Till geochemical data for the Brazil Lake pegmatite area, southwest Nova Scotia (NTS 21-A/04, 20-O/16 and 20-P/13) : samples collected in 2020, 2021, and 2022 / D.M. Brushett, C.E. Beckett-Brown, M.B....: M183-2/9148E-PDF

"This open file reports geochemical data for till samples collected as a part of a till geochemical and surficial mapping project around the Brazil Lake lithium-cesium-tantalum (LCT-type) pegmatites in southwestern Nova Scotia (NTS map sheets 21A/04, 20-O/16, and 20P/13). To meet the increasing global demand for lithium and associated minerals (i.e. Cs, Ta, Be, In, Sn, and W), the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC) is investigating geochemical methods for exploration of these critical minerals. These types of deposits are important sources of Li, Sn, and Rb as well as the primary source of Ta. The research presented here is part of the GSC's Targeted Geoscience Initiative Program and has been carried out in partnership with the Nova Scotia Department of Natural Resources and Renewables (NSDNRR). The goal of the research is to increase exploration success in regions covered by glacial sediments by documenting how critical minerals and associated elements are glacially dispersed in till from pegmatites using the Brazil Lake property as a test area. Newly available light detection and radar (LiDAR) data assisted in deciphering ice-flow trajectories, whichin turn, allowed for targeted till sampling. A total of 184 till samples were collected for geochemical analysis in 2020, 2021, and 2022 and the data reported here include widely spaced regional samples collected across southwest Nova Scotia, and proximal samples collected up- and down-ice of the Brazil Lake pegmatites. The widely spaced till samples provide the regional context for the interpretation of the closely spaced samples and aid in assessing the potential for additional pegmatites buried by extensive till cover. Data reported in this Open File include sample descriptions, locations, site photos, and geochemical analyses of the coarse sand (1.0–2.0 mm) and silt + clay (<0.063 mm) fractions of the till samples. For the 2020 samples only, the <0.002 mm (clay) fraction was also analyzed. Analyses completed over the 3 years (2020, 2021 2022) used varying combinations of digestion and fusion methods to test and compare their efficacy for the various pathfinder elements for LCT pegmatites: 1) aqua regia (partial) digestion, 2) Na-peroxide fusion (total), 3) 4-acid (near total) digestion, and 4) Li-meta/tetraborate fusion"--Abstract, page [1].

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