The evolutionary history of the Abitibi Greenstone Belt extends from 2750 to 2660 million years, a span of 90 million years, and includes volcanism, sedimentation and plutonism. The Abitibi Greenstone Belt is found approximately 33% in Ontario and 67% in Quebec. The Belt has produced over 180 million ounces of gold, and 450 million tonnes of copper and zinc ore over the last 100 years. Greenstone belts are generally elongate formations consisting of variably metamorphosed mafic to ultramafic volcanic sequences often with associated igneous intrusions and sedimentary rocks. Greenstone belts most commonly occur within Archean, and Proterozoic cratons, as is the case with the Abitibi belt, which is found within the Canadian Shield.
The western part of the Abitibi greenstone belt contains some of the world’s largest copper-zinc and gold deposits and significant amounts of nickel-copper-platinum group element (PGE) mineralization. Early discoveries were made by classical prospecting with subsequent discoveries commonly resulting from diamond drilling targeted by electromagnetic surveys. The next generation of deposits will be found at greater depth, principally beneath the extensive overburden that covers most of the Abitibi greenstone belt. Thus, exploration will require improved knowledge of the geological characteristics of the existing deposits, the stratigraphic, plutonic, structural and metamorphic architecture of the region and will rely more heavily on expensive geophysical and geochemical techniques, verified by diamond drilling.
World-class Gold Deposits Hosted in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt
World-class Gold Deposits Hosted in the Abitibi Greenstone Belt