1. Compilation and systhesis of existing maps - Wouter Bleeker
2. Mafic Dykes - Richard Ernst and Ken Buchan
3. Wecho River Bedrock Mapping Project - Luke Ootes
   This project was delivered through the Northwest Territories Geoscience Office (NTGO) in collaboration with the GSC. Project priorities and Open reports are available from the NTGO Wecho River web site. The digital geological atlas of the Wecho River area (published May 2005) is available for download from the NTGO publications office.
4. Snare River Project - Valerie Jackson
   This project was delivered through the Northwest Territories Geoscience Office (NTGO) with minor collaboration from the GSC. Project priorities and Open reports are available from the NTGO Snare River web site. A waterproof brochure highlighting the geology of the Snare River canoe route has also been produced by the NTGO.
5. Walmsley Lake Project - Targeted Geoscience Initiative
   This project was delivered through the Northwest Territories Geoscience Office (NTGO) in collaboration with the GSC. Project highlights are available from the NTGO Walmsley Lake web site.

Compilation and Synthesis:

Until the release of a new bedrock compilation map by the Northwest Territories Geoscience Office in June 2005 (download) the only widely accessible bedrock geology compilation of the Slave craton and its environs is that of Hoffman & Hall (1993) see map below. Although this map provides a useful bird's eye view of the Slave craton, it has a number of weak points, which are particularly apparent when the digital version is imported into a user's GIS platform:

Individual 250,000-scale map tiles were stitched together and rubbersheeted to fit the 1:1,000,000 base of the Digital Map of the World. This introduced a number of inaccuracies that become particularly apparent when one zooms to more detailed scales. Hence, the map is less useful beyond its initial hardcopy scale of 1:1,000,000.

Many of the initial discrepancies between neighbouring map sheets were maintained during the compilation for the following reasons: 1) insufficient data to harmonize bedrock units across map boundaries; 2) to highlight the apparent discrepancies between different interpretations by different geologists, sometimes from different mapping generations (P. Hoffman, pers. comm.). Indeed, in the absence of new mapping, maintaining these "map boundaries" is useful in drawing attention to sometimes fundamentally different interpretations. However many users prefer a "best guess" as to identity of regional rock units that straddle map boundaries.

As the compilation (Hoffman & Hall, 1993) is now well over a decade old, it naturally does not include or take advantage of many of the more recent data sets acquired over the last decade (maps, U-Pb ages, isotopic tracer data, distribution of ancient basement).

Hence, one aim of the bedrock geology activity is to re-compile the bedrock of the craton and surrounding belts, taking full advantage of new data and digital methodologies. This will involve redrawing of 40-50 NTS 250,000 map tiles with a harmonized legend. The current plan involves the following:

1. Importing all existing maps into a common base using their initial file format and/or scanned TIFF images.
2. Redrawing and compiling of boundaries on an accurate, seamless base of NTS 250,000 sheets, at 1:125,000 scale. This will insure accuracy and "scalability" up to ca. 1:100,000. A complete list [XLS, 393.7 kb] of map products and reports for each 1:250,000 scale NTS sheet of the Slave craton and environs, north of 65 degrees is available for download.
3. Making full use of potential field data sets where these can add to the interpretation.
4. Harmonizing and interpreting rock units to fit a common rock-type based legend, using a code based on the following template, e.g., Amv2720KG (Archean, mafic volcanic, approximate age, and abbreviated formal name where this exists, in this example KG stands for Kam Group).
5. Production of 250,000 scale tiles as stand-alone maps, with marginal notes, and incorporation into the craton-scale compilation.
6. Full incorporation of existing geochronologic and mineral deposit data.

References:

Hoffman, P., and Hall, L., 1993, Geology, Slave craton and environs, District of Mackenzie, Northwest Territories: Ottawa, Geological Survey of Canada Open File 2559; Map, Scale: 1: 1,000,000 available on CDROM and paper map.

Talks:

The following talks were presented at the 31st Yellowknife Geoscience Forum November 2003.

A precise age for the Duck Lake Sill and its relevance for fitting the Slave in a global Archean context. Bleeker, W. and Kamo, S. (Abstract)