The Garson Ni-Cu-PGE deposit is located on the South Range of the 1850 Ma Sudbury structure along the contact between the Sudbury Igneous Complex (SIC) and the underlying metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks of the Paleoproterozoic Huronian Supergroup. It comprises four ore bodies that are hosted by E-W-trending shear zones that dip steeply to the south. The shear zones formed as south-directed D1 thrusts in response to flexural-slip during regional buckling of the SIC. They imbricated the ore zones, the SIC norite, the underlying Huronian rocks and they emplaced slivers of Huronian rocks and anatectic breccia into the overlying Main Mass norite. Coexisting garnet-amphibole pairs yielded syn-D1 amphibolite facies metamorphic temperatures ranging from ~550°C to 590°C. The shear zones were coeval with the moderately southdipping South Range and Thayer Lindsley shear zones, which formed to accommodate the strain in the hinge zone as the SIC tightened with progressive D1 shortening. The SE limb of the SIC was overturned together with the D1 thrusts, which were then reactivated as steeply south-dipping reverse shear zones during syn-D2 greenschist metamorphism. Syn-D2 metamorphic titanite yield a U-Pb age of ca. 1849 ± 6 Ma, suggesting that D1 and D2 are part of a single progressive deformation event that occurred immediately after crystallization of the SIC during the Penokean Orogeny. The ore bodies plunge steeply to the south parallel to the colinear L1 and L2 stretching mineral lineations. Ore types consist mainly of pyrrhotite-pentlandite-chalcopyrite breccia ores, but also include pyrrhotite-pentlandite-chalcopyrite disseminated sulfide mineralization in norite, and syn-D2 quartz-calcite-chalcopyrite-pyrrhotite-pentlandite iv veins. In the breccia ores, matrix sulfides surround silicate rock fragments that have a strong shape-preferred orientation defining a pervasive foliation. The fragments are highly stretched parallel to the mineral lineations in wall rocks, suggesting that the ore bodies are zones of high strain. Pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite occur in piercement structures, in boudin necks between fragments, in fractures in wall rocks and in fold hinges, suggesting that the sulfides were mobilized by ductile plastic flow. Despite evidence of high strain in the ore zones, the sulfide matrix in D1 and D2 breccia ores show little evidence of strain as they consist predominantly of polygonal pyrrhotite aggregates, suggesting that they recrystallized during, or immediately after D1 and D2. However, rare elongate pyrrhotite grains aligned parallel to S2 are locally preserved only in D2 breccia ores. Exsolution of pentlandite loops along grain boundaries of elongate pyrrhotite formed S2-parallel pentlandite-rich layers in D2 breccia ores, whereas the pentlandite loops are multi-oriented in D1 contact breccia as they were exsolved along grain boundaries polygonal pyrrhotite. Because exsolution of pentlandite post-date D1 and D2, and that individual pentlandite grains neither have a shape-preferred orientation nor show evidence for cataclastic flow, the sulfides reverted to, and were mobilized as a homogeneous metamorphic monosulfide solid solution (mss) during D1 and possibly D2. This is in agreement with predictions from phase equilibria as the average Garson composition plots within the mss field in Fe-Ni-S ternary diagram at temperatures above ~400°C. Disseminated and breccia ores at Garson have similar mantle-normalized multi-element chalcophile patterns as undeformed contact-type disseminated and massive ore, v respectively, at the well known Creighton mine in the South Range. This suggests that the Garson ores are magmatic in origin and that their compositions were not significantly altered by hydrothermal fluids and deformation. The lack of variations in Ni tenors between the disseminated and breccias ores suggest that the R-factor was not the process controlling metal tenors because the disseminated sulfides do not consistently have higher metal tenors than the breccia ore. The breccia ores are enriched in Rh-Ru-Ir and are depleted in Cu-Pd-Pt-Au, in contrast to footwall-type ore at the nearby Garson Ramp mine which is enriched in the same metals. When Ni100, Rh100, Ir100, Pt100 and Pd100 are plotted against Cu100, the breccia and footwall-type ore analyses plot along model mss fractionation and sulfide melt model curves, suggesting that these two ore types are related by mss fractionation. In summary, the Garson breccia ores are mss cumulates that settled quickly at the base of the SIC via a gravity filtration process, and were mobilized as a metamorphic mss by ductile plastic flow during D1 and D2. Despite minor local hydrothermal mobilization of some metals, the study confirms findings from other studies that highly deformed Ni-Cu- PGE deposits, such as the Garson deposit, can provide important information on the genesis of the deposits.

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The Garson Ni-Cu-PGE deposit is located on the South Range of the 1850 Ma Sudbury structure along the contact between the Sudbury Igneous Complex (SIC) and the underlying metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks of the Paleoproterozoic Huronian Supergroup. It comprises four ore bodies that are hosted by E-W-trending shear zones that dip steeply to the south. The shear zones formed as south-directed D1 thrusts in response to flexural-slip during regional buckling of the SIC. They imbricated the ore zones, the SIC norite, the underlying Huronian rocks and they emplaced slivers of Huronian rocks and anatectic breccia into the overlying Main Mass norite. Coexisting garnet-amphibole pairs yielded syn-D1 amphibolite facies metamorphic temperatures ranging from ~550°C to 590°C. The shear zones were coeval with the moderately southdipping South Range and Thayer Lindsley shear zones, which formed to accommodate the strain in the hinge zone as the SIC tightened with progressive D1 shortening. The SE limb of the SIC was overturned together with the D1 thrusts, which were then reactivated as steeply south-dipping reverse shear zones during syn-D2 greenschist metamorphism. Syn-D2 metamorphic titanite yield a U-Pb age of ca. 1849 ± 6 Ma, suggesting that D1 and D2 are part of a single progressive deformation event that occurred immediately after crystallization of the SIC during the Penokean Orogeny. The ore bodies plunge steeply to the south parallel to the colinear L1 and L2 stretching mineral lineations. Ore types consist mainly of pyrrhotite-pentlandite-chalcopyrite breccia ores, but also include pyrrhotite-pentlandite-chalcopyrite disseminated sulfide mineralization in norite, and syn-D2 quartz-calcite-chalcopyrite-pyrrhotite-pentlandite iv veins. In the breccia ores, matrix sulfides surround silicate rock fragments that have a strong shape-preferred orientation defining a pervasive foliation. The fragments are highly stretched parallel to the mineral lineations in wall rocks, suggesting that the ore bodies are zones of high strain. Pyrrhotite and chalcopyrite occur in piercement structures, in boudin necks between fragments, in fractures in wall rocks and in fold hinges, suggesting that the sulfides were mobilized by ductile plastic flow. Despite evidence of high strain in the ore zones, the sulfide matrix in D1 and D2 breccia ores show little evidence of strain as they consist predominantly of polygonal pyrrhotite aggregates, suggesting that they recrystallized during, or immediately after D1 and D2. However, rare elongate pyrrhotite grains aligned parallel to S2 are locally preserved only in D2 breccia ores. Exsolution of pentlandite loops along grain boundaries of elongate pyrrhotite formed S2-parallel pentlandite-rich layers in D2 breccia ores, whereas the pentlandite loops are multi-oriented in D1 contact breccia as they were exsolved along grain boundaries polygonal pyrrhotite. Because exsolution of pentlandite post-date D1 and D2, and that individual pentlandite grains neither have a shape-preferred orientation nor show evidence for cataclastic flow, the sulfides reverted to, and were mobilized as a homogeneous metamorphic monosulfide solid solution (mss) during D1 and possibly D2. This is in agreement with predictions from phase equilibria as the average Garson composition plots within the mss field in Fe-Ni-S ternary diagram at temperatures above ~400°C. Disseminated and breccia ores at Garson have similar mantle-normalized multi-element chalcophile patterns as undeformed contact-type disseminated and massive ore, v respectively, at the well known Creighton mine in the South Range. This suggests that the Garson ores are magmatic in origin and that their compositions were not significantly altered by hydrothermal fluids and deformation. The lack of variations in Ni tenors between the disseminated and breccias ores suggest that the R-factor was not the process controlling metal tenors because the disseminated sulfides do not consistently have higher metal tenors than the breccia ore. The breccia ores are enriched in Rh-Ru-Ir and are depleted in Cu-Pd-Pt-Au, in contrast to footwall-type ore at the nearby Garson Ramp mine which is enriched in the same metals. When Ni100, Rh100, Ir100, Pt100 and Pd100 are plotted against Cu100, the breccia and footwall-type ore analyses plot along model mss fractionation and sulfide melt model curves, suggesting that these two ore types are related by mss fractionation. In summary, the Garson breccia ores are mss cumulates that settled quickly at the base of the SIC via a gravity filtration process, and were mobilized as a metamorphic mss by ductile plastic flow during D1 and D2. Despite minor local hydrothermal mobilization of some metals, the study confirms findings from other studies that highly deformed Ni-Cu- PGE deposits, such as the Garson deposit, can provide important information on the genesis of the deposits.

Ce travail a pour but l’acquisition de connaissances fondamentales dans les équilibres de phases et les transformations de phases des alliages ternaires contenant du fer, du nickel et du cuivre.Cette étude est composée de trois parties : la première est consacrée aux équilibres de phase entre600°C et 1000°C dans le coin riche en fer du système ternaire Cu-Fe-Ni, la seconde concerne l’analyse des transformations de phases dans des alliages modèles suivant deux vitesses de refroidissement et la troisième étudie les alliages industriels.Cette approche expérimentale est appuyée par des calculs thermodynamiques. Une comparaison est effectuée avec les données issues de la littérature. Les sections isothermes à 600°C, 800°C et1000°C ont été reconfirmées. Les domaines triphasés αFe/γFe/γCu ont été déterminés à 600°C et800°C et semblent décalés vers de plus fortes teneurs en Ni. La lacune de miscibilité est moins étendue que celle calculée et ce particulièrement du côté du binaire Cu-Ni.Les transformations de phase γ→α apparaissant lors du refroidissement d’alliages Fe-xCu-10Ni et Fe-10Cu-xNi (0<x<15 % en masse) ont été étudiées. Elles sont observées dans tous les alliages refroidis lentement par dilatométrie sauf dans l’alliage binaire Fe-Cu. Les températures de transformation sont systématiquement inférieures aux températures d’équilibre et cet écart augmente lorsque les teneurs en Ni et Cu augmentent. La formation de la ferrite bainitique est favorisée par l’addition de Cu dans les alliages trempés Fe-xCu-10Ni et par l’addition de Ni dans les alliages Fe-10Cu-xNi tandis que la ferrite massive se forme préférentiellement lors du refroidissement lent. Une diminution des températures de transformation se produit lorsque la taille de grains est affinée et est reliée au processus d’accommodation plastique liée à la transformation.La composition et la vitesse de refroidissement jouent un rôle sur la dureté de ces alliages via la présence de Ni en solution solide ainsi que le nombre et la taille des précipités de Cu. / This work aims in getting fundamental knowledge of phase equilibria and microstructures of ternary alloys containing copper, nickel and iron. The thesis is composed of three parts: a first part is devoted to phase equilibria in the Fe-rich corner of the ternary Cu-Fe-Ni system between 600°C and 1000°C, a second part is devoted to the microstructures in these materials for model alloys, for two cooling rates and a third part is devoted to industrial alloys.Phase equilibria of the system are investigated in the range 600-1000°C using diffusion multiples in conjunction with selected equilibrated alloys. This experimental approach is supplemented by thermodynamic calculations. A comparison is drawn with data reported in the literature. The isothermal sections at 600°C, 800°C and 1000°C have been reconfirmed. The three-phase regions αFe/γFe/γCu are determined at 600°C and 800°C and appear shifted to a higher Ni content. The miscibility gap is narrower than the calculated, particularly on the Cu-Ni binary sides.Austenite/ferrite phase transformations occurring on cooling in Fe-xCu-10Ni and Fe-10Cu-xNi alloys,0<x<15 (mass%), have been studied. The influence of copper and nickel additions and of the cooling rate on the microstructure is discussed. Metastable transformations in slowly cooled alloys have been detected by dilatometry in all alloys except in the binary Fe-10Cu alloy: all the cooling transformation temperatures are systematically lower than the equilibrium temperature and the Ni and Cu addition decrease this transformation temperature. The formation of bainitic ferrite is favoured by copper additions in quenched Fe-xCu-10Ni alloys and by Ni addition in Fe-10Cu-xNi alloys while massive ferrite form preferentially during slow cooling. A decrease of the transformation temperatures is recorded when the alloys have a finer grain size likely related to plastic accommodation processes.The composition and cooling rate influence the hardness of the alloys mostly dependant on the amount of Ni in solid solution and on the rate and size of Cu precipitates.

No presente trabalho verificou-se a precisão de um critério que prevê composições de ligas vítreas aplicado ao sistema Zr-Ni-Cu. Este critério combina o parâmetro de instabilidade topológica (\'lâmbda\'), e o parâmetro termodinâmico (\'delta\' h) entre os elementos de liga. Os dois parâmetros correlacionam quantitativamente à composição química a tendência à formação de vidros metálicos. Este critério é uma ferramenta promissora e simples para guiar e reduzir o trabalho tedioso e intensivo de encontrar composições altas tendências a vitrificação em sistemas metálicos. Para comprovar a eficiência desta ferramenta, a metodologia foi calcular o parâmetro para o sistema de interesse e preparar ligas de acordo com algumas composições fornecidas. A metodologia de preparação das ligas seguiu a fusão a arco elétrico e subsequentemente o emprego das técnicas de resfriamento rápido, melt-spinning e splat-cooling, para a produção de fitas e discos metálicos respectivamente, e o coquilhamento para a produção de amostras maciças em forma de cunha. Para as amostras confeccionadas por melt-spinning e splat-cooling, verificou-se a precisão do critério de seleção através da quantificação das porcentagens de fases vítreas a partir de análises de difratogramas de raios-X e seus comportamentos térmicos a partir dos termogramas de análises por calorimetria exploratória diferencial (DSC). Já para as ligas coquilhadas em cunha, obtiveram-se alguns resultados com indícios de estruturas vítreas que foram caracterizadas por difração de raios-X e metalografia. Desta forma chegou-se à conclusão que o critério de seleção aplicado ao sistema Zr-Ni-Cu pode ser utilizado para o desenvolvimento de composições favoráveis à formação de vidro antes da produção das ligas. Conclui-se que o critério que combina o parâmetro de instabilidade topológica (\'lâmbda\' min) e o parâmetro termodinâmico (\'delta\' h) é uma ferramenta que pode ser utilizada como guia para encontrar as composições mais fáceis de formar vidro, reduzindo assim o trabalho experimental de tentativa e erro. / In the present work it was verified the accuracy of a proposed criterion to predict compositions of glassy alloys applied in the Zr-Ni-Cu system. This criterion combines the topological instability parameter (\'lâmbda\') and a thermodynamic parameter (\'delta\' h) among the alloying elements. The two parameters correlate quantitatively the chemical composition with the glass forming ability. This criterion is a promising and simple tool to guide and reduce the tedious and intensive work of finding good compositions of glasses in metallic systems. In an attempt to prove the efficiency of such tool, the methodology was to calculate the parameter for the system of interest and prepare alloys in accordance with the compositions provided by the tool. The methodology of preparation of the alloys followed the electric arc- melting and subsequent use of fast cooling techniques, melt-spinning and splat-cooling for the production of metallic ribbons and discs, respectively, and a wedge-shaped chiller mold to produce bulk metallic samples. For samples prepared from the melt-spinning and splat-cooling, it was verified the accuracy of the selection criteria by quantifying the percentage of glassy phases from X-ray diffractograms and their thermal behaviors from thermograms produced by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). For alloys produced from the wedge-shaped mold, some results were obtained with evidence of vitreous structures that were characterized by X-ray diffraction and metallography. Therefore the conclusion is that the selection criteria applied to the system Zr-Ni-Cu can be used to develop favorable compositions for the formation of glasses before the production of the alloys. It is concluded that the selection criterion is a good tool and can be used as a guide to find the best glass forming alloys, thus reducing the experimental procedures of trial and error.

No presente trabalho verificou-se a precisão de um critério que prevê composições de ligas vítreas aplicado ao sistema Zr-Ni-Cu. Este critério combina o parâmetro de instabilidade topológica (\'lâmbda\'), e o parâmetro termodinâmico (\'delta\' h) entre os elementos de liga. Os dois parâmetros correlacionam quantitativamente à composição química a tendência à formação de vidros metálicos. Este critério é uma ferramenta promissora e simples para guiar e reduzir o trabalho tedioso e intensivo de encontrar composições altas tendências a vitrificação em sistemas metálicos. Para comprovar a eficiência desta ferramenta, a metodologia foi calcular o parâmetro para o sistema de interesse e preparar ligas de acordo com algumas composições fornecidas. A metodologia de preparação das ligas seguiu a fusão a arco elétrico e subsequentemente o emprego das técnicas de resfriamento rápido, melt-spinning e splat-cooling, para a produção de fitas e discos metálicos respectivamente, e o coquilhamento para a produção de amostras maciças em forma de cunha. Para as amostras confeccionadas por melt-spinning e splat-cooling, verificou-se a precisão do critério de seleção através da quantificação das porcentagens de fases vítreas a partir de análises de difratogramas de raios-X e seus comportamentos térmicos a partir dos termogramas de análises por calorimetria exploratória diferencial (DSC). Já para as ligas coquilhadas em cunha, obtiveram-se alguns resultados com indícios de estruturas vítreas que foram caracterizadas por difração de raios-X e metalografia. Desta forma chegou-se à conclusão que o critério de seleção aplicado ao sistema Zr-Ni-Cu pode ser utilizado para o desenvolvimento de composições favoráveis à formação de vidro antes da produção das ligas. Conclui-se que o critério que combina o parâmetro de instabilidade topológica (\'lâmbda\' min) e o parâmetro termodinâmico (\'delta\' h) é uma ferramenta que pode ser utilizada como guia para encontrar as composições mais fáceis de formar vidro, reduzindo assim o trabalho experimental de tentativa e erro. / In the present work it was verified the accuracy of a proposed criterion to predict compositions of glassy alloys applied in the Zr-Ni-Cu system. This criterion combines the topological instability parameter (\'lâmbda\') and a thermodynamic parameter (\'delta\' h) among the alloying elements. The two parameters correlate quantitatively the chemical composition with the glass forming ability. This criterion is a promising and simple tool to guide and reduce the tedious and intensive work of finding good compositions of glasses in metallic systems. In an attempt to prove the efficiency of such tool, the methodology was to calculate the parameter for the system of interest and prepare alloys in accordance with the compositions provided by the tool. The methodology of preparation of the alloys followed the electric arc- melting and subsequent use of fast cooling techniques, melt-spinning and splat-cooling for the production of metallic ribbons and discs, respectively, and a wedge-shaped chiller mold to produce bulk metallic samples. For samples prepared from the melt-spinning and splat-cooling, it was verified the accuracy of the selection criteria by quantifying the percentage of glassy phases from X-ray diffractograms and their thermal behaviors from thermograms produced by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). For alloys produced from the wedge-shaped mold, some results were obtained with evidence of vitreous structures that were characterized by X-ray diffraction and metallography. Therefore the conclusion is that the selection criteria applied to the system Zr-Ni-Cu can be used to develop favorable compositions for the formation of glasses before the production of the alloys. It is concluded that the selection criterion is a good tool and can be used as a guide to find the best glass forming alloys, thus reducing the experimental procedures of trial and error.

Large Igneous Provinces (LIPs) form during short-lived pulses of extensive magmatic activity. LIPs are known for their ability to affect global climate as well as for their Ni-Cu-PGE ore potential. A key factor that controls the intensity of the climate impact of a LIP and its ore potential is the assimilation of volatile-rich sedimentary host rocks. Magmas of the High Arctic Large Igneous Province (HALIP), exposed in the Arctic, intruded volatile-rich black shales, carbonates and evaporites in the Canadian Arctic Islands, offering a great opportunity for studying magma-sediment interaction. The purpose of this study is to test whether assimilation of sedimentary sulphide can promote sulphide immiscibility in magma and thus aid formation of Ni-Cu-PGE ore bodies. This is done by analysing sulphur isotopes in pyrite grains hosted in a HALIP dolerite sill, which was emplaced into black shale, by using Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (SIMS). Four dolerite samples are analysed; two coming from the lower contact margin of the sill, one from 60 cm into the sill and one sample from a basaltic vein at the upper contact margin of the sill. A total of 14 pyrite grains (n = 246 individual SIMS spot analyses) were analysed for their sulphur isotope ratios. The results of the SIMS analyses show that all analysed sulphides have highly negative δ34S values ranging from -19.5 to -5.7‰ (average δ34S = -8.2 ± 0.83‰, 2SD), which therefore differ largely from that of the primitive mantle (0 ± 1.8‰). In order to put our four analysed dolerite samples into a broader context, δ34S data of our sulphides are compared with whole-rock δ34S and δ18O data from Hare Fiord shale and dolerite samples. The δ34S values of the sulphide samples from the sill typically trend toward the negative sulphur isotope composition of the sulphides in the surrounding shale, and the shale surrounding the sill experiences a loss of 32S near the contact of the sill. This indicates that sedimentary light sulphur (32S) has been locally incorporated into the sill by the surrounding shale, resulting in negative δ34S values in the magmatic sulphides. Since sulphide immiscibility in the Hare Fiord sill was triggered by assimilation of sulphur from host rock shale, the igneous rocks of the HALIP may be prospective for Ni-Cu-PGE mineralization, though more studies are needed. Furthermore, our results suggest that incorporation of crustal sulphur increased the volatile budget of HALIP magmas, which therefore could have contributed to a deterioration of the environmental conditions during the emplacement of the HALIP. / Stora magmatiska provinser (på engelska Large Igneous Provinces, LIPs) är vulkaniska event då enorma mängder magma avsätts över en väldigt stor yta under ett, i ett geologiskt perspektiv, kort tidsspann. Dessa stora vulkaniska utbrott har väckt stort intresse då de är samtida med flera av de största massutdöendena i jordens historia, men också för att en viss typ av sulfidmalm rik på nickel, koppar och platinametaller (Ni-Cu-PGE malmer) ofta förekommer i provinsernas magmagångar och magmakammare. En viktig faktor som till stor del avgör en magmatisk provins påverkan på klimatet och potentiella malmförekomster är inkorporering av sedimentära bergarter till magman som, när de hettas upp, kan frigöra gaser rika på svavel och kol. I Kanadas arktiska öar trängde magma tillhörande den högarktiska magmatiska provinsen (HALIP) in i svart skiffer, karbonater och evaporiter, som är sedimentära bergarter rika på flyktiga ämnen. Denna magmatiska provins erbjuder därför stora möjligheter till att studera interaktionen mellan magma och sedimentära bergarter. Syftet med denna studie är att testa om inkorporering av sedimentärt svavel kan främja bildandet av sulfidsmälta i magma och därigenom bidra till bildandet av sulfidmalmer. Detta görs genom att analysera svavelisotoper i sulfidmineral i prover från en magmagång, som trängde in i en skifferformation, tillhörande den högarktiska magmatiska provinsen i norra Kanada. Genom att analysera svavelisotopkvoten (δ34S) i sulfidmineral kan man få information om huruvida svavlet i mineralen är av sedimentärt ursprung (där skiffer generellt har negativa δ34S värden) eller om svavlet har δ34S värden liknande de från manteln (som har δ34S värden runt 0‰), vilket i så fall skulle innebära att magman inte har inkorporerat sedimentärt svavel. Genom att använda masspektrometri av typen SIMS analyseras totalt 14 sulfidmineralkorn (n = 246 individuella SIMS punkter) för deras svavelisotopkvoter. Resultatet av studien visar att alla analyserade sulfidmineral har mycket negativa δ34S värden mellan -19.5 och -5.7‰ (med ett δ34S medelvärde på -8.2 ± 0.83‰, två standardavvikelser). Genom att jämföra våra δ34S värden med δ34S och δ18O värden för andra prover från både magmagången och den omgivande skiffern kunde vi se att δ34S värdena för sulfidmineralen i de yttre delarna av magmagången har liknande negativa värden som den omgivande skiffern, och att δ34S värdena för skiffern närmast magmagången är mer positiva. Detta tyder på att sedimentärt svavel i kontakten mellan magmagången och skiffern har blivit inkorporerat i magman från den omgivande skiffern. Våra resultat tyder därför på att sulfidmineralen i våra prover från magmagången bildades genom assimilering av svavel från den omgivande skiffern. Detta innebär i sin tur att den kanadensiska högarktiska magma provinsen potentiellt kan vara en källa för sulfidmalm, även om ytterligare studier behövs. Dessutom visar våra resultat att inkorporering av sedimentärt svavel förmodligen ökade de vulkaniska gaserna i magman, vilket kan ha bidragit till klimatförändringar relaterade till den vulkaniska aktiviteten av den högarktiska magmatiska provinsen.

Published Article / Health effects associated with Ni-Cu mining on learners living within the mining area at Selebi Phikwe were investigated through the administration of questionnaires. Results depicted learners suffering from a wide range of different symptoms and illnesses. 70% of the learners complained of coughs, 77% had influenza / common cold, and 80% had headaches. The repeated coughing, constant influenza / common cold and persistent headaches from which learners suffered, were very significantly higher than those at the control site; and incidences of their occurrence increased with closeness to the mining area. The unusual high occurrences of these ailments and illnesses coupled with associated diseases among learners were attributed to several environmental factors including contaminated particulate air matter (PAM) (rich in sulphur and heavy metals) linked to the mining and smelting of Ni-Cu.

Dynamic Mechanical Analyzer (DMA) was used to study the frequency dependence of storage and loss modulus of amorphous Pd₄₀Ni₁₀Cu₃₀P₂₀ alloy over a broad frequency range around its glass transition temperature. The amorphous samples were subjected to two testing conditions: constant frequency with continuous heating and isothermal with frequency sweep. The storage modulus E′ exhibited a sigmoidal change from about 90 GPa to a low value of about 0 GPa over the glass transition region. The loss modulus, E″, was characterized by an asymmetrical peak with a smaller slope at the low temperature side than at the high temperature side upon heating. These changes in moduli were associated with mechanical relaxation due to atomic motion. Similar results were also obtained under isothermal condition. The Kohrausch-Williams-Watts function was used to fit the data obtained under the isothermal condition. The peak frequencies obtained were then fitted to the VFT equation and the scaling law equation. / Singapore-MIT Alliance (SMA)

The Bird River sill (BRS) is composed of layered mafic-ultramafic intrusive bodies which intruded the Bird River greenstone belt in southeastern Manitoba. Layered intrusions, such as those that collectively make-up the BRS, are important hosts to base and precious metal deposits. This study was initiated to examine and develop an emplacement model for the western half of the BRS and to establish the controls on Cr-Ni-Cu-PGE mineralization. The BRS intrusions were emplaced through multiple-magmatic injections into different stratigraphic levels in the Lamprey Falls Formation. It is interpreted that the central BRS intrusions are connected and represent a single conduit system. The BRS and the Lamprey Falls Formation are overlain by the metasedimentary rocks of the Peterson Creek Formation and are overturned. The stratigraphy of the BRS is divided into four series which are from the base upwards: 1) marginal mafic series, 2) ultramafic series, 3) transition series, and 4) mafic series. All significant concentrations of Cr-Ni-Cu-PGE are contained in the ultramafic series. Mineralization is magmatic in origin with significant Ni-Cu and PGE remobilization associated with late felsic magmatism. Ni-Cu remobilization is also associated with mineralized shear zones that cross-cut the BRS and Lamprey Falls Formation. The sulphur source could not be determined unambiguously based on sulphur isotopes alone but the δ34S values of the BRS intrusions suggests that the sulphur in the BRS is magmatic in origin and that two of the BRS bodies may have assimilated external sulphur. The findings of this investigation have considerable economic implications. The model that each BRS body is an individual intrusion implies each body may contain its own style of mineralization. Secondly, the Page body of the BRS is interpreted to represent a turbulent magmatic environment and to be the first intrusion to form at the lowest stratigraphic level. The magmas that formed the stratigraphically higher BRS intrusions are believed to have passed through the Page intrusion. Therefore, the Page body is an excellent exploration target as it represents a turbulent environment in which significant amounts of primitive magma have passed through which are two key factors in the formation of Ni-Cu-PGE deposits.