Ontario Geological Survey Open File Report 6118 Savant Lake Area High Density Regional Lake Sediment and Water Geochemical Survey, Northwestern Ontario 2003 ONTARIO GEOLOGICAL SURVEY Open File Report 6118 Savant Lake Area High Density Regional Lake Sediment and Water Geochemical Survey, Northwestern Ontario by D.F. Russell 2003 Parts of this publication may be quoted if credit is given. It is recommended that reference to this publication be made in the following form: Russell, D.F. 2003. Savant Lake area high density regional lake sediment and water geochemical survey, northwestern Ontario; Ontario Geological Survey, Open File Report 6118, 82p. e Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2003 e Queen’s Printer for Ontario, 2003. 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Bag 3060, Hwy. 101 East, South Porcupine P0N 1H0 Toronto - MMIC, Macdonald Block, Room M2-17, 900 Bay St., Toronto M7A 1C3 This report has not received a technical edit. Discrepancies may occur for which the Ontario Ministry of Northern Devel- opment and Mines does not assume any liability. Source referencesare included in the report and users are urged to verify critical information. Recommendations and statements of opinions expressed are those of the author or authors and are not to be construed as statements of government policy. If you wish to reproduce any of the text, tables or illustrations in this report, please write for permission to the Team Leader, Publication Services, Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, 933 Ramsey Lake Road, Level B4, Sudbury, Ontario P3E 6B5. Cette publication est disponible en anglais seulement. Parts of this report may be quoted if credit is given. It is recommended that reference be made in the following form: Russell, D.F. 2003. Savant Lake area high density regional lake sediment and water geochemical survey, northwestern Ontario; Ontario Geological Survey, Open File Report 6118, 82p. iii Contents Abstract ................................................................................................................................................................ ix Introduction .......................................................................................................................................................... 1 Regional Setting ................................................................................................................................................... 1 Bedrock Geology ......................................................................................................................................... 1 Physiography and Surficial Geology ........................................................................................................... 4 Methodology ........................................................................................................................................................ 4 Sampling Methods ....................................................................................................................................... 4 Sample Preparation and Analytical Methods............................................................................................... 6 Quality Control (QC) Results............................................................................................................................... 6 Geochemical Data Interpretation.......................................................................................................................... 8 Discussion of Regional Patterns........................................................................................................................... 11 Limnological Parameters ............................................................................................................................. 11 Lake Sediment Geochemistry ...................................................................................................................... 11 Description of Anomalous Areas.......................................................................................................................... 13 Conclusions .......................................................................................................................................................... 23 References ............................................................................................................................................................ 24 Appendix A Proportional Dot Maps of LOI, Lake Depth, pH and Conductivity............................................................. 27 Appendix B Proportional Dot Maps of Lake Sediment Geochemistry for Ag, Al, As, Au (FA/ICP-MS and INAA), Be, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cs, Cu, Fe, K, Li, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, Pb, Pd, Pt, total REE, Ti, U, V, W and Zn... 33 Appendix C Lake Sediment Analytical Data for LOI, Ag, Au, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mo, Ni, Pb, Pd, Pt, total REE, V and Zn .... 63 Metric Conversion Table...................................................................................................................................... 82 FIGURES 1. Location map of the Savant Lake study area ............................................................................................... 2 2. Bedrock geology of the Savant Lake survey area ........................................................................................ 3 3. Surficial geology of the Savant Lake survey area........................................................................................ 5 4. Location of geochemically anomalous areas ............................................................................................... 12 5. Approximate state of land tenure of the Savant Lake study area................................................................. 14 6. Sample location map, Savant Lake study area.............................................................................. back pocket v TABLES 1. Summary of elements including estimates of precision, lake sediment data set.......................................... 7 2. Summary of elements including estimates of precision, lake water data set ............................................... 9 vii Abstract The Ontario Geological Survey carried out a helicopter-supported high density lake sediment and water survey of the Savant Lake area of northwestern Ontario during the summer of 2000. The survey area is located approximately 300 km north-northwest of Thunder Bay, and covers an irregularly shaped area represented on National Topographic System (NTS) 1:50 000 scale map sheets 52J/6, 52J/7, 52J/8, 52J/9 and 52J/10. Lake sediment and/or water samples were collected from a total of 1154 lake sites and analyzed for a suite of over 50 elements. Preliminary interpretation of these analyses indicates 16 geochemically anomalous areas, including anomalous results for Ag, Au, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Mo, Ni, Pb, PGEs and Zn. Digital data for this report is available separately as Miscellaneous Release Data (MRD)-122. ix Savant Lake Area High Density Regional Lake Sediment and Water Geochemical Survey, Northwestern Ontario D.F. Russell1 Ontario Geological Survey Open File Report 6118 2003 1Geoscientist, Sedimentary Geoscience Section, Ontario Geological Survey Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, Sudbury, Ontario, Canada, P3E 6B5 [email protected] Introduction Fieldwork for a high-density lake sediment and water geochemical survey for the Savant Lake area was carried out from July 17 to August 5, 2000. The survey area is located approximately 300 km north- northwest of Thunder Bay and covers portions of the area defined by National Topographic System (NTS) 1:50 000 scale map sheets 52J/6, 52J/7, 52J/8, 52J/9 and 52J/10 (Figure 1). Lake sediment and/or water samples were collected at 1154 sites, giving an average density of 1 sample per 2.2 km2. The Savant Lake area