| Title | Geological framework of the 1.9 - 1.6 Ga Elu Basin, western Nunavut: representative sedimentology, gamma-ray spectrometry and lithogeochemistry |
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| Author | Ielpi, A; Rainbird, R H |
| Source | Canada-Nunavut Geoscience Office, Summary of Activities 2014, 2015 p. 89-96  Open Access |
| Links | Online - En ligne
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| Image |  |
| Year | 2015 |
| Alt Series | Earth Sciences Sector, Contribution Series 20140304 |
| Publisher | Canada-Nunavut Geoscience Office |
| Document | serial |
| Lang. | English |
| Media | paper |
| File format | pdf |
| Province | Nunavut |
| NTS | 77A/03; 77A/04; 77A/05; 77A/06; 77A/07; 77A/10; 77A/11 |
| Area | Elu Basin; Kent Peninsula |
| Lat/Long WENS | -108.0000 -105.5000 68.7500 68.0000 |
| Subjects | geochemistry; igneous and metamorphic petrology; sedimentology; stratigraphy; sandstones; fluvial deposits; marine environments; stratigraphic analyses; spectrographic analysis; sedimentary facies;
uranium deposits; whole rock geochemistry; metasedimentary rocks; metavolcanic rocks; Slave Province; Elu basin; Paleozoic; Mesozoic |
| Illustrations | location maps; photographs; sedimentary logs |
| Program | GEM2: Geo-mapping for Energy and Minerals Rae Province, Chantrey-Thelon |
| Released | 2015 01 01 |
| Abstract | The Paleo- to Mesoproterozoic Elu Basin is located in the Kitikmeot Region of Nunavut, Canada, and consists of a 1.9- 1.6 Ga belt of sandstone-dominated fluvial deposits and shallow-marine carbonate
rocks resting unconformably on Archean metasedimentary, metaigneous and granitoid rocks of the Slave Province. During the summer of 2014, the first phase of the three year Elu Basin geoscience project focused on the stratigraphic and sedimentological
analysis of fluvial sandstone-dominated deposits, aswell as on an overall reconnaissance of the study area. Field observations were integrated with gamma-ray spectrometry and targeted lithogeochemical sampling. Study results have led to the
development of an improved stratigraphic and sedimentological framework for the lower units of the Elu Basin, and an improvement of the exploration context for unconformity-related uranium deposits. Investigation of unconformity surfaces, the
preferential targets, was carried out using gamma-ray spectrometry and bulk-rock sampling, especially where coarse-grained clastic rocks directly overlie metasedimentary and metaigneous rocks. Accessory mineralization was also recognized along
stratigraphic unconformities within the basin fill. The results underline the exploration potential of both low-cost and time-efficient gamma-ray spectrometry for identifying concentrations of radioactive nuclides, and bulk geochemical analyses for
determining concentrations of base metals and rare-earth elements such as zirconium, barium, lanthanum and cesium. |
| Summary | (Plain Language Summary, not published)
The Elu Basin of Nunavut, Canada is underlain by ca. 1.9-1.6 billion year-old sandstones deposited by ancient rivers and by carbonates deposited in a
shallow sea. Similar rocks exposed elsewhere in Northern Canada demonstrate potential for the extraction of uranium, as well as industrial metals. However, despite some reconnaissance mapping performed in the 1970s, the economic potential of the Elu
Basin is still largely unknown. During the summer of 2014, the initial phase of the project focused on mapping and analyzing sandstone that could host economic deposits. Mapping was assisted by sampling for natural radioactivity using portable
instruments, and followed by laboratory analyses. These results emphasize the efficacy of both field-based analysis of natural radioactivity and of bulk-rock sampling. Once integrated, these methods revealed local concentrations of a suite of base
metals and rare-earth elements such as gold, platinum, zirconium, barium, lanthanum and cesium. |
| GEOSCAN ID | 295533 |
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