the following projects are available for a 2025 start

msc #1 will investigate the magmatic evolution, petrography and alteration chemistry of a number of poorly understood intrusions in the mcfaulds greenstone belt in northern ontario, also known as the ring of fire, in order to better constrain the ni-cu-pge and chromite mineralization. the project will involve sampling of drill core and surface exposure of the intrusive units and then characterizing those samples through a combination of petrography, whole rock geochemistry, u-pb geochronology and radiogenic isotopes. the successful candidate will work closely with the industry partner wyloo and the pdf and msc student working on the project.

msc #2 will characterise the geochemistry and petrography of the mayville intrusion in manitoba. the mayville property is located in the east-west trending archean bird river greenstone belt (brgb) at the western edge of the superior province. the mayville intrusion proper, including the m2 deposit, has been the focus for the majority of historical exploration activity, the new geophysical interpretations indicate good potential for additional discoveries of both m2-type magmatic sulfide deposits and pgm zone-type mineralization in numerous, undrilled coincident magnetic and conductivity anomalies that occur south, west and east of the mayville intrusion. the project will involve sampling of drill core and surface exposure of the intrusive units and then characterizing those samples through a combination of petrography, whole rock geochemistry, u-pb geochronology and radiogenic isotopes. the successful candidate will work closely with the industry partner grid metals and the msc student working on the project.

msc #3 will investigate manganese mineralization in the metasedimentary suites around thunder bay, including the 2.7 ga wabigoon subprovince and the 1.88 ga gunflint formation. the msc candidate will characterize the geochemistry and petrography of manganese mineralization using a combination of detailed stratigraphy, petrographic analysis, whole-rock geochemistry, and non-traditional isotopes (e.g., fe, cr) to reconstruct the depositional environment and interpret manganese enrichment. the project will be supervised by led by dr. zhiquan li and dr. pete hollings.

msc #4 will investigate romios gold resources inc.’ kinkaid project in southern nevada lies located within the nw-se trending walker lane deformation and au-ag mineralization belt. the student will undertake detailed mapping of the mineral prospects, alteration and metamorphic patterns, as well as more regional scale mapping of the local volcanic and sedimentary stratigraphy combined with fluid inclusion studies, hyperspectral analysis of a systematic series of rock samples across the property to outline the type of alteration minerals present, and age dating of the mineralized veins, skarns, and some of the major volcanic and intrusive rocks on the property.

see more details here. contact dr. peter hollings for more information.