LITHOPROBE - GEOSCIENCE PROBING OF INNER SPACE LEADS TO NEW DEVELOPMENTS FOR MINING EXPLORATION

As part of LITHOPROBE's multidisciplinary earth science research progr am to understand the evolution of the North American continent, studie s have been undertaken in a number of key areas in Canada. In the Tran s-Hudson Orogen of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, LITHOPROBE results requi re re-evaluation of tectonic models related to its origin. In the Abit ibi greenstone belt of Quebec and Ontario, results indicate a more com plex evolution for the southern Superior province, one that links with the development of gold and massive sulphide deposits. As part of the program, the seismic reflection profiling method is being adapted for the mining industry. Three examples demonstrate the subsurface inform ation that can be obtained. In Noranda, the base of the volcanic Blake River group is imaged and reflectivity is tied to geology through wel l logs, in Matagami, the zone of mineralization is shown to be downdro pped along a major fault, in Sudbury, a new structural model is develo ped, one that shows marked asymmetry at depth and indicates that some ore-bearing units on the margins of the igneous complex may be repeate d at depth.