Comparing geophysical responses of nickel deposits for future exploration

What is it about?

Exploration for nickel has historically been focused in areas of extensional tectonics but a recent discovery has shown that large nickel deposits can form in convergent tectonic settings as well. This study presents and discusses the geophysically measured physical property responses from two different nickel deposits, one in a traditional extensional setting and one in a convergent setting. The traditional nickel deposit studied herein produced geophysical responses that were consistent with the existing exploration model. The unique convergent margin nickel deposit did not appear to be directly detectable in ways that a traditional nickel deposit might be, but the geophysical responses were strong indicators of the larger geologic setting necessary to form and host the deposit, indicating that the applied geophysical methods can still assist in the exploration process.

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Photo by Antonio Garcia on Unsplash

Photo by Antonio Garcia on Unsplash

Why is it important?

Nickel is a critical mineral in the US and in Canada and is an important battery metal currently used for harnessing renewable energy. The results from this study can help establish better geophysical exploration models for future nickel discoveries for both traditional extensional setting nickel deposits and potentially underexplored convergent margin nickel deposits.