M. Chouteau et al., DELINEATING MINERALIZATION AND IMAGING THE REGIONAL STRUCTURE WITH MAGNETOTELLURICS IN THE REGION OF CHIBOUGAMAU (CANADA), Geophysics, 62(3), 1997, pp. 730-748
Tensor magnetotelluric (MT) soundings were carried out to delineate th
e geometry of an extended shallow conductor detected by airborne elect
romagnetic method in the mining camp of Chibougamau (Canada). Careful
distortion analysis of the impedance tensors from eleven sites indicat
e that the subsurface is reasonably 2-D within the 0.0025-10 s range,
The recovered regional impedances are corrected for static shifts empl
oying 2-D inversion for minimum structure, The modeled resistivity cro
ss-sections show a far more complex conductivity structure than antici
pated. The sheet-like shallow conductor lies near the boundary between
the conductive southern section located in the Abitibi subprovince an
d the resistive northern section located in the Opatica subprovince. I
t extends to a depth of 250 m. Two other limited conductive zones are
imaged respectively between 0.4 km and 3 km and between 1.5 km and 4 k
m. We propose that the conductors are associated with sulfide minerali
zation and graphite in shear zones, They are delimited by steeply sout
h dipping thrust faults. The northern resistive section does not show
clear resistivity changes up to a depth of 15 km, Gravity data collect
ed along the MT profile have provided additional constraints. Both MT
and gravity models are consistent with one another and with the known
regional geologic structure. They indicate that the Abitibi greenstone
belt is 3.5-4.4 km thick in the survey area and that the steeply dipp
ing geology at the surface is flattening at depths of 4 km approximate
ly.