 HUNTER, J. · 103 LEBEAU, L.E. · 35 HYNDMAN, R. · 37 LEBLANC, A-M. · 115 LEBLANC, S.G. · 12 LEESON, N. · 43 I LEMIEUX, C. · 20 LENTZ, C.P.E. · 43 IDREES, M. · 44 LEONARD, D.L. · 87 IELPI, A. · 35, 64 LEONARD, L. · 37 IKPAKOHAK, F. · 95 LEWKOWICZ, A.G. · 34, 44 LILLEY, S.C. · 18 J LIU, J. · 33 LORON, C. · 64 JAMIESON, H.E. · 58, 72, , 99 JAMIESON-HANES, J.H. · 99 JAMISON, D. · 47 M JANZEN, R.J.D. · 67 MACLEAN, B.C. · 25 JARDINE, S. · 111 MACNAUGHTON, R.B. · 25, 96 JIANG, Y. · 37 MACDONALD, S. · 45 JITNIKOVITCH, A. · 46 MACKAY, D. · 74 MAHONEY, C. · 35 K MAITLAND, K.M. · 58 MALENFANT LEPAGE, J. · 44 KANIGAN, J.C.N. · 36 MALLOZZI, S. · 103 KAO, H. · 37 MANN, P. · 46 KARA, N. · 37 MARSH, P. · 23, 44, 46, 108 KARUNARATNE, K.C. · 44, 112 MARTEL, E. · 47, 55, 62 KEATS, B.J. · 100 MARTIN, A.J. · 72 KELLEY, S.E. · 67, 101, 113 MARTIN, J.P. · 48, 54, 98 KELSCH, D. · 33 MCALLISTER, B. · 74 KENNEDY, L. · 62 MCCANDLESS, T. · 4, 102 KERR, D.E. · 50, 102, 112 MCFARLANE, C.R.M. · 43 KETCHUM, J. · 38 MCKILLOP, R.J. · 49, 70 KEY, J. · 38 MCLAUGHLIN, J.W. · 60 KIM, J. · 17 MCLEOD, K. · 44 KIMPE, L.E. · 13 MCMARTIN, I. · 50 KNOX, B. · 18, 39 MCPEAK, S. · 103 KOKELJ, S.V. · 23, 40, 53, 68, 77, 98, 111, 112 MCWADE, T.L. · 105 KOKOSZKA, J. · 111 MEEK, R. · 64 KONRAD, J.-M. · 20 MELCHIN, M.J. · 27 KOROSI, J.B. · 13 MERCADIER, J. · 64 KRUGER, T. · 41 MICHEL, S. · 35 MILAKOVIC, B. · 12 MILKEREIT, B. · 82 L MILLER, P.E. · 51 MIRZA, A.M. · 82, 104 LAGRANGE RAO, M.T. · 41, 97 MOORE, C. · 51 LAMOUREUX, S.F. · 40, 68 MOORE, R. · 52 LANTZ, T.C. · 40, 68 MOORMAN, B. · 44 LAROUCHE, P. · 42 MORSE, P.D. · 40, 53, 102, 105, 111, 112
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 124 MOSER, K.A. · 54 Q MURDOCH, M. · 65 QUESNEL, J. · 17 QUINTON, W.L. · 8, 16, 17, 108 N
NAUGLER, T. · 28 R NEIL, B. · 55 NELSON, L. · 52, 106 RAINBIRD, R.H. · 64 NEUDORF, R. · 56 READ, G. · 102 NIKIFORUK, C.F. · 51 REECE, P. · 65 NOBLE, B. · 88, 120 REGIS, D. · 47, 71, 80, 116 NORMANDEAU, P.X. · 57, 67, 101, 113 REYES, A.V. · 65 NORRIS, A. · 29 ROBB, M. · 24 ROCHELEAU, J. · 66, 79 ROCK, C. · 12 O ROSS, M. · 67, 101, 113 O'KEEFE, H. · 12 ROY, L.-P. · 11 OLDENBORGER, G.A. · 115 ROYER, D.L. · 65 OLIVER, J.T. · 58 ROY-LÉVEILLÉE, P. · 44, 60, 108 O'NEILL, H.B. · 102, 112, 118 RUDY, A.C.A. · 40, 46, 68, 108 OSINCHUK, A. · 71 RUSK, B. · 40 OVERHOLT, C. · 74 RUSSER, M. · 68 OZYER, C.A., · 59 S
SACCO, D.A. · 49, 70 P SALMABADI, E. · 99, 109 PACKALEN, M.S. · 60 SAMSON, C. · 103 PALMER, M.J. · 58, 61, 72, 81 SANBORN-BARRIE, M. · 71, 116 PAPATSIE, L. · 95 SCHAEFFER, A.J. · 110 PARKER, R.J.H · 111, 118 SCHUH, C.E. · 72 PARSONS, S. · 61 SCHULTZ, R. · 73 PAWLIK, M. · 99 SEIP, L.P. · 73 PEARSON, D.G. · 33 SETO, J.T.C. · 2 PEHRSSON, S.J. · 47, 55, 80 SEXTON, A. · 74 PELLETIER, N. · 61 SHARAM, G. · 12 PELLISSEY, J.S. · 12, 61 SHIMELL, M. · 102 PENNER, B. · 62 SHORT, N. · 115 PETRASEK-MACDONALD, J. · 95 SIA, M. · 54 PHILLPOT, D. · 107 SIVER, P.A. · 65 PIRONKOVA, Z. · 60 SKULSKI, T. · 64 PISARIC, M.F.J. · 29, 48, 54, 98 SLADEN, W.E. · 111 POTHIER, M.P. · 13 SMITH, B. · 37 POULAIN, A.J. · 4, 13 SMITH, S.L. · 44, 75, 111, 112 POWELL, L. · 24 SNYDER, D. · 110 PRADES, C. · 91 SONNENTAG, O. · 46 PRINCE, T. · 54 STEENKAMP, H.M. · 21, 76 PROSKIN, S.A. · 63 STEVENS, C. · 17 , 77 STIRLING, R.A. · 67, 101, 113
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 125 STIRLING, J.L. · 2 VANENGEN, R. · 17, 83 STOKES, I. · 74 VEGLIO, E. · 82 STRAND, P. · 56 VERMAIRE, J.C. · 61 STRETCH, V. · 107 VIRGL, J. · 17 STUBLEY, M. · 4 VISCEK, J.A. · 54, 117 STUDD, D. · 74 VISSER, R. · 37 SUBEDI, R. · 77 W T WALKER, B. · 46, 108 TALLMAN, R.F. · 87 WALLACE, S. · 74 TAPPERT, R. · 78 WANG, R. · 73 TAPPERT, M.C. · 78 WARD, B.C. · 70 TELFORD, J. V. · 114 WAYCHISON, W. · 84 TERLAKY, V. · 41, 79, 97 WEBB, D.R. · 85 THERRIAULT, I. · 21 WEISS, N. · 85 THIENPONT, J.R. · 13 WHELER, B. · 86 THIESSEN, E.J. · 47, 55, 80 WHITE, H.P. · 12 THOMAS, M. · 65 WICKHAM, A.P. · 118 TIERNEY, J.E. · 65 WILCOX, E. · 46, 108 TIMLICK, L. · 21 WINTERBURN, P.A. · 118 TOKARSKI, D. · 81 WODICKA, N. · 76 TOURE, A. · 46 WOLFE, A.P. · 65 TRACZ, B. · 12, 61 WOLFE, B.B. · 114 TREMBLAY, T. · 50, 82, 115 WOLFE, S.A. · 102, 105, 118 TUNNICLIFFE, J. · 40 WOLFE, S.W. · 112 TURETSKY, M.R. · 44 WONG, L. · 120 TURNER, E.C. · 64 TURNER, K.W. · 54, 117 Y
U YAKELEYA, D. · 57 YUE, B. · 7 UGALDE, H. · 71, 82, 116 YUMVIHOZE, E. · 4
Z V ZHANG, G. · 86 VAN DER SLUIJS, J. · 40, 111 ZHU, X. · 87, 120 VAN DER WIELEN, S. · 61
2017 YELLOWKNIFE GEOSCIENCE FORUM ABSTRACTS AND SUMMARIES 126