| Title | Indicator mineral studies at the Brazil Lake LCT Pegmatites, southwest Nova Scotia |
| Download | Downloads |
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| Licence | Please note the adoption of the Open Government Licence - Canada
supersedes any previous licences. |
| Author | McClenaghan, M B ;
Brushett, D M; Beckett-Brown, C E; Paulen, R C; Rice, J M; Haji Egeh, A; Nissen, A |
| Source | Geological Survey of Canada, Scientific Presentation 157, 2023, 1 sheet, https://doi.org/10.4095/331686  Open Access |
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| Year | 2023 |
| Publisher | Natural Resources Canada |
| Meeting | Atlantic Geoscience Society Colloquium; Truro; CA; February 3-4, 2023 |
| Document | serial |
| Lang. | English |
| Media | digital; on-line |
| Related | NRCan photo(s) in this publication |
| File format | pdf |
| Province | Nova Scotia |
| NTS | 21A/04 |
| Area | Brazil Lake |
| Lat/Long WENS | -66.2500 -65.7500 44.2500 43.7500 |
| Subjects | geochemistry; general geology; surficial geology/geomorphology; indicator elements; pegmatites; lithium; cesium; tantalum; bedrock geology |
| Illustrations | location maps; photographs |
| Program | Targeted Geoscience Initiative (TGI-6) Ore systems |
| Released | 2023 03 23 |
| Abstract | (unpublished)
Indicator mineral research is currently being undertaken in partnership with the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables at the Brazil Lake
lithium-cesium-tantalum (LCT) pegmatites in southwest Nova Scotia as part of the Geological Survey of Canada's Targeted Geoscience Initiative(TGI) program. The pegmatites, discovered in 1960, are well known from previous detailed bedrock mapping and
surficial studies, and are informally named based on their relative geographic positions as the South and North pegmatites. The South pegmatite naturally outcrops, and both pegmatites are surrounded by spodumene-rich boulders on the surface of the
thin-till covered (<4 m) drumlinized glacial landscape. For these reasons, the pegmatites are excellent sites to test indicator mineral exploration methods for Li and associated critical elements (e.g. Ce, Ta). Five pegmatite samples were collected
for detailed study and analysis of potential indicator minerals. Close to the pegmatite and up to 13 km down ice (south-southeast), 87 bulk (10-14 kg), till sediment samples were collected for indicator mineral analysis. A total of 105 till samples
were collected around the pegmatite and across the region for matrix geochemistry. A preliminary list of indicator minerals includes mid-density (e.g., spodumene, tourmaline, blue apatite) and high-density mineral species (e.g., columbite-tantalite,
cassiterite) and this list is expected to expand as the detailed studies progress. Trenches dug in the Fall 2022 to collect till samples on the proximal down ice (south) sides of both pegmatites revealed abundant spodumene pebbles and small cobbles
in the till, indicating that the local till should display strong indicator mineral and matrix geochemical signatures derived from the pegmatites. |
| Summary | (Plain Language Summary, not published)
This scientific presentation summarizes ongoing research by the Geological Survey of Canada on the indicator mineral signature of lithium-bearing
pegmatites in glaciated terrain. The test site for this study is the Brazil Lake pegmatites in Nova Scotia. |
| GEOSCAN ID | 331686 |
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