Geoscience BC announces commencement of 2015 TREK field program
June 3, 2015 - Geoscience BC is pleased to announce the commencement of the 2015 TREK field program. TREK, short for Targeting Resources through Exploration and Knowledge, is a multidisciplinary project that includes geophysics, geochemistry, geology and geothermal research. The TREK project focuses on BC's Interior Plateau region, and hopes to encourage mineral exploration in what is presently an underexplored area of the province due to complicated and poorly understood geology and overburden.
In 2013, an airborne magnetic survey was flown and proprietary industry data was incorporated into the larger magnetic dataset. Additionally, the till geochemical survey and basal till potential mapping commenced in 2013 and sampling continued through summer 2014. Reanalysis of archived till samples from the TREK project area has also been undertaken, with the most recent reanalyzed results released last week. The reanalysis not only updates sample results to current-day analytical standards, it also interprets the genesis of each archived till sample, allowing the user to reduce variability within their till datasets for more robust regional assessments.
This year, as part of the TREK Geochemistry project component, a previously unsampled area will be approached using biogeochemical sampling methods. In this 1,000 square kilometre area called the Blackwater Grid, road access is limited and few lakes exist, restricting traditional sampling options. To perform the biogeochemical survey, tree-top twigs will be sampled using a helicopter, which will hover at each tree-top sample site for collection of approximately 1 pound of twigs for lab analysis. Approximately 400 sample sites are planned and these samples will be sent to a lab and analyzed for elements such as gold, copper, silver and molybdenum. Positive results from this survey may support sampling in other remote areas to complete current geochemical sample coverage for the entire TREK project area.
The TREK Geothermal research component focuses on the area around the community of Nazko and will be completed in 2015. The geothermal research involves collection of geochemical samples including: soil gas from Nazko wetland carbon dioxide seepage sites, ground and surface water in the Nazko wetland, soil and vegetation around a carbon dioxide vent, and travertine deposits in and around the Nazko bogs.
The TREK Geology and Integration program will soon continue geological mapping and ground-truthing work that began in summer 2014. The end result will be updated geological information for the area that integrates the geochemical and various geophysical datasets. The key objective of the TREK geology component is to continually improve the geological understanding of the region and produce a series of enhanced geological map products throughout the project. The Geology and Integration portion of the TREK project is expected to be complete by March 2017.
For more information about the TREK Project, including all information released to-date, go to www.geosciencebc.com/s/TREK.asp.
Geoscience BC Geoscience BC is an independent, non-profit organization that works to build the British Columbia economy through generating, interpreting and publicly distributing earth science information for everyone. www.geosciencebc.com
