Lessons from the Lessons from the Canadian Canadian LITHOPROBELITHOPROBE Project: Project:

Development & benefits of a Development & benefits of a multidisciplinary Earth science projectmultidisciplinary Earth science project

Ron M. ClowesRon M. ClowesEarth and Ocean SciencesEarth and Ocean Sciences

University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BCUniversity of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC

SinoProbe SinoProbe April 2011April 2011

LITHOPROBE

What is LITHOPROBE ?

A national Earth science research project

• To investigate the three-dimensional structure and evolution of Canada’s landmass and continental margins

• By probing the lithosphere, Earth’s relatively cold, strong, rigid outer shell which is typically 100 km or more thick

Why LITHOPROBE ?

• To gain a basic understanding of the continent on which we live, from which we derive resources and which generates natural hazards

• To obtain regional background information useful to base-metal mining, diamond and petroleum industries

• Multidisciplinary• Collaboration• Partnerships• Decentralized research

What made LITHOPROBE work?

PARTNERSHIPS and COLLABORATIONS

DECENTRALIZED RESEARCH

Archean Proterozoic

4Ga

Phanerozoic

3Ga 2Ga 1Ga 0Ga

MULTIDISCIPLINARY

LITHOSPHERIC STRUCTURE & TECTONIC PROCESSES

REGIONAL INFORMATIONFOR INDUSTRY

DETAILED STUDIES WITHINDUSTRY

GEOLOGYGEOLOGY GEOPHYSICSGEOPHYSICS GEOCHEMISTRYGEOCHEMISTRY

MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Geological mapping and structural geology

[Example: Paleoproterozoic Trans-Hudson Orogen, central Canada]

MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Geological mapping and structural geology[Example: Paleoproterozoic Trans-Hudson Orogen, central Canada]

Sheath fold defined by attenuated mafic dykes

Delta-winged porphyroclast-Shows reverse sense of shear

MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Geochemical analyses[Example: Archean Abitibi & Pontiac metasediments, eastern Canada]

εNd vs Th/Sc plot

shows clastic sequences from 2 subprovinces derive from different sources.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Geochronological dating [Concordia diagrams][Example: Archean Slave Province, northwest Canada]

ID-TIMS dates for zircons from a granite-greenstone terrane

MULTIDISCIPLINARY: P-T-t paths[Example: Two domains in the Mesoproterozoic Grenville Province, central Canada]

U-Pb & 40Ar/39Ar dates for high-grade metamorphism, extensional deformation and cooling; different in two domains

MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Magnetotelluric (MT) studies[Example: Archean Slave Province, northwestern Canada]

Map of Slave with locations of MT sites: red - sites above Central Slave Mantle Conductor; black diamonds – kimberlite locations.Yellow line – location of cross-section in next slide

MULTIDISCIPLINARY

Magnetotelluric (MT) & petrologic studies [Example: Archean Slave Province, NW Canada]

(b) 2-d resistivity model; (c) Petrologic stratigraphy from xenoliths from kimberlites (left); photomicrographs of mantle eclogites (right)

MULTIDISCIPLINARY: Geodynamic modeling to compare with interpreted cross-sections[Mesoproterozoic Grenville Province, central Canada]

a) Interpretation on same scale as model results. c) Model shows lower crustal nappes above strong lower

crustal indentor. d) Model, grid removed; cross-section superimposed

Economic Benefits

Understanding of global processes involved with continental evolution has relevance for industry

Regional tectonics and geologic discoveries help guide exploration programs• Petroleum exploration• Base and precious metal mining exploration• Diamonds and kimberlites

New technology in instrumentation and software with technology transferred to industry

• Portable refraction seismographs (PRSs) [seismologists and GSC]: to Scintrex Ltd., Toronto• million $$ sales

• New magnetotelluric (MT) instrumentation: GSC with Phoenix Geophysics, Toronto • now largest international distributor of

MT sales & services

Economic Benefits

History Benefits FutureSuperiorTrans-continentalHow it was done Continental RiftHistory Benefits FutureSlaveTrans-continentalHow it was done N Cordillera

Applicability of the high resolution seismic reflection technique for

Base and precious metal exploration problems Uranium exploration in Athabasca Basin Delineation of diamondiferous kimberlite dikes

Contribution to renewed petroleum exploration on the west coast of Newfoundland – and a new discovery!

Economic Benefits

Sudbury nickel – result of meteorite impactSudbury nickel – result of meteorite impact

• 27 % of world’s nickel• Asteroid impact

1850 +/- 3 Ma 250 km crater (deformed)

The big nickelThe big nickel

Levack

M cC ready East

M oose Lake

N elson Lake

Bleza rd

G ertrude

3-D

A re aSurve y

10 km

Sudbury structure: Sudbury structure: major nickel minesmajor nickel minesStructure tectonically deformed after impactStructure tectonically deformed after impact

Plan view of 3-D survey Plan view of 3-D survey gridgrid

and local geologyand local geology

Levack

M cC ready East

M oose Lake

N elson Lake

Bleza rd

G ertrude

3-D

A re aSurve y

10 km

Vertical data slice from processed 3-D Vertical data slice from processed 3-D data volumedata volume

SICSIC

Sub-layerSub-layer

Footwall complexFootwall complex

Seismic image of the ore deposit: horizontal Seismic image of the ore deposit: horizontal slice at ~1600 m from 3-D data volumeslice at ~1600 m from 3-D data volume

Ore deposit

Seismic signal

Footwall complex

3-d display of structural framework of 3-d display of structural framework of uranium mine camp (NW Sask.) derived from uranium mine camp (NW Sask.) derived from 2-d & 3-d seismic data and tied to boreholes2-d & 3-d seismic data and tied to boreholes

km

1.63m

KimberliteCore

Dyke imaged fromdepths of

60 mto more than

1350 m

Imaging a diamondiferous low-angle dyke with hi-res reflection seismic – Snap Lake diamond mine, NW Canada

Training the next generation of earth scientists • ~500 grad and undergrad students, PDFs and

research associates in an environment of collaborative and multidisciplinary studies

Public education and outreach programs

Improved understanding of earthquake hazards on Canada’s west coast

Social Benefits

Feb. 28, 2001:Feb. 28, 2001:Nisqually quake Nisqually quake (Mw = 6.8, depth = (Mw = 6.8, depth = 52 km) – the big 52 km) – the big “wake-up” for “wake-up” for those living inthose living in‘‘Cascadia’ [Pacific Cascadia’ [Pacific NW of U.S. and NW of U.S. and SW B.C.]SW B.C.]

WHEN WILL THE WHEN WILL THE NEXT “NEXT “BIG ONEBIG ONE” ” [ Mw = 9+ ] [ Mw = 9+ ] OCCUR?OCCUR?

PacificPlate

Juan deFuca Plate

NorthAmerican

Plate

GordaPlate

ExplorerPlate

CascadiaCascadiasubductionsubductionzonezone

VancouverVancouver

SeattleSeattle

Project NEPTUNE

PortlandPortland

Lo

ckedL

ocked

Tran

sition

Tran

sition

VictoriaVictoria

Cascadia Subduction Zone

Last “mega-thrust” earthquake: Jan. 26, 1700, 9pm PSTPeriodicity: 300-900 y

Project NEPTUNE

Social Benefits

Education and public awareness of science and technology

• Brochures, posters, slide sets and web-based material for schools and universities

• Media articles: Web, TV, radio, magazines, newspapers

www.lithoprobe.ca

Public Education and OutreachPublic Education and Outreach• Posters:

• Trans-Canada cross-section

• Regional posters:NE Canada; NW Canada;Southern B.C.

• Children’s book (2003)• with teacher’s guide

• Adult book (April 2009)•buy a copy!

Collaboration: among geologists, geochemists, geochronologists and geophysicists

Partnerships: among all sectors: universities, governments and industry (when appropriate)

Multidisciplinary: – all applicable subdisciplines of geology, geochemistry & geophysics

Decentralized research: – local control for target areas; central coordination for overall project

In Review…What made LITHOPROBE work?

• Demonstrated a new modus operandi for Earth science research in Canada• Cooperation & collaboration among all sectors• Geologists, geochemists and geophysicists

working together; whole is more than sum of its parts

• Training of HQP: ~500 grads, PDFs and Res Assoc• Regional information for industry plus technical

innovation and technology transfer to private sector• Education and public awareness of Earth sciences

and its contributions• Enhancing the international renown of Canadian

Earth science

In Review…Benefits to Canada