The University of British Columbia

Intrusion-related metallogeny  – establishing relationships between magma character (e.g. oxidation state), igneous processes (e.g. metal partitioning) and associated metallogenic expressions, such as Au:Bi:Te relationships, and mechanisms of metal enrichments.  An integrated effort using standard methods such as lithogeochemistry, and innovative methods such as laser ICP-MS on sulphide inclusions (with Jake Hanley and Ed Spooner-UofT).

Geochronology of hydrothermal ore deposits – dating timing relationships between complex, inter-related magmatic and hydrothermal events requires integrating and understanding differing minerals and dating methods, such as SHRIMP and TIMS U-Pb, Ar-Ar and Re-Os.  In particular, direct sulphide dating using Re-Os, and dating of hydrothermal phosphates using SHRIMP can be very effective.

Gold metallogeny and tectonics of China – developing tectonic, metallogenic and temporal frameworks to understand the controlling elements of China’s numerous gold districts.  Emphasis has been on field observations and collecting primary data, supported by geochronology.  Efforts are gold focused, but includes porphyry and VMS mineral belts (with Richard Goldfarb).

Includes numerous sub-projects such as:

• Magmatic and metallogenic evolution of alkalic-related porphyry systems in the eastern Tibetan Collision Zone (NEW- with Lu Yongjun and Hou Zengqian )

• Orogenic and sedimentary-hosted (Carlin-like) gold deposits of the West Qinling gold district (NEW-with Zeng Qintao and Chen Yanjing)
• Controls on epithermal and orogenic gold mineralization in the Chinese Tienshan and Altaishan mountains

Tectonic, Magmatic and Metallogenic Evolution of Mongolia– an integrated project developing and using country-scale datasets and geophysics, with focused field projects.  Also integrated with GIS-based Prospectivity Analysis.

Predictive GIS-based Prospectivity Analysis – evaluations and comparisons of differing methods of numerical prospectivity analysis (weights of evidence, fuzzy logic, and hybrids) for the recognition of important components in numerical ore system prediction, particularly in frontier areas (with Arianne Ford-UWA)

Controls on high-grade zinc mineralization in carbonate replacement deposits, central Peru – High-grade zinc (>15%) CRD deposits are likely related to distal magmatic sources but recognizing controls on the localities and mechanisms of zinc deposition will provide valuable exploration tools (with Daniel Saenz-UWA).

Metallogenic response to the magmatic evolution of a growing orogen, Yukon & Alaska – Integrated mapping, geochemistry, isotopes and geochronological characterization of the different plutonic suites and their relationships to the spatial and temporal distributions of mineral districts.  Particular emphasis on the Cretaceous.

Petrogenesis of the Giant Pebble Porphyry Copper System, Alaska – evaluation of the petrology and lithogeochemistry of the magmatic rocks associated with the Pebble porphyry system to see what features or peculiarities led to the deposition of such a huge ore system (with USGS).

Metal mobility in response to prograde metamorphism – evaluating depletions and enrichments in metals and ligands in well-constrained metamorphic sequences to determine the preferred conditions of metal mobility, particularly Au, As and Sb (with Richard Goldfarb and Erin Marsh-USGS).

The role of carbonic fluids in forming rich orogenic gold deposits (NEW 2008) – increasingly carbonic dominated fluids are recognized in rich orogenic gold deposits such as Red Lake and Ashanti.  Although the role that CO2 plays in this enrichment is uncertain, can we use this as an exploration tool? (with Xu Jiahua)

Epizonal orogenic gold systems – orogenic gold systems have significant crustal extents and their upper parts may be represented as systems dominated by Hg and Sb that might otherwise be considered to be small epithermal occurrences.  Evaluating the geochemistry and fluid character of these systems can potentially identify large gold systems (with Richard Goldfarb-USGS).