MAP NEWS

Upcoming Activities

Aravena to Chile (D.96/C-14)

Dr. Ramon Aravena of University of Waterloo, Ontario will be travelling to Chile in August to continue work with SERNAGEOMIN scientists on the hydrogeology program.

Geosoft Training in Peru (D.98/P-1)

From September 4 to 8 and October 4 to 6 of this year scientists with INGEMMET, Peru will receive introductory training on Geosoft software donated to the institution by MAP.

MAP Executive Council Meetings Date Change (PM.00/M-3)

Due to the change in date of the MAP Symposium at the IX Chilean Geological Congress in Puerto Varas, Chile to August 1, 2000 it has been decided to move the MAP Executive Council Meetings ahead by one day. The new dates for the Executive Council meetings will be from Wednesday August 2 to Friday, August 4, 2000.

Suggested Agenda Items:

· Draft Metallogenic Map
· Airborne Surveys
· Upcoming Activities:
- MAP II
- Samples Standards
- Samples Database
- Individual Country Progress
- Closure Plan for MAP

Please forward agenda suggestions to Mike Ellerbeck

Activity Reports

Metallogenic Map Update

Dr. Eduardo Zappettini visited GSC Vancouver during the week of June 12 though 16. The MAP metallogenic map coordinator Dr. Eduardo Zappettini, SEGEMAR, Argentina was in Vancouver to work with Mr. Rob Cocking of the GSC Vancouver Geographical Information System (GIS) group. Working with digital data from each of the MAP participants, they were able to construct the first draft of the metallogenic map to be displayed at the IX Chilean Geological Congress in Puerto Varas, Chile, July 31 to August 4, 2000. Currently the GSC GIS group is updating the draft metallogenic map with the final additions to the database to have it ready for the Congress.

Bolivian Scanner Repair

The SERGEOMIN scanner sent to Vancouver for repair in April should be repaired and ready for testing by the end of July. The scanner will remain at GSC Vancouver for a short time to undergo extensive testing before being returned to Bolivia.

Airborne Surveys

Chile / Argentina
(C.99/M-H1)

The Chile / Argentina airborne geophysical survey which commenced in April 2000 is temporarily on hold to await improvement in weather conditions in the region. It is anticipated that the survey will resume next December or January.

Bolivia / Chile / Peru
(C.99/M-H2)

The contract for the Bolivia / Chile / Peru airborne geophysical survey was granted to the winning contractor SIAL Geoscience of Montreal in June. Currently, MAP management along with Dr. Dennis Teskey (Technical Supervisor for the Survey) and the survey participants are working out the final details before the commencement of the survey which is anticipated to occur as soon as the contractor is able to set up a base of operation and obtain all required permits from local authorities, but flying is weather dependent.

Peruvian Consulate General Velasquez to Return to Peru
The Peruvian Consulate General in Vancouver, Ministro Amador Velasquez, has been recalled to Lima to take the position of Director of Finance for the nation. MAP management wishes to congratulate Ministro Velasquez on his new position and also to thank him for the help and guidance he and the staff at the consulate have provided over the course of the project. Being a strong advocate for Peruvian - Canadian business relations he saw early on the benefits of the Multinational Andean Project for both countries and has worked hard to facilitate any MAP related dealings between the countries.

MAP Fellowship fund

As the MAP Symposium at the IX Chilean Geological Congress in Puerto Varas, Chile is approaching quickly, it is urged that countries wishing to use the MAP Fellowship fund to sponsor participants from their institution to attend and present at the symposium send in a formal request to the Project Manager, Dr. Catherine Hickson at GSC, Vancouver and to MAP Technical Advisor, Dr. Constantino Mpodozis, SERNAGEOMIN, Chile no later than July 15, 2000 in order to leave time for assessment of the applications.

PIMA to Chile

Following the success of the Portable Infrared Mineral Analyser (PIMA) course in Chile May 22 to 26, 2000 in which 13 scientists from SERNAGEOMIN participated, the MAP PIMA will be sent to Chile for field use for six months commencing in August.

MAP Sample Standards
(B.98/M-2)

The current status of the MAP Standard Geochemical Reference Materials Project will be featured in a poster at the MAP Symposium in Chile in August. It will include a summary of the laboratory procedures involved in the making of custom geochemical reference materials, and a description of their uses, as well as display geochemical data and photographs of the samples evaluated and chosen so far for the project. The first set of sample bottles (Chilean andesite reference material) is expected to be distributed at that time, currently being produced at the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development and Mines Geoscience Laboratories in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada. The second set of standards, Argentinian basalt, should be completed and ready to distribute in early September. A rhyolitic rock from Peru has been submitted for evaluation as a sample standard, and further dacitic samples from Bolivia are being considered. It is expected that a second Chilean andesite will be chosen to represent a different range of composition. Thanks to all of the participating countries for the great amount of effort and cooperation that this project requires.

MAP Sample Update

New Samples Arrive in Vancouver

Geological fieldwork in Peru, following the Volcanology Short Course held in Lima, has resulted in 42 pails of rock samples shipped to GSC Vancouver to be sent out for a combination of analyses, including evaluation of a rhyolitic sample standard, as well as 40 samples for radiometric dating (mostly Ar-Ar, and some K-Ar), whole rock and trace petrochemistry, and petrographic description.
As well, 18 new boxes of rock samples from Bolivia (for geochemical analysis and radiometric dating) have arrived. One box was empty, and two galena samples, intended for Pb isotope work, were lost en route. As a reminder, please package samples adequately for international shipment -- metal or plastic pails are preferred for best preservation of sample integrity.

MAP Sample Database (B.98/M-1)

Dr. Mark Stasiuk joined the MAP team in Vancouver in May to complete development of the sample database with Mr. Otto Krauth, and complete the bulk of the data entry. Development of the software package is an ongoing process and has benefited from the input of Dr. Catherine Hickson, Mr. Joe Nagel and Dr. Jennifer Getsinger. After detailed technical considerations, a preliminary version of the database has been constructed using FileMaker Pro software. The development process involves a combination of graphical design, programming and data structuring, and the essential aim is now being approached: creation of an efficient, easy to use package that will not only store the mountain of MAP sample data, but also allow sophisticated investigations for both petrological research and mineral exploration. A preliminary version of the database, MAPdb.v1, will be demonstrated and made available for testing by participating countries in August 2000, at which time it will probably hold detailed data on more than 500 MAP samples. As of the end of June, the developing version of MAPdb contained data on about 300 samples. It is expected that the software development and data entry will continue for a further 3 to 4 months, leading to a final, usable version by January 2001.
Although a huge amount of data is being entered into the preliminary version of MAPdb, there remain many gaps in the dataset which need filling. Some of these are probably best done by the geologists of the participating countries, for example descriptions of handsamples. However, at least one item, the locations of samples, is required to make the database viable and we currently lack locations for most samples. Until we receive these locations, the data cannot be entered. Therefore we request that all participating countries provide us with digital versions of all their MAP sample latitudes and longitudes. These should be sent by email to Mark Stasiuk ([email protected]) in Excel spreadsheets, in either decimal latitude and longitude, or as degrees/minutes/seconds (each value in a separate column). Local grid coordinates (UTM or TM) also can be sent, but in that case we require all projection information (ellipsoid, false easting and northing, scale factor at origin, central meridian). Participating countries are also encouraged to email other forms of digital data such as field descriptions and scanned field photographs, for entry in the database. Data may also be sent to Dr. Stasiuk through Mr. Otto Krauth (email: )

CAMMA
Meetings in Vancouver October 5 and 6

Ministers and senior mining officials from the Americas and the Caribbean, CAMMA (The Annual Conference of Mines Ministries of the Americas) will meet in Vancouver October 5th and 6th. This year discussion will center around sustainable development mining policies related to: Mining and the Environment; Mining and Communities; Market Access for Minerals and Metals

For further information please contact the CAMMA Coordinating Committee contact parties for each of the "sub-regions" within CAMMA, on the website:
http://www.camma.org/ under "contacts".