The Flin Flon Targeted Geoscience Initiative 3: Update on the Quaternary Sub-Project Activities J.E. Campbell and I. McMartin 1 Campbell, J.E. and McMartin, I. (2008): The Flin Flon Targeted Geoscience Initiative 3: update on the Quaternary sub-project activities; in Summary of Investigations 2008, Volume 2, Saskatchewan Geological Survey, Sask. Ministry of Energy and Resources, Misc. Rep. 2008-4.2, CD-ROM, Paper A-6, 11p. Abstract This report presents the 2008-09 activities conducted in Saskatchewan as part of the Quaternary component of the Targeted Geoscience Initiative 3 (TGI-3) Flin Flon Project. These activities include: a cross-border compilation and synthesis of till compositional data, a glacial history framework, and a surficial geology compilation at 1:500 000 scale for the greater TGI-3 project area. In Saskatchewan, this area is bordered by the Wathaman Batholith to the north and west, the Manitoba border to the east, and the edge of the Precambrian Shield to the south. Several multi-element anomalies were identified in the 2007 and 2008 joint Geological Survey of Canada/Sask. Ministry of Energy and Resources Open File reports which contain geochemical results of archived Saskatchewan Research Council till samples covering the TGI-3 project area in Saskatchewan. A number of these anomalous areas were selected for further investigations. The Settee Lake and Black Bear Island Lake areas were re-sampled this past summer to investigate the nature of the anomalies and to determine their potential interest to mineral exploration. Ice-flow indicators were also mapped in these re-sampled areas. Ice-flow indicator mapping was carried out along Highways 102 and 905 to fill in areas lacking data and to confirm the relative ages of multiple flow directions recorded on existing maps. The main ice-flow direction is to the south-southwest and overprints older westward and south-eastward flow directions. Interpretation of ice-flow indicator landforms and other glacial features from SRTM2 DEM and SPOT imagery is underway for nine 1:250 000 NTS maps sheets to augment the ice-flow indicator compilation. Keywords: TGI-3, Flin Flon Project, till geochemistry, ice-flow history, surficial geology. 1. Introduction Initiated in 2005, the Flin Flon Targeted Geoscience Initiative 3 (TGI-3) is a collaboration between the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC), the Saskatchewan Ministry of Energy and Resources (SMER), the Manitoba Geological Survey (MGS), and industry partners. It was designed to help in the discovery of new reserves of base metals in vulnerable established mining communities of the Trans-Hudson Orogen in Saskatchewan and Manitoba. The Quaternary sub-project area in Saskatchewan encompasses the Rottenstone, La Ronge, Kisseynew, Glennie, and Flin Flon domains (Figure 1). It is bordered by the Wathaman Batholith to the north and west, and by Phanerozoic cover to the south. The Quaternary component of this project will contribute directly to improving the geoscience knowledge of targeted established mining districts and promoting base metal exploration in the region outside the historic Flin Flon mining camp by providing a trans-jurisdictional compilation and synthesis of till composition, a regional ice-flow interpretation, and a surficial geology compilation at 1:500 000 scale. The objective is to outline regions with potential for mineralization, identify areas for more detailed drift sampling, and provide the geologic framework for implementation of successful detailed drift prospecting programs. The intent of this report is to provide an update of current activities in Saskatchewan being conducted as part of the Quaternary sub-project. 2. Previous TGI-3 Quaternary Work As a first step in building a trans-jurisdictional database of till composition across the various bedrock domains, 673 archived till samples collected by the Saskatchewan Research Council (SRC) in the 1970s were analyzed in 2006 and 2007 for texture and major and trace elements. These till samples were taken from the C- or lower B-soil 1 Natural Resources Canada, Northern Canada Division, Geological Survey of Canada, 601 Booth Street Ottawa, ON K1A 0E8. Saskatchewan Geological Survey 1 Summary of Investigations 2008, Volume 2 110° 60° 108° 102° 106° 104° 60° NOLAN ENA DODGE ZEMLAK TRAIN TALTSON BEAVERLODGE MUDJATIK TANTATO Lake Athabasca 59° 59° CARSWELL ATHABASCA BASIN 58° 58° PETER LAKE Reindeer Lk LLOYD 57° 57° WATHAMAN VIRGIN RIVER MUDJATIK WOLLASTON BATHOLITH 56° NSTONE LA RONGE 56° ROTTE KISSEYNEW Archean Tectonic Windows NW = Nistowiak Window GLENNIE NW IW = Iskwatikan Window IW KISSEYNEW HW = Hunter Bay Window HW 55° PW = Pelican Window PW 55° PhanerozoicLac La Cover Ronge FLIN FLON 105°30’W 102°W 54° 54° 57° 57° 55° 55° 0 50 100 SRTM DEM kilometres Figure 1 - General location map of the TGI-3 Quaternary sub-project area in Saskatchewan (orange and blue outlines) and Manitoba (black outline) with reference to the Precambrian lithotectonic domains of Saskatchewan. The blue outline indicates the area covered by archived till samples analyzed in 2006 (McMartin et al., 2007). The area covered by archived till samples analyzed in 2007 is outlined in orange (McMartin et al., 2008). Saskatchewan Geological Survey 2 Summary of Investigations 2008, Volume 2 horizons (Figure 2). The results for samples collected in the Reindeer Lk Kisseynew, Glennie, and Flin Flon domains (cf. Figure 1, blue outline) were published in 2007 as GSC Open File 5464/ Saskatchewan Industry and Resources Open File 2007-13 (McMartin et al., 2007). The data for the second set of SRC’s archived samples, which were collected in the La Ronge and Rottenstone domains in Saskatchewan (cf. Figure 1, orange outline), were published in 2008 as GSC Open File 5799/SMER Open File 2008-1 (McMartin et al., 2008). Two till samples collected in the Kakinagimak Lake area of the northwestern Flin Flon Domain in 2007 by Ralf Maxeiner (SMER) were also analyzed and included in McMartin et al. (2008). Both reports also include previously unpublished geochemical analyses of B- horizon soil samples collected over the TGI-3 project area and Lac La Ronge analyzed by the SRC (“Project 20” data) between 1977 and 1979. A brief discussion of till provenance and its implications for base metal exploration is provided in both reports. Several regional and local-scale multi- element patterns and anomalies Figure 2 - Location of analysed archived till samples. McMartin et al. (2007) report were identified. geochemical results from the Kisseynew, Flin Flon, and Glennie domains. The geochemistry of samples in the Rottenstone and La Ronge domains are reported by McMartin et al. (2008). Red stars represent samples collected in the C horizon; blue 3. 2008-09 Objectives, stars represent samples collected in the lower B horizon. Work Components, and Products Seven tasks were identified for work in Saskatchewan during the 2008-09 fiscal year: 1) Confirm selected multi-element anomalous areas identified by geochemical analysis of archived SRC till samples by re-sampling surface till in those areas; 2) Geochemical and indicator mineral analysis of the 2008 till samples collected in Saskatchewan; 3) Map ice-flow indicators at regional and detailed scales in selected areas to confirm age relationships and ice- flow directions, and collect new data in areas lacking information; 4) Calibration of surficial map units used in Saskatchewan and Manitoba and finalize a common legend for the cross-border 1:500 000-scale surficial geology compilation; 5) Continue synthesis of regional glacial history and till provenance based on carbonate dispersal, ice-flow indicators, and glacial stratigraphy; 6) Undertake a calibration study for cross-border till compilation and data integration of till datasets for Saskatchewan and Manitoba; and 7) Release a digital cross-border database of ice-flow indicators. Saskatchewan Geological Survey 3 Summary of Investigations 2008, Volume 2 a) Multi-element Anomalies Several local-scale, multi-element anomalous glacial dispersal patterns were identified in the geochemical analysis of the archived SRC till samples. These anomalous areas require more detailed drift sampling to determine their potential implications for mineral exploration (McMartin et al., 2007, 2008). Two of these areas were chosen for follow-up field work to validate the initial geochemical results and to explain the nature of the anomalies (Figure 3). The two areas are: 1) An elongated south-southwest–trending Zn (±Al2O3-Ge-Mo-V) dispersal train that occurs in the Settee Lake area within the southwestern Kisseynew Domain (former MacLean Lake Belt). Zn (after partial digestion) anomalies best outline a regional Zn dispersal train in the Settee Lake area (McMartin et al., 2007) (Figure 3). 2) Elevated Ag-Bi-Cu-Ga-Mo-Nb-Pb-Sb-Sn-Zn, Fe2O3-MnO-TiO2, and Ce-Dy-Gd concentrations are found in a group of till samples located in the southwestern Rottenstone Domain on either sides of the Churchill River. Pb (after partial digestion), illustrates the regional multi-element enrichment located along and north of the Churchill River (Figure 1) (McMartin et al., 2008). Elevated concentrations of Cu, Ni, Zn and other elements also highlight this region as anomalous (Figure 3). The Settee Lake Zn–multi-element anomaly was re-sampled in more detail. Observations were collected at 24 sites over and up-ice from the Zn dispersal train. Nine C-horizon bulk till samples (five repeats and four new sites) were collected, and striae were mapped along the shores of Settee and Hornet lakes. A sample was collected of sulphidized biotite-rich sediments from a known Cu, minor Zn showing (Saskatchewan Mineral Deposit Index (SMDI) 0892) which is located in the middle of the dispersal train (Figure 4). The chemistry of mineralized rock will be compared to the chemistry and pebble lithology of the till to determine if this occurrence contributed to the dispersal train. Other known outcropping Zn mineralizations are found in the Brabant Lake area (SMDI 0446, 0461, and 0447) approximately 30 km to the northeast of Settee Lake.