| Title | Principal component analysis of geochemical data from the REE-rich Maw Zone, Athabasca Basin, Canada
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| Download | Downloads |
| Author | Chen, S; Grunsky, E C; Hattori, K; Liu, Y |
| Source | Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 7689, 2015, 24 pages, https://doi.org/10.4095/295615 (Open Access) |
| Image |  |
| Year | 2015 |
| Publisher | Natural Resources Canada |
| Document | open file |
| Lang. | English |
| Media | on-line; digital |
| File format | pdf |
| Province | Saskatchewan |
| NTS | 74H |
| Area | Key Lake; McArthur River |
| Lat/Long WENS | -106.0000 -104.0000 58.0000 57.0000 |
| Subjects | mathematical and computational geology; geochemistry; rare earths; rock analyses, rare earth elements; uranium; uranium deposits; mineralization; mineral deposits; sedimentary rocks; sandstones;
analytical methods; geochemical analyses; iron; vanadium; chromium; Phoenix Deposit; Maw Zone; Manitou Falls Formation; Read Formation; Athabasca Basin; Precambrian |
| Illustrations | location maps; plots; cross-sections |
| Program | Targeted
Geoscience Initiative (TGI-4), Uranium Ore Systems |
| Released | 2015 01 23 |
| Abstract | Elemental assemblages derived from geochemical data are produced by geological processes, such as alteration and mineralization. However, processing large amounts of geochemical data that may reflect a
variety of geochemical processes, can be a challenge. Methods such as principal component analysis (PCA) can be used to reduce the number of observed variables into a smaller number of artificial variables that account for most of the variance in a
given dataset. This study uses RQ-mode PCA, which computes variable and object loadings simultaneously and displays the observations and the variables at the same scale.
In order to assess elemental assemblages related to rare earth element (REE)
enrichment, RQ-mode PCA was applied to total digestion data for 545 sandstone samples from the REE-rich Maw Zone in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan, Canada. PCA biplots show HREE-Y-P enrichment, suggesting that xenotime is most likely the dominant
host of HREEs, whereas LREE-Sr-Th-P enrichment may reflect monazite and/or aluminum phosphate-sulphate minerals as the host of LREEs. The positive correlation between U, Fe, V, and Cr suggests that oxidizing fluids likely introduced U. The 3D
diagrams of principal components show that xenotime likely occurs in the upper members of sandstone Manitou Falls Formation (MFb, MFc, MFd) and monazite in lowermost Read Formation (RD Fm). |
| Summary | (Plain Language Summary, not published)
The Targeted Geoscience Initiative (TGI-4) is a collaborative federal geoscience program that provides industry with the next generation of geoscience
knowledge and innovative techniques to better detect buried mineral deposits, thereby reducing some of the risks of exploration. This report summarizes geochemical patterns associated with Uranium and Rare Earth Element (REE) mineralization in the
MAW U/REE deposit located in the Athabasca Basin, Saskatchewan. The use of multivariate statistical methods (Principal Component Analysis) demonstrates the patterns of REE and U mineralization in a clear/concise manner. |
| GEOSCAN ID | 295615 |
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