MAP NEWS




March 1st, 2000

 

1999/2000 Year in Review

First Quarter

Mineral Deposits Field Course (B.97/M-1)
Fourteen geologists from five countries spent two weeks from May 3rd to 17th travelling through the high Andes studying the regional geology of the area. The tour included visits to numerous mines in both Bolivia and Argentina.

First Cartographic Standards Committee Meeting
(B.98/M-2)

The Cartographic Standards Committee met for the first time in Lima, Peru on the 17th of June to discuss symbology and cartography of the base map to be used for the metallogenic map of the border regions.

Second Quarter

Metallogeny and Regional Mapping Short Course in Bolivia (A.96/M-C2)
Dr. Andre Panteleyev and Dr. Paul Metcalfe gave a short course on Metallogeny and conducted field work with Bolivian geoscientists from June 28th to July 23rd to assist in regional mapping in volcanic areas.

Mineral Deposits Classification, Genetic Modelling, and Metallogeny Short Course (A.96/B-3)
Dr. Andre Panteleyev gave a 10 lecture short course on Mineral Deposits and Genetic Modelling in La Paz Bolivia from June 28th to July 2nd, 1999. The course was intended for geologists interested in economic geology and engaged in investigations of regional minerals, metallogeny and assessment of mineral potential.

Executive Council Meeting in Santa Cruz, Bolivia (PM.99/M-3)
The MAP Executive Council met in Santa Cruz from August 21st to 22nd of 1999.

Third Quarter

Volcanology Short Course in Peru (A.97/P-6)
Dr. Catherine Hickson, MAP Project Manager, and Dr. Kelly Russell of the Department of Earth and Ocean Sciences of the University of British Columbia, gave a short course in Volcanology to Peruvian geologists from December 6th to 10th.

PIMA Training (A.99/B-1, A.99/C-2, A.99/P-1)
Ms. Anne Thompson of PetraScience Consultants Inc. gave an introductory course on the use and application of the PIMA - Portable Infrared Mineral Analyzer in La Paz, Bolivia and Lima, Peru, from November 2nd to 26th.

Fluid Inclusion Training (D.97/C-5, D.96/B-7, D.98/P-2)
Mr. Jim Reynolds of Fluid Inc. and Mr. Tawn Albinson travelled to the premises of SERGEOMIN, Bolivia and INGEMMET, Peru in December 1999 to set up and give a course on the use of the fluid inclusion equipment from December 2nd to 8th.

Mike Villeneuve to Chile (A.99/C-1)
Mr. Mike Villeneuve, head of the GSC Geochronology Lab in Ottawa, travelled to Chile in November to assist SERNAGEOMIN scientists in setting up their Ar-Ar geochronology lab. Mr. Villeneuve also gave a short course on radiometric dating techniques.

Fourth Quarter

Cordilleran Exploration Roundup 2000 and Map Executive Council Meetings
The 8th meeting of the MAP Executive Council took place in Vancouver from January 26th to 28th, 2000. The meetings focused on the upcoming Airborne Surveys, Samples Updates and Metallogenic Map.
The new MAP poster and summary of MAP Activities and Products were displayed for four days at the Cordilleran Exploration Roundup 2000.

MAP II Discussions
During the Executive Council in January, 2000 discussions were held about the sequel to MAP. It was agreed that the new project will focus on geologic hazard identification and resource management. A formal proposal to CIDA is being drafted.

Airborne Geophysical Surveys (D.99/M-C1 & D.99/M-C2)
Two airborne geophysical Surveys are in the works, one straddling the border between Argentina and Chile, and another to take place in an irregularly shaped area including parts of Bolivia, Chile and Peru. Flying is expected to commence in April 2000.

Samples Update

During the 1999-2000 fiscal year, all countries were active in sending samples for scientific analysis. Over 150 new radiometric dates for the Andes were produced, using the 40Ar/39Ar, U-Pb (zircon), K-Ar, 14C, and apatite fission track methods of dating. Twelve paleontological (pollen) sample results were also received. About 100 more age results are expected for the 2000-2001 fiscal year.

By the end of the fiscal year, MAP will have new lithogeochemical analyses for 1457 samples (rock and stream sediment samples from Argentina and Bolivia); 69 petrological geochemical results (whole rock major and trace element (including REE) analyses) for samples from Bolivia and Peru; 7 common Pb analyses; and a variety of isotope analyses for both rock and water (hydrogeological) samples.

MAP Petrological Standards: Potential petrological standard samples have been sent in from all four countries, and preliminary evaluations are in process. Representative whole rock (major element) and trace element (including REE) analyses have now been received for three andesites from Chile, a dacite from Bolivia, and four basalts from Argentina. Peru plans to collect a suitable rhyolite during the upcoming field season. Final choices for standard samples will include two andesites (felsic and mafic), one dacite, one basalt, and one rhyolite, for a total of 5 petrological standards. Countries are asked to send MAP administration at least 100 kg of each chosen standard specimen for production of enough geochemical reference material for every member country to have a useful supply for future scientific research.

Metallogenic Map

Mr. Robert Cocking requires the following Data:

Argentina:Geology
Bolivia:Geology, topography, and high res image of SERGEOMIN logo
Chile: Geology, topography
Peru: Geology, topography and high res image of INGEMMET logo

All geology and topography must be in ArcInfo or DXF/IGDS format. Images may be in GIF, JPG, TIF or Postscript.

Please send the requested data to: Robert Cocking,

 

 

 

 

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