Lakehead University is helping with mineral exploration in the Thunder Bay area.
Dr. Pete Hollings is Chair of the Geology department, and tells us the school is receiving grant money from Canada’s Clean Air Metal mining company, $150,000, while the federal government is making $300,000 available, to study how certain rocks formed.
“If we can understand how it gets in there, then we can better predict where we’re likely to find it. So, rather than looking randomly around, we can target specific areas, and do our exploration a lot more efficiently, instead of drilling holes and hoping for the best,” says the Geology Chair.
He says they will study the Midcontinent Rift, which includes about 30kms of rock beneath Lake Superior. “To try and supply an extra level of knowledge they can’t do in their day to day operations, by involving students and other researchers at Lakehead. We have more time to do other things,” explains Hollings.
The funding will supply the researchers, including students, time for three years of study.
