Extensive areas of the Slave Province are overlain by till, which is the most widespread suficial material in the area. Till can be divided into three subunits based on thickness and surface morphology: veneer (generally <2m thick), blanket (2m to >5m thick), and hummocky till (>5m to >10m thick). Glaciofluvial deposits are geographically widespread but limited in extent, and range from a few metres thick to 10's of metres. Glacial lake sediments are only identified in a few regions, and are thin and not aerially extensive.

Surficial geology and drift prospecting investigations are an integral part of successful resource evaluation, mineral exploration and land use planning activities (example: Hope Bay volcanic belt). The surficial geology component of this project involves the compilation into a GIS compatible database and synthsesis of: surficial geology (13 maps), ice flow history, till geochemistry (12 reports), gold grain counts in till (9 reports), kimberlite indicator minerals (10 reports), geochemistry of soil profiles and biogeochemistry in the Yellowknife area (2 reports) from 13 NTS map areas. These reports are outlined in the table below. To assist drift prospecting methods an overburden thickness model for parts of the Slave Province is being developed in co-operation with the Geological Survey of Canada's Remote Predictive Mapping project.

In addition to the above compilation, surficial geology studies were a integral part of the Walmsley Lake 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.