J.E. Campbell J.E. Campbell

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan Geological Survey of Canada Geological Survey of Canada

emphasis on Athabasca Basin, emphasis on Athabasca Basin, Drift Prospecting for Uranium: Drift Prospecting for Uranium: Outline Outline

Ice flow history Nature and distribution of sediments Till composition and provenance Geological considerations Surficial geochemical techniques Ice flow history Nature and distribution of sediments Till composition and provenance Geological considerations Surficial geochemical techniques

------Athabasca Basin: Regional Quaternary Athabasca Basin: Regional Quaternary geology and glacial history geology and glacial history Drift prospecting for uranium Drift prospecting for uranium Application to northern Manitoba Application to northern Manitoba • • • • • • AthabascaAthabasca Basin,Basin, SaskatchewanSaskatchewan

110° 60° 102° NOLAN 60° ENA ZEM LAK TRAIN AY DODGE K B FO RC IE AC BL NEVINS BEAVERLO D GE TANTATO MUDJAT IK

C ARSWELL STRUC TURE AthabascaATHABASCA BASIN

E K A L ER ET Basin P WESTERN GRANULITE

ER IV R IN RG VI N A K N TI M H A TO A IT J S TH L D A A O U LL H M W T O BA W

EW E YN N SE O E IS ST G K N N TE O T R EW RO LA N EY SS KI

IE N N LE G

N LO F N LI F

Ê Ê NEA-IAEA

49° 110° 49° 102° test area

Ê Ê Ê Ê Ê RegionalRegional QuaternaryQuaternary SettingSetting

Extent of ice cover – Middle Wisconsinan (27-30 C14 ka BP) •• Multiple glaciations -- extensive drift cover -- complex glacial history

•• Likely ice covered entire Canadian Shield for last 115k to 8k years

•• Present day landscape primarily result of last glaciation –Late Wisconsinan

(after Dyke et al., 2002)

Newfoundland Ice Ice Newfoundland Cap Appalachian Glacier Complex

ka BP ka BP 14 14 Labrador Sector 23 C 23 C - - Greenland Ice Sheet Ice Hudson Foxe-Baffin Foxe-Baffin Sector Laurentide Ice Sheet Keewatin Keewatin Sector Queen Elizabeth Islands Glacier Complex Late Wisconsinan Late Wisconsinan

n Ice

Last Glacial Maximum, 20 ra Last Glacial Maximum, 20 Cordille Sheet

Glaciation and Deglaciation Glaciation and Deglaciation Late Wisconsinan Regional Ice Flow Regional Ice Flow y

– Surficial Geolog

(After Schreiner, 1984)

Athabasca Basin Athabasca Basin –Surficial Geology s section of a drumlin section of a drumlin - - ~ 30 m Ground moraine (till plain) Ground moraine (till plain) Cross Cross A Drumlins Drumlins Hummocky moraine Hummocky moraine

Till Deposits and Landform Till Deposits and Landforms EskerEsker SystemsSystems andand OutwashOutwash PlainPlainss

• Regional esker systems -Subglacial Esker meltwater drainage systems

• Generally structurally controlled • Associated ice-contact features • Extensive proglacial outwash plains

Outwash plain

Large deposits of sand and gravel MultipleMultiple DriftDrift UnitsUnits andand ThickThick DrifDriftt

HindersHinders explorationsexplorations ReducesReduces chancechance ofof surfacesurface expressionexpression ASSOCIATED STRATIGRAPHIC SUB UNIT, DISTRIBUTION ICE FLOW GLACIATION UNIT MATERIALS DIRECTION RECENT Peat, Lacustrine, - Throughout DEPOSITS Eolian UPPER Sand, Gravel; - Sporadic, STRATIFIED minor silt and throughout SEDIMENTS clay - Eskerine complexes, outwash plains Ablation (Flow) - Related to re- 190-200° Till3 TILL 3 Till advance dominantly (UPPER TILL) west of Subglacial unconformity LATE - Discontinuous READVANCE - Hummocky, drift, thin veneer, small Till 2 drumlins MIDDLE Sand, Gravel; - Uncommon, Mixed STRATIFIED minor silt and with Upper Till SEDIMENTS clay TILL 2 Ablation - Throughout 210-220° Subglacial - Most common unit (MIDDLE TILL; LATE - Melt-out - Associated with Geddes LOWER WISCONSIN - Lodgement drumlins, fluted and TILL) featureless till plains LOWER Clay and silt; - Rare STRATIFIED Sand - No surface PRE –LATE SEDIMENTS Gravel expression WINSCONSIN (LOWER GRAVELS) Till - Very rare, Unknown TILL 1 5 preserved in (230-240°) ? PRE –LATE (LOWER TILL; bedrock lows WINSCONSIN Geddes OLD DRIFT) JebJeb Pit,Pit, McCleanMcClean LkLk BEDROCK Athabasca Group Sandstone; Basement Rock

(modified after Geddes, 1980b)

Sandstone till Sandstone till Sandstone till Sandstone-rich Mixed provenance nt material is indicator of us basement derived (extra- one to basement related to: texture; Low clay content (<1%) till deposit type, the till unit and the thickness of drift • • • stone (intra-basinal) vers

Sand Proportion and type of baseme Very sandy to silty-sand • basinal) • transport distance and direction • Relative proportions of sandst • Basement clasts Basement clasts Till Composition and Provenance Till Composition and Provenance Basement clasts Crystalline clasts Crystalline clasts

Exotic component Exotic component Sandstone clasts Sandstone clasts Till 2 Till 2 Till3 Till3

Multiple till units Multiple till units sand sand - - rich till rich till - - Silty Silty Sandstone Sandstone

Locally Derived Material Locally Derived Material rich till rich till - - Bedrock Bedrock Bedrock Sandstone Sandstone

Thin Drift Cover Thin Drift Cover Ternary Plot of K, eTh and eU 2001 -reprocessed and leveled 5 km spacing NATGAM data for the entire Basin

eTh 1

K eU Ternary 10 0 50 KM TillTill CompositionComposition

ImplicationsImplications forfor uraniumuranium explorationexploration •• IndicatorIndicator ofof provenance,provenance, transporttransport distancesdistances andand directiondirection •• ProportionProportion ofof basementbasement versusversus sandstonesandstone detritusdetritus isis keykey •• GeochemicalGeochemical signaturesignature –– basementbasement componentcomponent masksmasks sandstonesandstone componentcomponent •• AvoidAvoid basementbasement--richrich tillstills

RC drilling RC drilling – – etch etch - -

ir bedrock source ir bedrock source Soil or Till sampling Soil or Till sampling

Radioactive boulder prospecting Lake sediments Soils Radon, Track Vegetation Heavy minerals Radioactive boulder prospecting Lake sediments Soils Radon, Track Vegetation Heavy minerals ------Traditional methods Traditional methods • •

Pitchblende boulder Pitchblende boulder

rs in glacial sediments to the rs in glacial sediments to the

Boulder prospecting Boulder prospecting

Drift Prospecting for Uranium Drift Prospecting for Uranium

Led to many of early uranium Effective in areas of thin Led to many of early uranium Effective in areas of thin • •

Tracing of mineralization indicato discoveries drift and thin sandstone cover discoveries drift and thin sandstone cover Tracing of mineralization indicato • •

Lake sediment sampling Lake sediment sampling

mineralization mineralization

desilification desilification egress egress (surficial geology, thickness (surficial geology, thickness (surficial geology, thickness (surficial geology, thickness vs vs vs vs subcropping subcropping - - cropping expression of cropping expression of - -

silification silification ) are dependent on: ) are dependent on: – – the sub ) ) the sub

and and technique(s technique(s Geological considerations Geological considerations stratigraphy stratigraphy

Drift Prospecting for Uranium Drift Prospecting for Uranium and Thickness of sandstone cover Type of mineralization: ingress Type of alteration Quaternary geological conditions Till composition and provenance and Quaternary geological conditions Thickness of sandstone cover Type of mineralization: ingress Type of alteration Till composition and provenance

------uranium mineralization Distribution of mineralized material at surface largely dependent on nature and composition of the glacial drift The applicability of drift prospecting and choice type of uranium mineralization Distribution of mineralized material at surface largely dependent on nature and composition of the glacial drift The applicability of drift prospecting and choice type of • • • • UnconformityUnconformity typetype

IngressIngress EgressEgress Pathfinder suite of elements including U, B, Pb, Ni, Cu, As, Co, Mo, Zn, V and REE)

., 2007) ., 2007) et.al et.al

normative clay calculations normative – of the subtle alteration and of the subtle alteration and & Sopuck, 1989; Earle, 2001) , 1983; Campbell , 1983; Campbell of kaolin, chlorite and illite Sopuck Sopuck

Exploration Techniques Exploration Techniques

Current Surficial Geochemical Current Surficial Geochemical Not widely used but gaining interest (Earle et al, 1989; Earle (Simpson & (Simpson & Composite boulder sampling Composite boulder sampling Till geochemistry Till geochemistry Focus on recognition/detection geochemical enrichment halos in sandstone Focus on recognition/detection geochemical enrichment halos in sandstone Al2O3, MgO, K2O, and B analyses

CompositeComposite BoulderBoulder SamplingSampling

ProsPros •• Sample sandstone component- avoid basement component of till

•• Quick, cost effective method – especially if PIMA used in field

•• Minimal training needed for sampling

•• Detects subtle hydrothermal alteration products not generally detected by geochemical analyses of the till fine fraction CompositeComposite BoulderBoulder SamplingSampling

ConsCons •• TransportTransport directionsdirections andand distancesdistances oftenoften unknownunknown –– silicifiedsilicified sandstonesandstone moremore resistantresistant

•• PoorPoor preservationpreservation ofof alteredaltered oror geochemicallygeochemically-- enrichedenriched bouldersboulders inin glacialglacial driftdrift derivedderived fromfrom desilificationdesilification typetype ofof alterationalteration

(82ppm) (82ppm) 0.008% U 0.008% U Bleached sandstone till Bleached sandstone till 0.05% U 0.05% U 0.02% U 0.02% U 2% U 2% U rich rich - - T ill 3 Uranium in till Uranium in till T ill 3 Hematite Hematite T ill 2 T ill 2 TillTill GeochemistryGeochemistry && MineralogyMineralogy

•• Application of fine fraction and bulk till sampling

- Major and trace element geochemistry - ICP-AES or MS; U partial (HNO3:HCl – 8:1) by fluorimetry or ICP-MS; B by ICP- AES- NaOH fusion - U is best indicator ; also associated pathfinders (Ni, Cu, Pb, Co, As, V, REE etc)

- Bleached sandstone - depleted Fe2O3, MgO, CaO & K2O; elevated Al2O, TiO2, Zr and REEs, % clay normalize for basement component – Na O ratio - 2

- Pebble fraction – sandstone clasts –signs of hydrothermal alteration, mineralized clasts

- Clay-size fraction/clay mineralogy – XRD- Sandstone derived clay content – kaolin, illite, chlorite

- Heavy minerals – (Geddes, 1982) defines provenance sandstone vs basement (eg. hemitite, zircon and rutile vs garnets, amph, pyrox., pyrite) - U-bearing and pathfinder minerals (eg, coffinite, ramberzite, uraninite, pitchblende; sulphides-niccolite, AsPy, CuPy, Sphalerite )

Lk Lk Heavy Minerals 180-63 µm (sand) <2 µm (clay-size) <63 µm Midwest Midwest Boulder train area Boulder train area (Simpson & Sopuck, 1983)

Sample No. along line 92N

logarithmic Uranium ppm Uranium

Till Geochemistry Till Geochemistry m size fraction m size fraction µ µ m size fraction m size fraction

µ µ most economical <2 <63 best background to peak ratio most economical <2 <63 best background to peak ratio - - - - element geochemistry element geochemistry Major and trace Major and trace TillTill GeochemistryGeochemistry

NormalizeNormalize forfor basementbasement componentcomponent (Na(Na O)O) 103°30” 104°25” 2

58°30’

56°07’30”

Partial Uranium_ppm <63µm Size Fraction Till Geochemistry Normalized Partial Uranium (U:Na2 O) 0.25 - 0.86 0.124 - 0.255 10 Km 0.87 - 2.10 0.256 - 0.473 2.11 - 4.06 0.474 - 1.169 4.07 - 14.00 Athabasca Basin Margin 1.170 - 4.965 14.01 - 29.90 4.966 - 19.865

burden is burden is , partial, m , partial, – –

transported overburden transported overburden biogeochemical metal ions soil gases; ie hydrocarbons, helium, radon sequential, selective leaches biogeochemical metal ions soil gases; ie hydrocarbons, helium, radon sequential, selective leaches

------New techniques: Surficial geochemical expression of in situ deep burial New techniques: Surficial geochemical expression of in situ deep burial • • (Modified from ActLabs brochure) ActLabs from (Modified (Modified from ActLabs brochure) ActLabs from (Modified (Modified from ActLabs brochure) ActLabs from (Modified

Multiple Drift Units and Thick

Drift Prospecting for Uraniu

CAUTION: Movement of gas and metals through CAUTION: Movement of gas and metals through is poorly understood. It would be prudent to know what the over is poorly understood. It would be prudent to know what the over to interpret the results! to interpret the results! Canalaska Ltd Uranium

Canalaska Ltd Uranium

Northern Manitoba Northern Manitoba

Drift Prospecting for Uranium in Drift Prospecting for Uranium in Regional Quaternary ice-flow trends

Hudson Bay

N

A

W A

E B

H

O

C T

I T

N A

A

K

S M

A

S

Lynn Lake

Leaf Rapids

iver n R lso Ne Ch River Thompson urchill La Ronge

Flin Flon Snow Lake

(Courtesy(Courtesy ofof I.I. McMartin)McMartin)

(Dredge & Perhsson, 2006) (Dredge & Perhsson, 2006) Ice flow during the Ice flow during the Wisconsin glaciation Wisconsin glaciation ) e et al, 2007 g Dred ( (Dredge et al, 2007)

Surficial Geology Surficial Geology

- -

Northern Manitoba Northern Manitoba NorthernNorthern ManitobaManitoba -- SurficialSurficial GeologyGeology

Till veneer

DrumlinsDrumlins

Booth esker

PeatPeat plateausplateaus

(photos(photos courtesycourtesy ofof L.L. Dredge)Dredge) NorthernNorthern ManitobaManitoba CompositeComposite StratigraphyStratigraphy

SundanceSundance Section,Section, NelsonNelson R.R.

Stratified Sediments Amery till (Labrador) Sundance till (Keewatin)

CourtesyCourtesy ofof L.A.L.A. Dredge,Dredge, inin presspress CanAlaskaCanAlaska UraniumUranium Ltd:Ltd: NENE WollastonWollaston && KasmereKasmere ProjectsProjects

Snyder Lk

Courtesy of CanAlaska Uranium Ltd. eTh eTh Ternary - -

eU eU

- - K K

Spectrometry Spectrometry

Airborne Gamma Ray Airborne Gamma Ray

eU/eTh

Snyder Lk TargetTarget AreasAreas UU inin LakeLake SedimentsSediments

Crazy Train

Snyder 4 area MB SK

high low Charcoal Lake boulders

wt% = av. 0.39, max 1.24 wt% = av. 0.39, max 1.24 wt%

8 8

O O 3 3 of white granite with strong of white granite with strong

Consistent mineralised boulders Consistent mineralised boulders alkali fspalkali fsp and apatite alteration and apatite alteration -U CrazytrainCrazytrain train dispersal train dispersal -U -- and Yttrium enriched REE and Yttrium enriched REE , 2006) , 2006) Perhsson Perhsson (Dredge & Perhsson, 2006) (Dredge & (Dredge &

Uranium in till Uranium in till

Snyder Lk <0.063 mm size fraction (Dredge & McMartin, 2007) (Dredge & McMartin, 2007) (Dredge & McMartin, 2007)

Regional till geochemistry Regional till geochemistry

- - Multi-element anomalies and gold

Northern Manitoba Northern Manitoba Northern Manitoba - till geochemistry Regional U-Cr-Pb-Cu EffectiveEffective UraniumUranium DriftDrift ProspectingProspecting

•• Different sampling and/or analytical techniques are required for different geological conditions

-- Type of mineralization and host rock -- Type of alteration: ie silicification/desilicification, metasomatism -- Thickness of sandstone cover -- Drift thickness •• Quaternary geological conditions (surficial geology, thickness, stratigraphy etc.) – essential knowledge

-- Till composition and provenance •• Ice-flow chronology: regional flow(s) and local variations -- Transport direction and distance

EffectiveEffective UraniumUranium DriftDrift ProspectingProspecting

•• Manitoba tills – looking for direct indicators of mineralization – no sandstone cover! No geochemical overprint! - surficial geochemical methods more effective

Integrated approach yields best results (i.e. geophysics, bedrock and surficial geology, lake sediments, till geochemistry, mineralogy, pebble lithology)