Seismic properties of the Voisey’s Bay massive sulfide deposit: Insights into approaches to seismic imaging

ABSTRACTSeismic methods offer significant potential advantages for minerals exploration over more traditional geophysical techniques because of the comparatively high resolution of seismic imaging. This is particularly true as minerals exploration is required to explore deeper to find resources. However, adaptation of seismic imaging techniques to the complex crystalline targets common in the mining environment requires a thorough understanding of the physical properties of the specific combination of ore and host rocks under consideration to choose an appropriate imaging technique. Analysis of the sulfide ores and associated host rocks from the Voisey’s Bay nickel-copper-cobalt deposit indicates that in the pyrrohotite-pentlandite-rich but pyrite-poor assemblage at Voisey’s Bay, seismic velocities are significantly lower (mean∼4500  m/s) than either the felsic or mafic host rocks (mean∼5900  m/s and ∼6400  m/s). This observation is in contrast with pyrite-rich massive sulfide ores that have velocities th...

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