Mineral Systems: expanding the discoverable footprint of buried resources

Target Generation from Mineral Systems Critical Elements (ranking level) Constituent Elements (Processes) Targeting Elements (Geological features indicating the processes) Translation into mappable targeting criteria (proxies and predictor maps) Source - fluid, magma, metals Active Pathway Physical throttle Preservation Reaction with wallrock reduces metal solubility Pressure change induces chemical change and reduces solubility Remote sensing response Key alteration minerals Rocks of favourable chemistry lithogeochemistry Recognise a chemical gradient Weight by confidence, quality, support Manually or through automated process query datasets for combination of evidence Fluid Mixing Chemical scrubber Geophysical response Solid geology interpretation ? Orogenic Au McCuaig et al., 2010 FertilityArchitectureGeodynamicsDeposition

Mappable targeting elements

Translate elements into mappable proxies Joly et al., 2012

- Integration of all available geoscience datasets - Mineral systems based targeting - Multiple approaches to prospectivity analysis to quantify uncertainty Decision aids for exploration Joly et al., 2012 mismatch Manual FuzzyWoE

What to avoid Tree based on NEA / IAEA (2005) classification scheme 14 principal U deposit types 22 sub-types  Impractical for a continent-wide prospectivity analysis  At larger scales many types of U deposits illustrate fundamental similarities in terms of source, transport and depositional processes  Impractical for a continent-wide prospectivity analysis  At larger scales many types of U deposits illustrate fundamental similarities in terms of source, transport and depositional processes Kreuzer et al., 2010

Uranium Systems Models  Grouped based on similar genetic processes, environments of ore formation and mappable ingredients  Serve the purpose of exploration targeting (practical rather than explicitly scientific scheme)  Are simple, flexible but internally consistent structures that emphasize the source and transport criteria, which are the key parameters for area selection at the regional to continent scale  Satisfy a fundamental principle of conceptual targeting: mineral deposits are part of much more extensive systems of energy and mass flux, and hence targeting must be carried out at global through to regional scales (Hronsky, 2004; Hronsky and Groves, 2008)  Grouped based on similar genetic processes, environments of ore formation and mappable ingredients  Serve the purpose of exploration targeting (practical rather than explicitly scientific scheme)  Are simple, flexible but internally consistent structures that emphasize the source and transport criteria, which are the key parameters for area selection at the regional to continent scale  Satisfy a fundamental principle of conceptual targeting: mineral deposits are part of much more extensive systems of energy and mass flux, and hence targeting must be carried out at global through to regional scales (Hronsky, 2004; Hronsky and Groves, 2008) = Not considered in this study 6 models 4 models 12 models New U systems models Kreuzer et al., 2010

Scale dependence is critical McCuaig and Hronsky 2013

Fundamental premise: A multi-scale fluid (incl. magma) delivery system that concentrates commodity of interest McCuaig and Hronsky 2013