Automated Indicator Mineral Analysis of Fine-Grained Till Associated with the Sisson W-Mo Deposit, New Brunswick, Canada

Exploration under thick glacial sediment cover is an important facet of modern mineral exploration in Canada and northern Europe. Till heavy concentrate (HMC) indicator methods are well established for diamonds, gold, base metals glaciated terrain. Traditional rely on visual examination >250 µm HMC material. This study applies liberation analysis (MLA) to investigate the finer (<250 µm) fraction till HMC. Automated mineralogy (e.g., MLA) material allows rapid collection precise compositional morphological data from a large number (10,000–100,000) grains single sample. The Sisson W-Mo deposit has previously documented dispersal train containing ore minerals scheelite, wolframite, molybdenite, along with sulfide other accessory minerals, was used as test site this study. Wolframite identified samples up 10 km down ice, whereas previous work coarse it only directly overlying mineralization. Chalcopyrite pyrite found increase over 2.5 5 km, respectively, achieved same Galena, sphalerite, arsenopyrite, pyrrhotite also ice after being immediately mineralization using Many these present inclusions more chemically robust would not be optical methods. extension wolframite highlights ability MLA identify that lack distinguishing physical characteristics aid identification.