Help Files
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- Ways to Download or Order
- Troubleshooting
NORMIN.DB is a database of mineral showings (that is, mineral commodity occurrences) in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut; and a database of information about publications, exploration reports, and other references to geology and mineral exploration in the NWT and Nunavut.
This website provides you with the NORMIN Web Query, a program which lets you search the NORMIN.DB database for showings or references, according to criteria you set. An interactive map in the Showings Query is used to choose an area to search. Results for showings are displayed on a map and in a table. Results for references are displayed in a table.
The table of showings provides: latitude, longitude, commodities, development stage, and geological province. The table of references provides: type, ID, date of publication or filing, author, owners, claims and title.
Reference results can be summarized in a special report accessed from a button at the bottom of the reference results page. A detailed report for either a showing or reference can be generated via links in the tables of results. You may download the contents of the table of results, or any of the detailed reports, or the summary reports, if you accept our disclaimer. You may freely distribute NORMIN data if you abide by the stated requirements.
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Showing Query
On the Showing Query page, you may search the NORMIN database for mineral showings information according to their locations and geological characteristics.
In all likelihood, there are numerous showings in the NWT and Nunavut which haven't yet been discovered, a number which have been discovered but haven't been reported in public records, and many which have been reported but haven't yet been recorded in NORMIN (see our map of coverage for areas of in-depth research for NORMIN).
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1. Pick the area to search by zooming in on the map, if desired. The program will search the database for all showings within the selected view.
For more information on using the map, see Map Options.
2. Select items from the drop-down lists on the left side of the screen to limit your search results, if desired. To remove a selected item, select the blank line at the top of the list.
For more information on these choices, see Search Options (Showings).
A showing must meet all of your selected criteria in order to be included in the results. Therefore, the more conditions you place on the search, the fewer results are returned. If no showings are found, try removing some conditions or zooming out.
3. Click the 'Submit Query' button (lower left of your screen).
4. Examine the results in map, table, detailed, or downloaded form.
5. To perform a new search, click the 'New Showing Query' option at the bottom of the screen. Additional hyperlinks at the bottom of the screen allow you to jump to the NORMIN.DB Home page, a fresh Showing Query page, the Reference Query page, the Help (this) page, or our Contacts page.
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Your search can be limited to showings of specific commodities (such as gold, carving stone, etc.), by choosing a commodity from one or more of the four drop-down lists.
By default, showings with any of the chosen commodities are selected. If you would like to find only showings which have all of the chosen commodities, click the 'Must have all' radio button.
Also, by default, showings with any commodity status are selected. If you would like to find only showings for which the chosen commodities have reserves, or are being or have been mined, click the 'Economic' radio button.
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Development Stage reflects the amount of work carried out on a showing. Your search can be limited to showings which meet one or more Development Stage conditions. The following classification has been used in NORMIN, starting with the least amount of work to the most (please note that these terms are defined for NORMIN as follows, but may be defined otherwise for other uses; the following definitions, therefore, may not be valid outside of NORMIN):
- Reconnaissance
- The showing has undergone preliminary examination only.
- Local Examination
- Sampling and ground investigations such as grid-based surveys have been carried out. These may include trenching but not drilling.
- Drilled
- The showing has been tested by at least one drill hole (excluding packsack holes or holes less than 3 meters deep). Generally, surface work has been done as well.
- Advanced Exploration
- A deposit which is well understood in three dimensions. Generally, this means enough work has been done upon which to base resource calculations.
- Producer
- A deposit which is currently being mined and producing a commodity.
- Past Producer
- A deposit which was producing a commodity but is no longer. If a deposit cycles in and out of production over the years, its Development Stage in the database will be updated.
- Minor Past Producer
- A past producer which produced less than 100,000 tonnes of ore.
If you would like to retrieve showings at only one stage of development, select that one stage from the drop-down list.
If you are interested in more than one stage of development, click the 'Multiple Stages' button and select all the stages you want. This will return any showing which is at any of the selected stages. This option is particularly useful for retrieving major deposits and significant prospects, which would have a Development Stage of Advanced Exploration or greater.
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Your search can be limited to showings hosted by a particular lithology, or rock type. Choose a rock type from one or both of the drop-down lists. Showings which match either of the conditions will appear in your results.
Note: There is not yet a complete, hierarchical grouping of rock types in the database, so a search for 'Mafic Volcanic' will not find 'Basalt' or 'Andesite', for example.
Choose 'Mineralized' from the 'Is' drop-down list to choose only showings in which the selected lithology hosts the mineralization. Leave the 'Is' drop-down list blank to capture all showings for which that lithology is listed (recommended).
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Your search can be limited to showings characterized by certain features. Choose a characteristic from one or more of the drop-down lists. Showings which are characterized by any of the selected conditions will appear in your results.
Characteristics are grouped broadly into types indicated by prefix, for example:
- Model: Mississippi Valley
- Minls: Disseminated
- Process: Volcanogenic
- Rock: Kimberlite/Lamp
- Structure: Contact
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If you want to retrieve information for a showing whose Name or ID number you know, click the grey button labeled 'Query by Showing Number/Name'. A new page will open, allowing you to select either 'Search by Showing ID' or 'Search by Showing Name'.
This option also works if you know only the first part of a showing's Name or ID number. Your results will include anything which begins with what you typed.
NORMIN ID numbers begin with the 250,000-scale National Topographic System (NTS) sheet number (eg. 085J) followed by the quadrant of that sheet in which the showing lies (eg. NW). Therefore, if you typed 085JNW, with 'Search by Showing ID' selected, your search would return all showings in 085JNW.
This option cannot be combined with other options.
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On this page, you may search our database for references by area, type or content. Many of the references in NORMIN are exploration assessment reports.
Your results will be a list of key reference information, each list item linked to further detailed information. Information about something is called metadata, therefore your results are metadata about the references which meet your search criteria. The actual reference, in scanned or hard copy version, can often be obtained as well, but must be ordered or downloaded. For now, see our service Contacts; but the Reference Browser, which will provide download and ordering of actual references, will be on-line by winter 2003. In short, the Reference Query provides you with metadata; the Reference Browser will provide you with copies of the actual references.
The Reference Query presents you with a number of search options.
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To Search:
1. Enter or select items in one or more fields. This will limit your search results to references which meet all of your chosen conditions.
For detailed information on these choices, see Search Options (References).
A reference must meet every condition in order to be included in the results. Therefore, the more conditions you place on the search, the fewer results you will get. If no references are found, try removing some conditions. To remove a selected item, select the blank line at the top of the list.
2.To discover how many records will be returned, click the 'Search Count' button (bottom of the screen). The number of results will be displayed near the top left of the screen, for example 'Results: 23'.
3. Click the 'Search and Display' button (bottom of the screen).
4. Examine the results in table, detailed or summarized form, or download them summarized.
5. To perform a new search, click the 'Clear Search' button (bottom of the screen).
6. To see a map defining NTS map sheet names, click the 'NTS Map' button or the link at the bottom of the screen.
Hyperlinks at the bottom of the screen allow you to jump to the the Showing Query page, a fresh Reference Query page, a map showing NTS boundaries, a page of useful service Contacts, or this Help page.
Hyperlinks at the top of the screen connect you with the rest of the CS Lord Northern Geoscience Centre web site.
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Your search can be limited to references of a particular type by choosing from the Type drop-down list. Types include 'Assessment Report' and 'DIAND NWT, EGS Open File'. NWT & Nunavut exploration assessment reports are included in the database; these are submitted to DIAND by companies and indivduals to describe exploration work done on their properties, and are released to the public and archived by DIAND after a period of confidentiality. Unpublished theses, NWT Open File and Open Report publications, and many publications from scientific journals, the Geological Survey of Canada (GSC), and others are also listed in the database.
Many Types of reference are grouped together into one Megatype. It is often simpler to perform one search for a Megatype than many searches for Types. For example, Assessment Reports, Prospector Reports, and Corporate Internal Files are all classified as Exploration Reports and can be retrieved by one search for references whose Megatype is Exploration Report.
Nothing prevents you from selecting both a Type and a Megatype, but they are intended to be alternatives: since a reference must fill both conditions to be returned in your search results, you will get either no results or exactly the same results as if you had selected just a Type.
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Your search can be limited to references that contain a reference identification number matching the value you enter. The entry box accepts partial reference number information; your results will contain all references whose Number begins with that partial entry.
The identification numbers of exploration assessment reports all begin with 0 (zero) and have six digits (for example, 083121).
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You can limit your search results to references that cover a particular NTS (National Topographic System) map sheet. A map of NTS sheet boundaries is provided for your reference. The NTS entry box allows you to enter up to five 250,000 or 50,000 scale NTS map sheets separated by semi-colons. The format to use is illustrated by the on-screen example: 076K;076L04.
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Mineral claims, leases and permits are various types of subsurface land rights granted in accordance with applicable federal legislation (for more information, follow the links in our service contacts page). Your search can be restricted to references that contain claim names matching those you enter. The entry box allows you to enter up to three claim names or partial claim names separated by semi-colons. Your results will consist of all references whose 'Claim Names' value contains any of the names or name parts you enter. This choice is most useful for exploration reports.
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You can limit your search to references which describe work done by a particular company or individual, by typing a name or part of a name in the entry box. The entry box allows you to enter up to three names or partial names separated by semi-colons. Your results will consist of all references whose 'Owner' value or 'Operator' value contains any of the names or name parts you enter. This choice is most useful for exploration reports.
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Your search can be restricted to references which describe a certain activity or type of work, for example 'Geophysics, Airborne', by choosing the appropriate option from one or more of the drop-down lists. This search criterion has two pairs of drop-down lists which restrict the search results to references that contain the selected activities. You can select up to two activities and may further define either by selecting a subtype.
The activity drop-down list contains a list of all activities in our database. The activity subtype drop-down list will contain items only if an activity has been selected, and they will be different for each activity. Your search results will include any reference which has been linked to any of the selected activities and subactivities in our database. This choice is most useful for exploration reports.
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Your search can be restricted to references which describe exploration for a particular target commodity. You can select up to two such targets via drop-down lists. The results will include any reference which has been linked to either of those targets in our database.
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You can limit your search to references applicable to either the NWT or Nunavut. Some references in our database are applicable to the Yukon as well. This choice is particularly useful in combination with other criteria, such as Reference Type or Work Type.
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You can limit your search to references published between two dates. Enter the year as four digits. Dates for unpublished materials such as exploration reports refer to filing dates, submission dates, etc.
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You can restrict your search results to references whose comments contain a word or phrase matching the text you type. To search for parts of words, you must use a percent sign as a wildcard character; for example, to return all words beginning with 'dia' type dia%, and to return all words ending with 'anda' type %anda. The result will include any reference whose 'Comment' contains the word you typed, or if you used a percent sign, a word which matches what you typed.
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You can limit your search results to references relevant to a particular area, by typing a lake or river or other place name in the Area entry box. The entry box allows you to enter a full or partial area name. The results will include any reference whose value for Area contains the word or partial word you typed.
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You can limit your search to references written by a particular person. Type the last name or part of the last name in the Author entry box. The results will include any reference whose Author contains the word or partial word you typed.
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Your search can be limited to references that contain title information matching the text entered into the Title box. Type the word or part of the word you think might be in the title of the reference(s) you want. The result will include any reference with the text you typed in its Title.
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The results of the showing search are displayed initially as yellow dots on the map. For information about adding layers to this map, or displaying information about individual showings, see Map Options. A table of the results can be accessed using the 'Tabular View/Download' button below the map.
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The table is split into 10 rows per page. Each row represents one showing. 'Next' and 'Previous' buttons move you between the pages.
The Showing ID Number in each row is a link to the detailed report for each showing.
Check-boxes beside each row allow you to select or de-select a showing for download or display on the map. The rows you leave checked in all pages of the table will appear on the map, if you click the 'Return to Map' button, or will be downloaded, if you click the 'Download' button.
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In the table of results, click on the showing number to display a detailed report. Detailed showing reports include location data, geological data, a written summary, and relevant references. Location is provided in latitude and longitude decimal degrees. Geological data include primary commodities with a status indicator for each; ore, gangue and alteration minerals; host lithologies; deposit characteristics; comments; and references. Reference data include a list of activites or surveys performed on the showing. Greater detail is available for some showings than others. The report for a showing contains links to the reports for all references associated with it.
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The 'Download' button at the bottom of the screen begins the process of generating and downloading a tab delimited file containing information for the selected showings. Remember, showings are selected form the table of search results by using the checkbox next to each row.
Your browser may suggest a bizarre filename for the file you are downloading. We recommend that you replace that name with a more descriptive one. If you use a Windows operating system, be sure file extensions are visible before you download (in Explorer, choose View - Options from the menu), and ensure the filename you choose ends with .txt, for example, " gold_showings.txt " without the quotes.
Tab delimited files are one way to import and place data that is arranged in rows and columns, such as tables and spreadsheets. A tab delimited file is a special kind of plain text file with a tab between each column in the text.
A txt file is an ASCII file (that is, a text file which can be read with any text editor such as Notepad). It is structured as follows: each column of information is separated from the next by a tab; and each record is separated from the next by a new line. Most spreadsheet and database programs can import this type of file with some instruction from you; see Importing a NORMIN Data File.
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The following functions are provided for the map: zooming and panning; adding layers or themes of background information; and, if a query has been performed, identifying showings.
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To zoom:
- choose one of the five pre-set scales (in the 'SCALES' box above the map)
- ensure the 'Zoom/Pan' radio button is selected (top right of screen) and
- click on the map where you want the center of the zoomed view to be.
The default scale is 'Territiorial', showing the entire Northwest Territories and Nunavut. 'Local', the most detailed scale, covers roughly one 1:250,000 National Topographic System (NTS) map sheet at the latitude of Great Slave Lake (62 degrees).
To pan: Click on one of the arrows on the sides or corners of the map to slide the view in the indicated direction. (The arrows are inactive in Territorial view.)
Hit 'Restore Area' to return to the view which existed at the time you submitted your query. This button is inactive if you haven't yet submitted a query.
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The LEGEND box to the right of the map lists available layers or themes to add to the view, for example NTS grid lines or prospecting permits. More layers are available at more detailed scales; a mineral claims layer may be added at Local scale, for example. Click the check-box beside all the layers you want to add, then click the 'Refresh Map' button. (Mineral claim, mining lease, and prospecting permit boundaries are approximate and may be outdated. They are for general reference only.)
One of the layers available at all scales is the 'All Showings' layer. This is an image of every showing in NORMIN; it is static and is not connected to the database. If you searched for showings of Gold, the All Showings layer would allow you to see nearby showings which are not of Gold.
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The MAP MODE box in the upper right of your screen contains a pair of radio buttons which alter the function of a click on the map. The default is 'Zoom In/Out'.
The second choice is 'Identify Showing'. This function is unavailable unless you have performed a query. You can only identify a showing which is part of a query result, represented by a yellow dot, because these are connected to the database. With Identify Showing selected, a click on a yellow dot on the map will open a table of information about the showing represented by the dot. This option is available only for search results; it has no effect on the 'All Showings' layer, because that layer is not connected to the database (as explained above).
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The reference search results are displayed initially in a table. Each row represents one reference. If there are more than 10 rows, the table is divided into pages, each of which displays10 rows at a time. 'Next' and 'Previous' buttons move you between the pages. The rows are sorted by Type and Number. Type refers to the kind of document (eg. Assessment Report, Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, News Release). Every reference has an identification Number, whose format depends on the Type of the reference. (For example, Numbers for Assessment Reports are the 6 digits assigned to the hard copy files, while Journal numbers are made up of the volume, number and page of the hard copy.) The rest of the columns in the table contain additional key information about the reference, such as author and title.
The 'Refine/Edit Query' button returns you to the Reference Query page as it was when you performed your last query.
These basic search results can be enhanced. The Identification Number in each row is a link to a detailed report containing comprehensive information about that one reference. At the bottom of the screen is the Summary Report area. To view extended key information on all the selected references, in printable format, click the 'View Summary Report' button. To download this information in ASCII tab delimited format, click the 'Download Summary Report' button.
A check-box beside each row allows you to select or de-select a reference for download or inclusion in a Summary Report. To check or uncheck the entire page at once, use the provided buttons 'Check all ' and 'Uncheck all'.
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In the table of results, clicking on the button containing the reference ID Number will open a detailed report. A detailed reference report displays all available metadata for that one reference: megatype, type, number, territory, filing/publication date, release date, title, author, owner, operator, comments, availability for viewing or distribution, media of distribution, the activities or types of exploration or research described in the reference, any resource or production statistics presented in the reference, central and corner coordinates, the target(s) of exploration, the period of work, the area of work, and the showings it covers. The report for a reference also contains links to the reports for any showings associated with it.
Clicking on the 'View Summary Report' button at the bottom of the search results page will generate a summary reference report for all the selected references. Remember, references can be de-selected from the table of search results by using the checkbox next to each row. The summary report displays a subset of available information, for all the selected references sorted by Type and ID Number: megatype, territory, filing/publication date, NTS, area, claims, owner, title, operator, author, availability, and comments.
Each detailed or summary report can be printed or saved.
Scanned copies of most assessment reports and CS Lord or DIAND NWT publciations are available. The Reference Browser, expected on-line in winter 2003, will allow selection and download or ordering of those digital references distributed by the CS Lord Geoscience Centre. For more information on digital resources, contact us.
For more information on the sources of data or the meaning of any of the data categories, please contact NORMIN staff.
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The Reference Query allows you to download metadata about the references returned by your search, that is, information about those references. Currently, that is all it allows. By winter 2003, it will be linked to the Reference Browser, which will allow download or order of digital copies of the references themselves. Currently, however, to get digital copies of the references themselves, you have to contact us.
Click the 'Download Summary Report' button, near the bottom of the search results screen, to download a tab-delimited file of information about the selected references. Remember, references can be de-selected from the table of search results by using the checkbox next to each row.
Your browser may suggest a bizarre filename for the file you are downloading. We recommend that you replace that name with a more descriptive one. If you use a Windows operating system, be sure file extensions are visible before you download (in Explorer, choose View - Options from the menu), and ensure the filename you choose ends with .txt, for example, " refs.txt " without the quotes.
Tab delimited files are one way to import and place data that is arranged in rows and columns, such as tables and spreadsheets. A tab delimited file is a special kind of plain text file with a tab between each column in the text.
A txt file is an ASCII file (that is, a text file which can be read with any text editor such as Notepad). It is structured as follows: each column of information is separated from the next by a tab; and each record is separated from the next by a new line. Most spreadsheet and database programs can import this type of file with some instruction from you; see Importing a NORMIN Data File.
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This may be the result of many people accessing the site at once. Please try again. Click the 'Back' button on your browser and perform the search again, or click the 'Reload' or 'Refresh' button. If this is a frequent problem or has not corrected itself within 5 minutes, please ask us to look into it.
(Relevant to the Showing Query only.) This is a bug in the application. The solution is to ask us to close and re-start the application. A work-around, in the absence of a quick response from us, is for you to understand that the grey is somewhere in Saskatchewan, and to use the 'up' arrow at the top of the map as many times as necessary to pan to the Territories; then the other arrows to navigate to your area of interest within the Territories. Of course this is a terrible alternative and we apologize for its occasional necessity. We'd really appreciate hearing when the grey map happens so we can re-start the application before too many people have gotten angry about it.
If you don't select anything from the drop-down lists or type anything in the entry boxes, and for the Showing Query leave the map view at 'Territorial' scale, you are asking for every record in the database. To narrow your search, zoom in to a smaller area on the map, or select more showing options or reference options.
If you choose an item from every drop-down list and type something in every entry box, you are searching for only those showings or references which meet every condition you set. You may end up with nothing in the Results list. Broaden your search by zooming out on the map (Showing Query only) or by removing some of the constraints from the drop-down lists and entry boxes.
Check your spelling. Try typing only part of the name or an alternate name. Try removing conditions from the Host Rock or Deposit Characteristics lists; much of this information has not yet been researched and digitized. Finally, the showing may not yet be in the database (see our coverage map portraying the progress of in-depth research). Contact us to verify this or to request that it be added.
Check your spelling, check the number. Try searching by NTS or broadneing your search by removing Type of Work conditions (even though you may know the reference covers Airborne Magnetics, the Types of Work may not have been entered in the database for that reference yet). Contact us for further assistance.
If you select from the Type of (activity) Work drop-down list and the activity sub types list does not get populated, ensure that Java Script is Enabled in the Preferences.
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