Dana Campbell HBSc thesis abstract

Thesis Title: 
Investigations of Target No. 6: A Potential New Kimberlite in the Marathon Area, NW Ontario
Dana
Campbell
HBSc
2017

A potential kimberlite target known as “Target #6” has been identified 40km northwest of Marathon, ON, within the Wawa-Abitibi sub-province of the Superior Province.  Ground prospecting revealed a botanical anomaly that consists of a large semi-circular grassy area surrounded by a boreal mixed-wood forest.  A grassroots exploration program began in 2013, which has included diagnostic testing such as Soil Gas Hydrocarbon (SGH) analysis and an aeromagnetic survey, both of which showed positive indicators for the presence of a kimberlite (or related rock type).  This study utilized investigative techniques focusing on the surficial geology above this potential target to try and explain the botanical anomaly, and to further explore the geologic setting in order to better understand the occurrence.  Vegetation has been identified as Calamagrostis Stricta and Carex Utriculata, The species present in the anomaly are generally found in wet environments such as lake shores and margins of streams.  It has been shown that pH is not a control on the vegetation above the anomaly.  Grain size analysis of the soils was completed and shows indicator mineral chemistry was completed for any potential kimberlite indicator minerals, and results indicate that kimberlitic indicator minerals are not present.  It is possible that the vegetation above Target No. 6 is being directly influenced by an anomalous deposit below the sediment but the data collected in this study was unable to explain the vegetation anomaly.  The target appears to be a depression that has been filled in by sediment from a stream mouth bar, and the sediment may be acting as a vent for the deposit beneath it allowing the Soil Gas Hydrocarbons to be measured at surface.  The minerals in the surficial deposit above the target were not indicative of a kimberlite as they were likely derived from the previous glaciation event and not from weathering of the kimberlite (or other deposit) itself.