PCIGR provides analytical services that can be applied to the research of metals in the Earth.
Solving problems of the distribution of metals, their location, transport, concentration and dispersal in high-temperature magmatic, moderate- to low-temperature hydrothermal, and surficial environments is critical to discover new mineral resources and evaluate concentrations of new or existing resources.
Examples of analytical data used in researching metals in the Earth include:
- Transitional metal and other heavy stable isotopes (e.g., Cu, Zn, Ag, Se) for applications related to hydrothermal ore mineralization processes.
- Trace element concentrations of lode and placer gold combined with grain morphology for determining the ultimate source(s) of placer gold in central and western Yukon.
- Heavy stable isotopes as indicators of metal release and mobility in mine waste (tailings or waste rock).
- Platinum-group elements (PGE), for determining the origin and formation of PGE-rich (and other ore-bearing) zones in mafic layered intrusions.
- Integrated structural, alteration zonation and geochemical data for building a holistic deposit model for alkalic gold (copper) deposits from British Columbia and Australia.
Click on the Science Snapshots below to see details of how analyses performed by PCIGR have benefitted research of metals in the Earth.
