Challenges for rescuing drill core from volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits in northern Wisconsin
Abstract
Providing adequate physical care for unique lithologies can be a challenge for rock core repositories. The purpose of a repository is to preserve its collections such that they will be available and useful for current and future research. Preservation requires both documentation and physical care, including the state of the facility housing the collections, as specimens can be endangered by environmental factors. Digital documentation is a crucial first step in rescuing at-risk samples as it allows the collection to be monitored through time. Exploratory drill core from the Flambeau copper-gold mine in Ladysmith, WI was donated to the Wisconsin Geological and Natural History Survey (WGNHS). The collection includes over 4.7 km of irreplaceable core from 50 sites. The ore body is situated in the Ladysmith-Rhinelander Volcanic Complex, an Early Proterozoic greenstone belt that hosts at least 13 volcanogenic massive sulfide deposits (DeMatties, 1996), including Flambeau. Mineral assemblages include up to 50% sulfide minerals, mainly pyrite and marcasite (May and Dinkowitz, 1996). These lithologies present a unique preservation challenge - storage conditions must be temperature and humidity controlled to prevent pyrite oxidation (Newman 1998), which chemically and physically degrades the samples as well as labels, containers, and shelving. Once initiated, pyrite oxidation cannot be stopped or reversed, but may be stabilized (Howie, 1992). Although protecting these materials is a vital part of the WGNHS mission, climate-control modifications to the facility are cost-prohibitive. In order to rescue the samples, we documented the collection's present state. We developed and implemented a new database schema including IGSNs to improve metadata records, track samples, and link data. Although preservation of the physical samples remains a challenge, digital workflows and data management improvements will allow WGNHS to monitor the condition of these samples while also improving access and discoverability.
- Publication:
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AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2016
- Bibcode:
- 2016AGUFM.U52A..04S
- Keywords:
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- 1904 Community standards;
- INFORMATICSDE: 1912 Data management;
- preservation;
- rescue;
- INFORMATICSDE: 6304 Benefit-cost analysis;
- POLICY SCIENCESDE: 6610 Funding;
- PUBLIC ISSUES