Bedrock Geologic Map of the Gold Mine Camp Area, Quetico Subprovince, Northern Minnesota

Abstract

As part of the PRC 2011 Field Camp capstone project led by Dr. Dean Peterson, the authors mapped the Quetico Sub-Province of the Superior Province along the Vermillion River to the southwest of Vermillion Falls from August 8th 2011 through August 13th 2011. The goal of the project was to create a map of the structural relationships between the lithological units of the area. As part of the project, the mineral potential of sulfide-rich quartz veins in association with the historic gold prospect (1925-1933) mine was investigated. The study area was accessed by river using motor boats and a canoe, cars on forestry roads to accommodate long traverses, and traversed by foot both on and off trails. The geology of the area consists of a heterogeneous migmatite consisting of two major units, granitoid-rich migmatite and biotite schist-rich migmatite. The migmatite was derived from metamorphism and melting of passive margin sediments (greywacke and argillite) associated with the north directed collision of North America and the Wawa-Abitibi Sub-province during the Algoman Orogeny (2.68 Ga).