Lithostratigraphic and structural controls of uranium mineralization in the Kiggavik East Zone, Centre Zone, and Main Zone deposits, Thelon Basin, Nunavut
type: CreativeWork
description: The Kiggavik uranium deposits are located in the north-central Rae Subprovince of the Western Churchill Province and are hosted in highly deformed Archean and Paleoproterozoic basement rocks proximal to, and underlying the Thelon Basin. This field-based study documents the lithostratigraphic and structural character of Kiggavik’s basement rocks and their controls on the uranium deposits. Field investigation, coupled with structural analysis, geochemistry and geochronology indicates that the basement rocks comprise two main tectonostratigraphic packages: a structurally ‘lower-package’ comprising ~2.71 Ga Pipedream assemblage metagreywacke and a structurally ‘upper-package’ consisting of multiple intervals of ~2.6 Ga Snow Island Suite felsic epiclastic and metarhyolite intercalated with less than 2.3 Ga quartzite of the Ketyet River group. Of particular significance are the epiclastic rocks, which, based on their textural variability, felsic composition, negative europium anomaly and association with metarhyolite, are correlated with previously identified epiclastic volcanic rocks in the western part of the area, rendering this the most spatially extensive rock unit at Kiggavik. Further, field investigation, coupled with structural analysis, confirms that all units form a homoclinal sequence that dips gently NNW in the eastern map area (Domain 1) and ENE in the western map area (Domain 2). Based on regional stratigraphic relationships, down-section profiles in both domains contain multiple younging direction reversals. This, coupled with strongly transposed bedding, ubiquitous foliation and highly strained contacts, plus the direct observation of isoclinal, recumbent folds in both outcrop and drill core, indicates that these repetitions are tectonic. In addition, across both domains, all units carry a well-developed stretching lineation. The collective 3D geometry and associated fabric elements are diagnostic of sheath folding and related thrusting under an ENE-WSW te…
abstract: The Kiggavik uranium deposits are located in the north-central Rae Subprovince of the Western Churchill Province and are hosted in highly deformed Archean and Paleoproterozoic basement rocks proximal to, and underlying the Thelon Basin. This field-based study documents the lithostratigraphic and structural character of Kiggavik’s basement rocks and their controls on the uranium deposits. Field investigation, coupled with structural analysis, geochemistry and geochronology indicates that the basement rocks comprise two main tectonostratigraphic packages: a structurally ‘lower-package’ comprising ~2.71 Ga Pipedream assemblage metagreywacke and a structurally ‘upper-package’ consisting of multiple intervals of ~2.6 Ga Snow Island Suite felsic epiclastic and metarhyolite intercalated with less than 2.3 Ga quartzite of the Ketyet River group. Of particular significance are the epiclastic rocks, which, based on their textural variability, felsic composition, negative europium anomaly and association with metarhyolite, are correlated with previously identified epiclastic volcanic rocks in the western part of the area, rendering this the most spatially extensive rock unit at Kiggavik. Further, field investigation, coupled with structural analysis, confirms that all units form a homoclinal sequence that dips gently NNW in the eastern map area (Domain 1) and ENE in the western map area (Domain 2). Based on regional stratigraphic relationships, down-section profiles in both domains contain multiple younging direction reversals. This, coupled with strongly transposed bedding, ubiquitous foliation and highly strained contacts, plus the direct observation of isoclinal, recumbent folds in both outcrop and drill core, indicates that these repetitions are tectonic. In addition, across both domains, all units carry a well-developed stretching lineation. The collective 3D geometry and associated fabric elements are diagnostic of sheath folding and related thrusting under an ENE-WSW te…
author: Johnstone, Dillon Daniel
language: en
date published: 2017-12
date modified: 2026-07-24T04:03:50Z
provider: University of Regina
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research, University of Regina

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: https://hdl.handle.net/10294/8419

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.82465/5138