Geology

  • PDF
  • Print
Geologic Setting

Mid-Continent Rift, Proterozoic (1.1 Ga)

Continental rifting destabilizes the surrounding crust allowing magma to intrude toward the surface. Vast amounts of magma can be extruded where the crust has split, flooding the area in lava that will form basalt as it cools.


  

 

 

mcr thumb


Click on Image for more details
Rock Types
bcp-strat-column1   

1. Quartz-Carbonate Vein Breccia, Proterozoic (?.? Ga)
 High grade copper mineralization is hosted in vein breccias that cut the Keweenaw Group.
 

2. Keweenaw Group, Proterozoic (1.1 Ga)
Flood basalt (mafic volcanic) interlayered with conglomerate (sedimentary) formed as a result of the continental rifting.


3. Unconformity
The Batchawana Greenstone Belt had existed for over 1.5 billion years, being subjected to different geologic processes (i.e. alteration, erosion, etc.) before rifting allowed the deposition of the Keweenaw Group.


4. Batchawana Greenstone Belt, Archean (2.7 Ga)
Metamorphic volcanic and sedmentary rocks formed at the spreading centers of an ancient ocean floor.  

 

 
sim map button                  giblin map button
 
Mineralization
Vein Breccias - SB Zone, B Zone, C Zone, & Kincaid Breccia
High-grade copper minerals (i.e. chalcocite, bornite, chalcopyrite and native copper) are hosted in veins formed by the explosive injection of hydrothermal fluids that were likely transporting the metals as well. The source of the hydrothermal fluids is undetermined, but believed to be related to the Mag-High Centre.		   

bcp-chalcocite 

Massive Chalcocite (Grey) with Malachite Staining (Green)

Mineralized Felsite Dykes
Low grade, disseminated copper mineralization is presence within some of the felsite dykes that outcrop over the Mag-High Centre and to the southeast. A lot more inforamtion is needed to determine the nature of the felsite dykes, but they are believed to be related to the Mag-High Centre as well.