Publication information

Geological Survey of Canada
Open File 8240

Indicator mineral signature of the Strange Lake rare earth element deposit, Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador

M.B. McClenaghan, R.C. Paulen, I.M. Kjarsgaard, S.A. Averill, and R. Fortin

© Her Majesty the Queen in Right of Canada, as represented by the Minister of Natural Resources, 2017

Permanent link: https://doi.org/10.4095/306239

Publications in this series have not been edited; they are released as submitted by the author.

Recommended citation

McClenaghan, M.B., Paulen, R.C., Kjarsgaard, I.M., Averill, S.A., and Fortin, R., 2017. Indicator mineral signature of the Strange Lake rare earth element deposit, Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador; Geological Survey of Canada, Open File 8240, 1 zip file. https://doi.org/10.4095/306239

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Contents

Abstract
The first detailed study of the indicator mineral signature of a major rare earth element (REE) deposit in glaciated terrain was undertaken at the Strange Lake Zr-Y-HREE deposit in northern Quebec and Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The heavy mineral (>3.2 SG) and mid-density (3.0–3.2 SG) non-ferromagnetic fractions of bedrock samples from the two mineralized zones were examined to determine potential indicator minerals of REE mineralization. Till samples overlying and up to 50 km down-ice of the deposit were examined to determine the abundance of these minerals at varying distances from the deposit. The deposit contains numerous oxide, silicate, phosphate, and carbonate indicator minerals. Some of the minerals observed in both the bedrock and till samples had not been previously reported for the Strange Lake deposit. The most useful indicator minerals were determined to be Zr-silicates (primary elpidite, secondary gittinsite, and many other hydrated Zr±Y±Ca-silicate minerals), pyrochlore, thorite/thorianite, monazite/rhabdophane, chevkinite, parisite, bastnaesite, kainosite, and allanite. Rare earth element indicator minerals can now be added to the expanding list of indicator minerals that can be used to explore for a broad range of deposit types and commodities, i.e., diamonds, precious metals, base metals, and strategic metals.

Directory structure

of_8240.pdf   (Open File 8240 report)
of_8240_readme.rtf   (this file)
Appendices\AppendixA\of_8240_AppendixA1.xlsx   (Till and bedrock sample site information)
Appendices\AppendixC\of_8240_AppendixC1.xlsx   (Heavy mineral sample processing data for bedrock samples collected in 2008)
Appendices\AppendixC\of_8240_AppendixC2.xlsx   (Heavy mineral sample processing data for bedrock samples collected in 2015)
Appendices\AppendixC\of_8240_AppendixC3.xlsx   (Heavy mineral sample processing data for till samples collected in 1981 and 1983 and composited before processing in 2008)
Appendices\AppendixC\of_8240_AppendixC4.xlsx   (Heavy mineral sample processing data for bedrock samples collected in 2008)
Appendices\AppendixD\of_8240_AppendixD1.xlsx   (Data for grains from bedrock samples collected in 2008)
Appendices\AppendixD\of_8240_AppendixD2.xlsx   (Data for grains from bedrock samples collected in 2015)
Appendices\AppendixD\of_8240_AppendixD3.xlsx   (Data for pyrochlore grains from till and bedrock samples collected in 2008)

Author contact information

M.B. McClenaghan (Beth.McClenaghan@Canada.ca)
Geological Survey of Canada
601 Booth Street
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0E8

Contribution to the Geological Survey of Canada’s Geo-mapping for Energy and Minerals 2 (GEM-2) Program (2014-2018)

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This publication is available for free download through GEOSCAN (http://geoscan.nrcan.gc.ca/).

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