Logger For Core Rocks

Ore Geology Reviews 53 (2013) 93111
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Ore Geology Reviews

journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/oregeorev
A multi-sensor logger for rock cores: Methodology and preliminary results from the
Matagami mining camp, Canada
P.-S. Ross , A. Bourke, B. Fresia
Institut national de la recherche scientique, Centre Eau Terre Environnement, 490, rue de la Couronne, Qubec (QC), Canada G1K 9A9
a r t i c l e
i n f o
Article history:
Received 12 October 2012
Received in revised form 13 December 2012
Accepted 14 January 2013
Available online 23 January 2013
Keywords:
Physical properties
Geochemistry
Mineralogy
Line-scan imaging
Rock cores
Multi-sensor core logger
Mineral exploration
a b s t r a c t
Diamond drilling typically constitutes a major part of costs in advanced mineral exploration programs. This
generates thousands of meters of rock cores during major exploration campaigns, but the cores are not currently utilized to their full potential. They could supply three-dimensional information on physical properties, geochemistry and mineralogy; such data could be used to model the geology or physical properties in
3D, characterize hydrothermal alteration, or provide chemo-stratigraphic constraints, for example. But measuring all the parameters one by one at high spatial resolution by traditional methods would be impractical
due to cost or time considerations and, for some parameters, it would destroy the core (e.g. geochemistry).
In this paper we describe a multi-sensor core logger and its use on rock cores from exploration diamond drill
holes. This semi-automated system can measure near-simultaneously, non-destructively and at high spatial
resolution, the following parameters: (1) volumetric magnetic susceptibility; (2) density using gamma-ray
attenuation; (3) several chemical elements through energy-dispersive X-ray uorescence spectrometry;
and (4) visible/near infrared spectrometry, which allows numerous minerals to be detected and characterized. The logger also acquires a continuous image of the core using a line-scan camera, which allows the
user to compare other properties with the visual aspect of the core and creates a complete virtual archive.
The aim of this mostly methodological paper is to describe the logger as a whole and then each instrument
or sensor separately, outlining the numerous tests that have been performed to assess and improve data
quality. We also present preliminary results from the Matagami mining camp of Canada, a base metal district.
2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
1. Introduction
Diamond drill holes are the only way to gain direct, high-quality
access to rocks in the third dimension, and one of the favorite tools of
mineral exploration. Typically, after the initial stages of an exploration
program for base or precious metals, a large part of the budget is
assigned to core drilling. Exploration companies have the cores visually
logged by a geologist, who also decides which intervals to sample for
assays of the sought-after metals (Ag, Au, Cu, Ni, Pb, Zn, etc.). Core
recovery parameters such as the rock quality designation (RQD) are
also routinely recorded. In addition, some exploration companies measure the magnetic susceptibility of the rock cores with handheld
devices, and/or send some samples out to commercial laboratories for
whole-rock geochemistry.
However, a lot more information could be extracted out of these
very costly drill cores, such as the physical properties of the rocks,
their mineralogy, and their geochemistry, at a high spatial resolution
(small measurement spacing). Quantifying these parameters could
help reaching goals such as (1) better planning or interpreting geophysical surveys; (2) modeling the geology or physical properties of
Corresponding author. Tel.: +1 418 654 3773.
E-mail address: rossps@ete.inrs.ca (P.-S. Ross).
0169-1368/$ see front matter 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.oregeorev.2013.01.002
rocks in three dimensions; (3) documenting hydrothermal alteration;

and (4) improving the visual logs of the cores where alteration makes
the protoliths difcult to determine, and/or where the rocks are
ne-grained and difcult to sort apart. Various devices and laboratory
techniques are available for measuring each property at a time, but
this approach makes it unrealistic to build a large multi-parameter
database for a certain region given the high cost of data acquisition,
the time involved, and the destructive nature of several conventional
analytical techniques.
A new mobile laboratory at Institut national de la recherche scientique
(INRS), Quebec, Canada, contains a high-resolution, semi-automated
core logger that measures several parameters near-simultaneously on
rock cores, in a non-destructive manner, at core repositories. Currently,
the logger can measure the density and magnetic susceptibility of
rocks, quantify several chemical elements by energy-dispersive X-ray
uorescence (XRF), and characterize mineralogical assemblages by visible light and near infrared (Vis/NIR) spectrometry (Fig. 1). The logger can
also acquire a high-quality continuous image of the core using a line-scan
camera, creating a virtual archive of the drill hole. In this mostly methodological paper, we present the characteristics of the logger as a whole
and then of each instrument or sensor separately, outlining the numerous tests that have been performed to assess and improve data quality.
We also present preliminary results from the Matagami mining camp
94
P.-S. Ross et al. / Ore Geology Reviews 53 (2013) 93111
Vis/NIR
Gamma
source
Pusher
Track
Fig. 1. (a) Photo of the INRS mobile laboratory. (b) Three dimensional representation of the MSCL inside the laboratory, modied from an image supplied by Geotek Ltd. Missing
from this drawing are the electronic racks and the MSCL computer.
of Canada, an Archean base metal district, and compare the INRS logger
with other systems.
2. General description of the logger and preliminary tests
The multi-sensor core logger (MSCL) at INRS has been designed to
use primarily on exploration diamond drill cores. It is contained in a
mobile laboratory housed in a modied cargo trailer, which measures
6.1 m by 2.6 m at the base (Fig. 1a). Windows, a heater and an
air-conditioning system allow the users to maintain a nearly constant
temperature in the laboratory, which is important for density measurements as will be discussed below. The logger takes a few hours
at most to setup at destination, since most of the MSCL's components

are permanently attached to the trailer.
The MSCL at INRS was designed, built and installed by Geotek
Ltd. of Daventry, England, using sensors and scientic instruments
manufactured by this company and other suppliers. Prior to this,
Geotek had produced over 100 loggers for other clients, mostly for
the analysis of water-saturated sediment cores in plastic liners, with
magnetic susceptibility, density and seismic (P-wave) velocity being
the most common parameters measured (e.g., Rothwell and Rack,
2006; Weber et al., 1997). Before INRS's logger was built, few Geotek loggers had been destined for rock cores (e.g., Vatandoost et al., 2008), only
one had had an XRF analyzer integrated, and none contained a Vis/NIR
spectrometer. A comparison between the INRS logger and other systems

is provided in Section 9.
2.1. Principle of operation and logging velocity
Our MSCL contains four main elements: (1) a series of sensors and instruments; (2) the horizontal track on which the core is pushed in a core
boat; (3) an electronic interface; and (4) a computer which controls the
equipment and records the parameters and images (Geotek Ltd., 2010;
Fig. 1b). Typical wooden storage boxes in Canada contain four (BQ
size) or three (NQ size) core sections, each measuring about 1.5 m in
length. The core from each box is transferred into custom-made
non-magnetic berglass core boats slightly longer than 1.5 m, and the
boats travel in queue on the track.
For line-scan imaging purposes, the movement of the core is continuous, whereas for other parameters, the core stops within or under each
device during the time required to make a measurement (~1 s for magnetic susceptibility, 110 s for Vis/NIR spectrometry, 10 s for gamma
density, and 6090 s for the XRF analyzer). The Vis/NIR contact probe
and one XRF analyzer are mounted on an arm that moves up and
down so that the instruments come in rm contact with the core during
the measurement, but there is no friction while the core is moving
horizontally.
The pusher is moved by an electrical motor and the precision on the
positioning of the core in the MSCL is 0.5 mm, so the parameters are all
measured at the same spot on the core (the measurements are automatically co-located). The precision on core positioning within the logger is
much better than the error on the absolute down-hole depth within
the core boxes, which is at best about 10 cm.
The current routine logging speed is about 60 m of exploration drill
core per eight hour work shift, including gamma density calibrations
(described below). The mentioned logging velocity takes into account
a spatial resolution (measurement spacing) of 2030 cm; running
the core in the MSCL once for imaging and a second time for density,
Vis/NIR spectrometry and magnetic susceptibility; and taking XRF measurements separately with two portable XRF devices installed on laboratory stands, while other core sections are on the MSCL. The logger is
technically capable of acquiring the line-scan images and all other
parameters in a single pass, but proper imaging of rock cores requires
wetting the rock surface, whereas Vis/NIR spectrometry requires a fully
dry surface as explained in Section 2.4 (the cores have time to dry in between the two passes). The reason for currently operating the XRF devices separately from the logger is simply to save time, since the XRF
measurements are the longest by far; also only one XRF analyzer has
been integrated to the MSCL.
2.2. Core preparation
The proper preparation of rock cores prior to logging is critical to obtain good data. While still in their wooden boxes, the cores are cleaned
vigorously with a brush, to get rid of the dust and small debris from the
surface. Transferring the core into the boats results in a 180 axial rotation, exposing the other side for cleaning as well. The cores are imaged
while wet, with the water applied with a paint brush; this gets rid of any
remaining dust on the upper core surfaces. Water used for the brushing
is changed regularly. The cores are left to dry at least ten minutes after
imaging, and then the other parameters can be measured during a
second pass through the MSCL. The reason for this thorough cleaning
of the cores is that both Vis/NIR spectrometry and portable XRF are essentially surface measurements, having a low depth of penetration in
the rock. The dramatic impact of added water on these two techniques
(see Section 2.4 below) justies the long drying period after the
imagery.
Before the imaging is performed, pieces of core are brought closely
together to close the gaps, and replaced in their inferred original position relative to each other. The beginning of each section is aligned
95
ush left with the core boat (core boats travel from right to left in the
MSCL), and the down-hole depth in meters for the beginning of that
section is marked on the core. This depth appears on the line-scan images for reference. A laser beam is interrupted when the left end of
the core section arrives just before the camera, and all instruments
and sensors are located along the track relative to this position laser
(Fig. 1b).
2.3. Core thickness measurements
Core thickness (diameter) inuences the density calculations (and
to a lesser extent, the magnetic susceptibility calculations) so it must
be measured, not assumed. To evaluate how many thickness determinations are necessary to get a representative prole of thickness versus
depth, we measured the core thickness of a 686 m-deep hole, LEM-18,
from the Chibougamau (Quebec) area, with a vernier caliper displaying
hundredths of mm. Thickness measurements were done at each MSCL
analysis point (n= 2153 for whole cores), and also at a different spot,
once per core box, i.e. about every 4.5 m (n= 158). We obtained
mean core thicknesses of 4.744 and 4.743 cm, respectively, for the
two series, compared to the nominal NQ thickness of 4.76 cm. Standard
deviations of 0.014 and 0.015 cm were obtained, respectively (relative
standard deviations of 0.3%). We calculated the uncorrected gamma
density for each depth using the two series (thickness measured
every point vs. once per box), and the average value of the absolute difference between the two densities at each depth was 0.003 g/cm 3. For
only 16 points out of 2153 the uncorrected density difference was
more than 0.03 g/cm3. For reference, the precision of the method is approximately 0.01 g/cm 3, but gamma density proles are quite wiggly
due to mineralogical heterogeneities. The uncorrected density vs.
depth proles for both series were so similar that the practice to measure the core thickness only once per box was adopted, for future logging. For the Matagami data presented here, however, we only
measured core thickness every 25 m.
2.4. Inuence of added water
The presence of external water on the rock surface is detrimental for
both portable XRF methods and Vis/NIR spectrometry. Ge et al. (2005)
reports a deterioration of precision, accuracy and detection limits on
XRF measurements in the presence of water. Known effects on infrared
spectrometry of rocks and soils include the addition of absorption
peaks, attenuation of legitimate peaks, and wavelength offsets on
some peaks (Clark, 1981; Gray, 1997; Lobell and Asner, 2002). Such effects can clearly deteriorate the mineralogical interpretation of the
spectra.
We veried the necessary drying time for Vis/NIR spectrometry by
saturating the surface of a rock core with water at room temperature
and acquiring a 1 s spectrum every 7.5 s on the same spot until the
core appeared dry and the spectra stabilized for several minutes. The
chosen sample was a non-porous basaltic lava from Matagami. Fig. 2
illustrates that for this representative sample, a drying time of approximately ve minutes was necessary for the spectra to stabilize; at this
stage the core also appeared fully dried visually. From this experiment
and other observations, a conservative drying time of ten minutes was
chosen.
No drying time tests were performed for XRF measurements
but we assume that the effect of added water is worse for Vis/NIR
spectrometry, therefore ten minutes of drying is sufcient for XRF
measurements.
2.5. Inuence of core temperature
Vatandoost et al. (2008) used a MSCL for physical property measurements on rocks, and suggested that cores be brought in the laboratory two to three hours before being analyzed, so that they are
96
25
20
15
04:01
10
03:31
03:17
5
00:00
0
300
500
700
900 1100 1300 1500 1700 1900 2100 2300 2500
very small differences are not geologically signicant, since the magnetic susceptibility varies over several orders of magnitude between
different lithologies.
We also tested the inuence of core temperature on VIS/NIR spectra.
A sample containing chlorite and epidote was measured twice at
42.3 C and twice at 23.0 C, without moving the sample. The spectra
all look very similar (not shown). The wavelengths of the two most important absorption peaks were determined: FeOH and MgOH. The FeOH
peak was at 2257 and 2258 nm (high temperature) and then at 2256
and 2258 nm (low temperature). The MgOH peak was at 2347 and
2341 nm (high temperature) and then at 2344 and 2343 nm (low temperature). In other words, core temperature does not inuence the
wavelength position of major absorption features with the equipment
used and the temperature range tested.
Consequently, no formal procedure of bringing the cores inside the
laboratory a certain time in advance was adopted, although in typical
logging sessions, most core boxes actually have time to thermally
equilibrate with air in the laboratory before they are logged.
2.6. Choice of measurement points
04:01
03:31
Fig. 2. Inuence of added water on the surface of a core on Vis/NIR spectrometry. The test
was performed on Matagami diamond drill hole BRC-08-72, at down-hole depth 82.1 m.
At the beginning of the drying experiment (t=0), the surface of the core was saturated
with water. Notice the important water absorption peak near 1920 nm, which is absent
from the dry core spectrum at the end (7 min 18 s). Many other differences are obvious,
such as the average reectance, and the height of the peak at 600 nm. For this sample, ve
minutes was needed for the rock to appear fully dry and for the spectra to stabilize. Noise
in the spectra is due mostly to short measurement times (1 s) and the presence of uorescent lighting in the laboratory during the test.
logged at a constant temperature. Since space is restricted in the INRS

mobile laboratory, we carried out simple tests to verify if this precaution is indeed necessary.
For density and magnetic susceptibility, the range of investigated
core temperatures was 15 to 35 C, and we conclude that over this
interval, these two parameters are not inuenced in a geologically signicant manner. Specically, a whole core box, i.e. about 4.5 m of NQ
core, of weakly magnetic (1.01.3 103 SI), homogeneous-looking
Matagami basalt was tested at 22 different depths at 15 C, 25 C and
35 C. Ambient temperature in the laboratory remained approximately
constant during the test. No major differences appear on the proles for
the different core temperatures (Fig. 3). The average of the uncorrected
gamma densities is the same regardless of core temperature (Table 1).
The average magnetic susceptibility of the basalt was found to be slightly temperature-dependant. For example, the average susceptibility at
15 C is 1.6% higher than the average at 25 C, whereas the average at
35 C is 2.1% lower (Table 1). However, t tests reveal that these differences are not statistically signicant at the 95% condence level. The
equivalent non-parametric test (Wilcoxon) suggests a statistically signicant difference.
A box of highly magnetic gabbro (~ 70150 10 3 SI) was also
measured at many points for two contrasting temperatures (23 C
and 37 C) to further investigate the effect of core temperature on
magnetic susceptibility. Details of this experiment are reported by
Ross et al. (2011a). The difference in average magnetic susceptibility
between the two measurement series was only 0.2%, but this difference is statistically signicant at the 95% condence level using both
the t test and the Wilcoxon test. However, as with the basalt, such
Choosing representative measurement points on the core is an important decision inuencing data quality. The logger control software
supplied by Geotek Ltd. offers either a user-dened constant distance
between measurements (e.g., 20.0 cm) or a variable sampling mode
in which the user species the relative depth (from the section top) of
each measurement point.
The constant interval mode was investigated rst to see if this
time-saving strategy would work. Time would have been saved both
(i) by not choosing, noting down and entering individual measurement
points in the software prior to logging, and (ii) by selecting a sampling
interval equal to the distance between the two slowest instruments/
sensors on the MSCL in order for these instruments to operate simultaneously (see Vatandoost et al., 2008). However, the Matagami exploration core is fractured (in the best conditions one break per meter,
typically much more), and measurements must not be made in or
near gaps, for obvious reasons (density would be articially lower,
etc.). The MSCL software provides an option to skip some measurement
points when fractures are detected automatically by the position laser,
but experience showed that not all fractures were detected, and that
low-angle fractures were problematic. Therefore we quickly switched
to the variable sampling mode.
In variable sampling mode, the user selects the measurement points
one by one on the core, using a predened interval as a general guide
(e.g., approximately every 20 cm), and a tape measure to determine relative depth. This takes time, but allows the geoscientist not only to
avoid gaps but also to exercise judgment on which point is representative of a given lithological interval. For example, isolated veins or altered
spots can be avoided, and so can anomalously amygdaloidal zones in a
lava ow. However, if the whole section is altered, amygdaloidal or
full of veinlets, then such features are representative and measurements
points are selected on cores that display the features.
The following sections describe the sensors and instruments
installed on the INRS's MSCL and the tests performed for each parameter, when applicable.
3. Line-scan imaging
Line-scan imaging creates images of a much better quality that could
be achieved using a normal digital camera. The distortion-free (lengthwise) and largely reection-free images can be used to rene the visual
log of a drill hole, or to compare the other measured properties with the
aspect of the core. This allows many anomalies in the physical or geochemical properties to be explained (e.g., by the presence of veinlets
or alteration).
2.92
0
2.94
2.96
2.98
3.00
3.02
3.04
3.06
0.8
0.9
1.0
97
1.1
1.2
1.3
1.4
1.5
0.5
35oC
15oC
1.5
25oC
2
2.5
25oC
3
3.5
15oC
35oC
4.5
5
Fig. 3. Results of the test examining the physical properties of a box of core at three core temperatures (Matagami diamond drill hole BRC-08-72, box #5). See Table 1 for averages
and standard deviations. Horizontal error bars represent the estimated precision of the measurements. See text for discussion.
In addition, because the illumination is fully controlled, the images

contain quantitative redgreenblue (RGB) information about the core
that could be used for image analysis. The average color of a segment
of core will be a function of protolith, alteration and mineralization.
The Vis/NIR spectrometer also produces RGB values but only one such
value per spectrometer measurement (e.g., every 30 cm), so the
line-scan images are much richer. However we have not pursued this research path yet.
3.1. Principle of measurement and practical details

Table 1
Summary of a series of uncorrected gamma density and magnetic susceptibility measurements with the MSCL at three different temperatures in Matagami diamond drill
hole BRC-08-72, box #5.
Core temperature
C
Density (uncorr)
Averagea S.D.b
g/cm3
Magnetic susceptibility ()
Averagea S.D.b
105 SI
15
25
35
3.00 0.03
3.00 0.02
3.00 0.02
122 10
120 8
117 9
a
Average of a series of measurements at the following relative down-hole depths in
meters (measured from the top of the box): 0.14; 0.36; 0.54; 0.74; 0.94; 1.12; 1.36;
1.65; 1.87; 1.99; 2.25; 2.45; 2.83; 2.99; 3.16; 3.34; 3.54; 3.74; 3.94; 4.14; 4.34; and 4.52.
b
S.D. = standard deviation of this series of measurements.
The GeoScan color line-scan camera, designed by Geotek Ltd., is a

three charge-coupled device (CCD) unit using three 2048 pixel CCD arrays (Geotek Ltd., 2010). Adjustable lighting is provided by uorescent
tubes that illuminate the core evenly from both sides of the image line.
In practice, an optimal illumination setting is chosen for each diamond
drill hole (or each district). When images are being acquired, the core
moves continuously at low speed through the MSCL.
The scanning produces a continuous image of each 1.5 m-long section, which we concatenate for each core box (~4.5 to 6 m of core
depending on core size). Longer portions of core can be amalgamated
but the image le sizes become unduly large. The absolute down-hole
depth in meters is automatically added to the margin of the image,
98
allowing the user to visualize exactly where each measurement was

taken (Fig. 4).
Three resolutions are available: 100 pixels per cm (254 pixels per
inch), 200 pixels/cm and 400 pixels/cm. During normal logging in the
INRS laboratory, the 100 pixels per cm resolution setting is used, since
this is sufcient to obtain a good image of the core (e.g., Fig. 4); the scanning rate is then about two minutes per meter of core.
4. Magnetic susceptibility
Volumetric magnetic susceptibility the parameter that should be
used in geophysical modeling is a dimensionless constant that corresponds to the degree of magnetization of a rock in response to a
magnetic eld (Hunt et al., 1995). This parameter is mostly controlled
by the abundance of minerals such as magnetite or pyrrhotite in the
Fig. 4. Examples of routine 100 pixels per cm line-scan images of the core from Matagami drill hole BRC-08-72 obtained with the MSCL camera. (a) Gabbroic intrusion locally invaded by
abundant epidote and later quartz or calcite veinlets, between 448.80 and 449.00 m absolute down-hole depth (whole core). (b) Chloritized Bracemac Rhyolite showing brecciation due
to volcanic or hydrothermal processes, as well as some minor disseminated suldes, between 542.54 and 542.74 m (whole core). (c) Massive suldes (sphalerite, pyrite and chalcopyrite)
from the main lens between 572.60 and 572.80 m (half-core).
rock. Potential eld geophysical surveys can be better interpreted

when rock physical properties (density and magnetic susceptibility)
are known for each major lithological unit in the region of interest,
rather than pulled out of a textbook. Magnetic susceptibility has numerous other uses; for example, it can be included in multivariate
statistical analyses to separate different lithologies.
4.1. MSCL measurement method
The MSCL measures magnetic susceptibility with the MS2C Core
Logging Sensor from Bartington Instruments Ltd. (Oxford, England),
which is now connected to the MS3 meter from the same rm. The
MS2C is a loop-type sensor through which the core passes in its
non-magnetic core boat (Fig. 1b). Initially the MS2 meter was used,
but some rocks can have magnetic susceptibilities higher than the
upper limit of this meter, even for half cores, so we upgraded to the
new MS3 meter, which is suitable even for iron ore.
The MS2C1 sensor applies a low frequency (0.565 kHz), low intensity
(~80 A/m) alternating magnetic eld. The oscillator frequency is modied due to the sample's presence in the loop, and the new frequency is
used to calculate the magnetic susceptibility (Bartington Instruments
Ltd., not dated). Once the core is in the sensor, measurements are
made in 1.1 s with the MS2 meter, or any chosen time with the MS3
meter (1 s is typically used). Different loop diameters are available for
different core sizes; the INRS laboratory owns two different loops suitable for most core sizes (e.g., BQ, NQ, HQ and 3-inch).
4.2. Instrument drift, inuence of air temperature
Magnetic susceptibility measurements are dependent on air temperature (Geotek Ltd., 2010). To cancel any instrument drift or temperature inuence, the meter is zeroed automatically before each new core
box, or series of two boxes, arrives in the sensor. The default distance for
zeroing is 10 cm between the MS2C sensor and the core boat's left end,
but tests showed that 20 cm was more prudent if very magnetic rocks
are logged.
4.3. Calibration, precision, and accuracy
Bartington Instruments Ltd. calibrates each MS2C sensor before
delivery; in principle, this calibration is stable through time (Geotek
Ltd., 2010). To verify periodically that the magnetic susceptibility
measurement system is still functioning correctly, a calibration
check core is provided. This consists of a cylinder lled with slightly
magnetic concrete. The value measured must be within 5% of the
number written on the cylinder to ensure that a catastrophic calibration error has not occurred (Bartington Instruments Ltd., not dated).
We have made this check regularly over a two year period and the
correspondence between the measured value and the printed value
was always better than 1.5%; this is an indication of the accuracy of
the system for susceptibilities of about 58 10 3 SI (depending on
the sensor). To check the accuracy of the system at higher values,
we ordered a second check piece from Bartington Instruments Ltd;
tests are ongoing and the results will be reported elsewhere.
Precision of measurements can be evaluated by taking a series of
readings on the check pieces, without moving them. With the
low-susceptibility check pieces, using the MS3 meter and 1 s readings,
the relative standard deviation (RSD) of a series of 31 measurements
is 0.01% for each of our MS2C sensors. For the high-susceptibility
check piece tested under the same conditions, the RSDs are even lower.
1
Bartington Instruments Ltd. also offers a dual frequency sensor, model MS2B,
which allows the user to compute a frequency-dependent magnetic susceptibility.
However, this sensor only accepts 25.4 mm cylindrical cores, which must be inserted
manually. Therefore, this sensor would not be appropriate for integration into a MSCL.
99
4.4. Correction for core and loop diameters

The reading displayed by the magnetic susceptibility meter is an
uncorrected value (uncor). A correction factor must be applied to account for the diameter of the core (d) vs. the internal diameter of the
loop sensor, where d is used as an indication of the core volume. This
produces the corrected volumetric magnetic susceptibility () (Geotek
Ltd., 2010).
4.5. Correction for cut cores
Rock cores that are mineralized or potentially mineralized are typically split mechanically or cut in half lengthwise with a rock saw by exploration companies, for assay purposes. Only half of the core is
therefore available for logging in certain intervals. In the case of split
cores, their irregular geometry prevents any kind of simple geometrical
correction to be made to magnetic susceptibility or density measurements; this basically makes split cores unusable for MSCL logging. The
geometry of cut cores is much simpler and corrections can be made
for the missing volume of rock. The actual thickness of cut cores varies
signicant from one piece to the other, so the thickness of the half
core is determined with a vernier caliper at each measurement spot.
The correction factor is a function of the missing vertical surface of the
half core, assuming its thickness is constant (see Vatandoost et al.,
2008).
4.6. Comparison with the KT-10 device
Portable devices such as the KT-10, commercialized by Terraplus
Inc. of Richmond Hill, Ontario and other vendors, are often used to
measure magnetic susceptibilities of rocks in the eld or on cores,
by government surveys and exploration companies. Such devices
are relatively inexpensive and measurements only take a few seconds. Therefore we performed a comparison of the MSCL magnetic
susceptibility data with KT-10 measurements to see if they matched.
This test was performed at a time when the MS2 meter was being
used, so highly susceptible samples were problematic and are excluded from the analysis. Eight NQ core boxes from Matagami diamond
drill hole BRC-08-72 were selected for this test, representing the various typical lithologies of the area. Measurements were made every
10 cm, with the core in core boats, by both methods (MSCL and
KT-10 with the 5 cm core width setting). Measurement points lying
on or near fractures were excluded.
The data were divided into low susceptibility measurements
( b 5 10 3 SI with the MSCL) and high susceptibility measurements
( > 20 10 3 SI); there were no values measured between 5 and
20 10 3 SI. The low values are all from whole cores, in volcanic
rocks and weakly magnetic gabbros (boxes #4, #65, #97, #121,
#135, and #146), and there were 230 valid measurement couples
(Fig. 5). The correlation between the two series (KT-10 vs. MSCL) is
96%, with a good visual t, despite systematically lower values
obtained with the KT-10. A linear regression between the two series
has a slope of 0.81 when forced through the origin (Fig. 5). This indicates that the KT-10 underestimates magnetic susceptibility by 24%
on average, for these weakly magnetic rocks. The difference between
the two methods may be due to different coil congurations: when
the core lies horizontally, the MS2C coil is coaxial with the core,
whereas the KT-10 coil is placed at on the core, with a vertical
axis. Also, the operating frequencies are not the same (0.565 kHz for
the MS2C sensor on the MSCL and 10 kHz for the KT-10), which
may inuence the comparison.
For the subset of more magnetic rocks, fewer data are available, and
the rocks tested are of a different nature: magnetic gabbros (whole
cores) and massive suldes (cut cores). For the gabbros (box #107,
n = 45), the correlation between the two series is 90%, and the average
underestimation by the KT-10 is about 33%. For the massive suldes, the
100
beam is quite small, which means that small-scale heterogeneities of

the rocks will be apparent in the gamma density data, superimposed
on random measurement errors.
2.5
5.2. Calibration
1:1
KT-10
1.5
0.5
0
0
0.5
1.5
2.5
MS2
Fig. 5. Comparison of magnetic susceptibility measurements every 10 cm in several
core boxes from BRC-08-72 by two methods: the MS2 system mounted on the MSCL,
and the handheld KT-10 device. This is the subset of the data with MS2 susceptibilities
of 5 103 SI or less.
number of data points is very small (box #127, n = 18), and four samples had magnetic susceptibilities in excess of the MS2 meter's capabilities. For the massive sulde sampling points that did not exceed the
MS2 meter upper limit, the correlation with the KT-10 measurements
is good, and most measurement couples lie close to the 1:1 line on a binary plot (not shown). The reason for the different behavior of the magnetic gabbro (large underestimation) vs. the massive suldes (good
correspondence) is not known.
5. Gamma density
The traditional method of measuring the density of non-porous rock
cores is the immersion technique (also known as hydrostatic
weighing): each piece is weighted in both air and water, and the dry
density can be deduced (by opposition to the wet density, which requires water-saturation of the sample). This immersion technique is obviously impractical for long drill holes, if the sampling interval is to be
kept short, since each measurement takes several minutes. It would
be a lot worse for wet density measurements. The MSCL uses a
much quicker and reasonably precise method, based on the attenuation
of gamma rays.
The MSCL records counts per second (cps) from the gamma detector.
This is converted to an uncorrected density using a calibration curve
which is visualized on a plot of uncorr d vs. ln (cps) (e.g., Fig. 6). Calibration is performed two to three times a day during routine logging,
depending on the duration of the logging session. Detector drift can be
due to unwanted long term (hours) air temperature variations or to
prolonged exposure to gamma rays (Vatandoost et al., 2008).
Calibration involves making long counts on a stepped aluminum
core (2.71 g/cm3) within a core boat. This machined aluminum calibration piece is different for each core caliber (e.g., NQ vs. BQ) and comprises cylindrical sections of different diameters. The maximum
diameter of the calibration piece corresponds to the core caliber, and
the sections of smaller diameters represent various mixtures of air
and aluminum within an imaginary cylinder corresponding to the
core caliber. For marine sediments, the imaginary cylinder would be replaced by an actual core liner lled with water (Best and Gunn, 1999;
Blum, 1997). During calibration, each portion of the aluminum piece is
measured in the gamma density setup for 120 s, which yields a number
of points on the uncorr d vs. ln (cps) diagram (Fig. 6). A linear
regression is tted through these points. A long exposure time is needed
during calibration to ensure maximal precision. Note that the calibration points on the graph use a theoretical average density of the
air-aluminum mixture, the nominal core diameter, and the measured
cps. To nd the density of an unknown sample, one considers the ln
(cps) measured on the sample (typically over much shorter exposure
times), the nominal or measured core thickness, and deduces uncorr.
This calibration method was suggested to us by Geotek Ltd., and
seems designed mostly for sediment cores (e.g., Best and Gunn, 1999).
Using it on rocks is difcult for several reasons. First, in the Matagami
mining camp for example, most samples have densities larger than
that of aluminum (as opposed to porous sediment cores), which means
that one is extrapolating beyond the limits of the calibration curve.
Second, it would appear that the smallest segments of the aluminum calibration pieces are too small for NQ and BQ cores with a 5 mm collimator
on the gamma source. For the NQ piece, at least the 1.5 cm diameter segment must be ignored and the problem is obviously worse for BQ core.
14
12
10
5.1. MSCL measurement method

8
Measurement of density using gamma-ray attenuation on cores moving on a track is a method that was developed in the 1960s (Evans, 1965).
On the current MSCL, a source of 137Cs (10 mCi) located above the
logger's track produces a narrow vertical beam of gamma rays
(0.662 MeV) which crosses the core (and core boat) from top to bottom.
The photons not attenuated by the core and the core boat are detected on
the other side, using scintillation of a NaI crystal 2 in. thick and 2 in. in
diameter (Geotek Ltd., 2010). At these energies, the Compton effect is responsible for most of the deviated photons (Evans, 1965). Gamma attenuation is a function of core diameter (d) and uncorrected rock density
(uncorr), which itself depends on the rock composition. The correction
that needs to be made to obtain the true density (corr) is explained in
Section 5.6. The volume of rock actually interacting with the gamma
6
2
4
2
0
9.4
9.5
9.6
9.7
9.8
9.9
10
Fig. 6. Example of a calibration curve for uncorrected gamma density (uncorr) measurements with the MSCL. Numbers in cm represent the diameter of segments on
the aluminum calibration piece (see text for explanation). CPS = counts per second.
The empirical way in which these calibration problems are solved is

discussed below.
101
a
2.76
5.3. Precision of measurements
2.75
29oC
24oC
26 C
29oC
29oC
27oC
2.70
29oC
29 C
26oC
24 C
23 C
2.71
29oC
2.72
2.73
21.5 C
2.74
20oC
The precision of gamma density measurements is a function of

counting time and of the primary ux of gamma rays. Using the same
gamma source collimated at 5 mm, Vatandoost et al. (2008) determined that 8 s of counting were sufcient to reach a 0.01 g/cm3 precision. We veried this during precision tests on an aluminum piece,
using 10 s integration times. The aluminum piece was put under the
gamma beam and kept there untouched for two days (the gamma
ux was interrupted overnight). Continuous measurements were
made during about ten minutes, every half hour, resulting in 25 series
of ~5075 data points (each measurement lasting 10 s). The standard
deviation of the series varied between 0.006 and 0.010 g/cm3, with
the value 0.008 found twelve times and the value 0.009 found ten
times. Therefore we can conrm that the 1 precision of 10 s gamma
density measurements with a 5 mm collimator is slightly better than
0.01 g/cm3, or a 0.4% RSD on aluminum.
2.69
0
b
2.76
2.75
5.5. Adjustment for cut cores

For half-cores, the same calibration curve is used as for whole cores
for simplicity, but an adjustment is subsequently made to compensate
for the missing core volume. This adjustment is simply d/t where d is
the nominal core diameter and t is the core thickness measured with a
vernier caliper. For example, for a perfect half core, d/t=2 so the
uncorrected gamma density must be doubled to compensate for the
missing thickness. This simplistic adjustment assumes that the gamma
beam consists of a line crossing an object of constant thickness, when
in fact the beam is a cone crossing a cut cylinder; additional work is
needed to improve gamma density measurements on cut cores.
23oC
21 C
22 C
22oC
22 C
20.5oC
2 1o C
21 C
21oC
2.72
2.73
21 C
The tests described in Section 5.3 were performed not only to determine precision of the gamma density measurements but also to document the inuence of long term (hours) changes in air temperature
on the gamma detector, since this is a known drift-causing problem
(Geotek Ltd., 2010; Vatandoost et al., 2008). During the rst test, the
air temperature in the laboratory was voluntarily increased from
18 C to 29 C over 3.54 h, maintained there for ~2.5 h, and then
brought back to 24 C over one hour. The heating part of the scenario
is comparable to what could happen in the laboratory during a hot
sunny summer day in eastern Canada, in the absence of air conditioning.
The response of the detector to this abrupt heating was impressive and
is shown on Fig. 7a. The gamma detector had yet to thermally equilibrate with the ambient air at this stage, since over the rest of the experiment, although the air temperature was kept stable and then
decreased, the average measured aluminum density continued to go
up steadily, for a cumulative increase in measured density of about
four times the precision of individual measurements (Fig. 7a). This
large drift is of course unacceptable, which is why the air temperature
must be kept constant in the laboratory, and multiple calibrations are
performed daily to monitor any drift. The uncorrected gamma densities
are then calculated by interpolating between the calibrations.
During the second day of these tests, the temperature was kept as
constant as possible, mostly in the 2122 C range, over nearly seven
hours. This represents a typical one work-shift day of logging when
all goes well. Minor temperature uctuations occurred over timescales of minutes or tens of minutes, but this is unimportant as the
steel and lead shielding of the gamma detector is very thick and
these short-term thermal variations do not perturb the interior of
the detector. The very satisfactory results are displayed on Fig. 7b.
2.74
2 1 oC
5.4. Inuence of air temperature
2.71
2.70
2.69
0
Fig. 7. Tests showing the inuence of the air temperature in the laboratory on the
uncorrected gamma density (uncorr) measurements. The tests were done on aluminum
so there is no need to correct the densities. (a) During the rst day, the temperature
was increased by over 10 C over about 3.54 h, which resulted in an increase in measured aluminum density. The temperature was then maintained for a time and later decreased, but the density continued to increase for several hours. (b) During the second
day, the temperature was maintained within a narrow range. The blue curves show the
averages of many 10 s measurements over about 10 min. The error bars represent a hypothetical precision of 0.0085 g/cm3. See text for further explanations.
5.6. Corrected gamma density for unmineralized whole NQ cores

Two factors lead to systematic errors in our uncorrected density
measurements: an imperfect calibration method (Section 5.2), and the
inuence of the rock composition. Different chemical elements have
different Compton attenuation coefcients, so the geochemical composition of a rock sample will inuence its uncorrected gamma density. In
general, rocks composed of common silicate minerals have a narrow
range of Z/A values (atomic number/atomic mass) and attenuation coefcients; for example average granite has a Z/A of 0.4969 versus
0.4938 for an average gabbro (Hallenburg, 1984). Contrast this with a
value of 0.4818 for pure aluminum and it is clear that most of the
systematic error on uncorrected gamma densities is coming from the
use of Al in the calibration piece. Furthermore, when working on
unmineralized volcanic and intrusive rocks from a limited geographic
region and age range, with a common tectonic and metamorphic
history, it is reasonable to assume that the true density of these rocks
will vary systematically with their compositions, due primarily to igneous differentiation. In other words, two rocks with the same density
should not have completely different compositions (and Z/A values).
So a density-dependant adjustment to the uncorrected gamma densities will implicitly take into account the rock composition.
To obtain such a correction curve, we compare uncorrected gamma
density measurements with immersion densities on the same samples.
102
Whole cores from seven of the eight NQ core boxes used for the
MSCL-KT-10 comparison were utilized (boxes #4, #65, #97, #107,
#121, #135, and #146 from BRC-08-72). These boxes cover the range
of unmineralized lithologies, and therefore expected densities, for the
Matagami area. The immersion density of 103 numbered whole core
pieces was determined at INRS using the conventional method described by Ross et al. (2011a).
The uncorrected gamma densities were acquired with the MSCL
every 2 cm, yielding between one and eighteen measurements per numbered core piece, depending on their lengths. The average of three
thickness measurements per piece (top, middle, bottom) was used in
calculating uncorrected gamma densities. The total was 646 gamma density measurements. The MSCL data was averaged for each piece of core to
allow a direct comparison with the immersion densities (Fig. 8). The
scatter on this plot is due to two factors: (i) random errors of the 10 s
gamma density measurements; and (2) internal heterogeneity of the
rock samples, which means that gamma densities depend on where
the measurement is made on the sample. Averaging a number of
gamma densities for each core piece partly removes such effects, but recall that some pieces are represented by only a few gamma densities in
this test.
The correlation between the two series is 98%. The MSCL overestimates the rock densities, but this can be corrected. An empirical correction based on a linear regression through the Fig. 8 data allows
calculation of the corrected gamma density for the Matagami rocks
(corr):
measurement volume is not the same for gamma densities vs. immersion densities). However, rocks are not homogeneous samples at the
millimeter/sub-mm scale, so the remaining mismatch between the
gamma densities and the immersion densities are due both to the
random errors and to sample heterogeneity, with the latter factor
having the greater inuence (Fig. 9).
2.7
2.75
2.8
2.85
2.9
2.95
0.5
1.5
corr 0:9666 uncorr 0:0038:

2
This empirical correction is valid for uncorrected gamma densities

in the range 2.83.2 g/cm 3, for whole NQ cores only. Two examples
illustrate the effect of this correction: uncorr = 2.80 g/cm 3 becomes
corr = 2.71 g/cm 3 (decrease of 0.09 g/cm 3), and uncorr = 3.20 g/cm 3
becomes corr = 3.10 g/cm 3 (decrease of 0.10 g/cm 3).
This correction removes much of the systematic error from the
gamma densities, so that only the random error remains. Therefore,
on hypothetical homogeneous samples, the accuracy of corrected
gamma densities would be similar to the estimated precision of the
method (it is not possible to estimate accuracy directly because the
2.5
3.5
4.5
Fig. 8. Comparison of average uncorrected gamma densities (uncorr), obtained with

the MSCL, with immersion densities, using whole cores from Matagami diamond drill
hole BRC-08-72 (unmineralized volcanic and intrusive rocks, NQ size, n= 103). A correction can be made to the gamma densities based on the linear regression shown. See
text for details.
Fig. 9. Prole of density vs. depth by two methods: corrected gamma densities (black
line with shading) and immersion densities (red rectangles) for a core box of Watson
Rhyolite in Matagami diamond drill hole BRC-08-72. Also shown for comparison are
uncorrected gamma densities (dashed gray line). The width of the shading represents
the estimated precision of gamma density measurements. The vertical extent of red
rectangles illustrates the rst and last gamma density measurement for each core
piece. These core pieces are actually slightly longer, but gamma densities cannot be
measured too close to the edges. The horizontal extent of the red rectangles is
arbitrary.
For half cores, and mineralized rocks (whole cores and half cores), research is ongoing to develop robust correction methods. Mwenifumbo et
al. (2005) show that in sulde-rich rocks with densities greater than
3.5 g/cm3, the assumption of a nearly-constant Z/A does not hold, and
photoelectric absorption can become signicant. Therefore, the empirical
correction for whole cores presented here does not apply to mineralized
samples.
6. Visible light and near infrared (Vis/NIR) spectrometry
Vis/NIR spectrometry (Clark, 1999) is a method that allows detection, semi-quantication, and characterization of certain minerals
(composition, crystallographic variations). These can be primary minerals in the rock, or more commonly secondary minerals such as metamorphic or alteration minerals. For mineral exploration, the main
interest of Vis/NIR spectrometry is the information that can be extracted
on hydrothermal alteration minerals (e.g., Thompson et al., 1999).
Minerals that can be detected belong to four families: silicates,
carbonates, sulfates, and oxides. Alunite, amphiboles, anhydrite, biotite,
buddingtonite, carbonates (ankerite, calcite, dolomite, magnesite,
siderite), chalcedony, chlorite, clays (dickite, halloysite, kaolinite,
montmorillonite, smectite), copper oxides, cristobalite, diaspore,
epidote, goethite, gypsum, hematite, jarosite, opal, phlogopite, prehnite,
pyrophyllite, pyroxenes, serpentine, talc, topaz, tourmaline, vesuvianite,
wollastonite, white mica (illite, muscovite, paragonite, phengite),
zeolites and zunyite are among the minerals that can be identied
(Clark, 1999; Huntington et al., 1997; S. Pontual, pers. commun., 2011;
Thompson et al., 1999). Some of these minerals can be very negrained and not visible or identiable with a hand lens.
Beyond initial mineral detection, the technique can give indications
on mineral composition. For example, semi-quantication of the Fe:Mg
ratio of chlorites (Yang et al., 1997), or identication of the varieties of
white mica and their Al contents (Cudahy, 1997; Herrmann et al.,
2001; Huntington et al., 1999; Scott and Yang, 1997; Tappert et al.,
2011; Thompson et al., 2009; Yang et al., 1997, 2011) have exploration
applications for several ore deposit types (volcanogenic massive sulde,
epithermal, iron oxide copper gold, etc.).
6.1. Principle of measurement
The technique, when applied to rock cores, is non-destructive and
requires no sample preparation except ensuring that the surface of
the core is clean and dry. Penetration of the incoming photons in the
rock is in the range 30100 m (Pontual, pers. commun., 2011), so
Vis/NIR spectra are essentially derived from the surface of the sample.
Our LabSpec 2600 Vis/NIR spectrometer from Analytical Spectral
Devices (ASD) Inc. of Boulder, Colorado, measures between 350 and
2500 nm. Visible light has wavelengths between ~380 and 750 nm
(Fig. 10). Infrared radiation between 1300 and 2500 nm is called short
wave infrared (SWIR) in the eld of remote sensing, but is considered
part of the near infrared (NIR) in the eld of spectrometry (Clark,
1999). Here we use the latter convention but note that many previous
authors have utilized SWIR in reports about geological applications
of this technique.
A light source is attached to the LabSpec 2600 instrument, at the end
of a ber optic cable. This high intensity contact probe, also supplied
by ASD Inc., is put in direct contact with the core, illuminating a circle
about 1 cm across. The probe sends back the reected light to the spectrometer. The ratio between reected light and incident light is called
the reectance; typical Vis/NIR spectra are plotted as reectance against
wavelength, and the main interesting features of the spectra are the absorption peaks (Fig. 10).
Spectral resolution for the LabSpec 2600 is 3 nm at a wavelength
of 700 nm, 6 nm at 1400 nm and also 6 nm at 2100 nm (ASD Inc.,
2007), which is equivalent to that of the TerraSpec Explorer instrument from the same manufacturer. The TerraSpec Explorer is a eld
103
spectrometer that is more commonly used on geological samples.

Sampling interval for the LabSpec 2600 is 1.4 nm from 350 to
1000 nm and 2 nm between 1000 and 2500 nm. Scanning time is
0.1 s and the basic setup averages ten such measurements (integration time of 1 s). Since the signal-to-noise ratio increases with the
square root of the number of scans used in the averaging (ASD Inc.,
2007), smoother spectra can be obtained by increasing the integration time to 5 s or more. The use of uorescent lights should be
avoided in the laboratory since such lights add noise to the Vis/NIR
spectra.
6.2. Calibration
The LabSpec 2600 Vis/NIR spectrometer should be calibrated every
hour after the initial warm-up period (ASD Inc., 2007). A Spectralon
white reference tile is put in contact with the probe to obtain a 100% reectance reading. In addition the spectrometer obtains a dark current
measurement (0% reectance). Spectralon is a special polymer
manufactured by Labsphere of North Sutton, New Hampshire, which
is nearly 100% reective for the wavelengths of interest. Gloves should
be worn to avoid contaminating the Spectralon tile. Because our laboratory quickly becomes dusty despite frequent vacuuming, we gently
clean the reference tile everyday using very ne (1000 grit) sandpaper
under a water stream, and keep the tile protected when not in use.
6.3. Mineralogical interpretation of spectra
The most widespread method of mineralogical interpretation for
Vis/NIR spectrometry is the visual comparison of each spectrum
with a reference library covering a range of minerals (e.g., Clark et
al., 2007; Thompson et al., 1999). Criteria used for mineralogical interpretation are the general shape of the spectra, and the study of absorption peaks: depth, width, position (minimum wavelength)
(Thompson et al., 1999). This visual method has a subjective element to it (Canet et al., 2010), since the quality of the interpretation
depends on the person performing it. On the other hand, subtle features can be detected by an experienced interpreter, which may be
missed by a computer algorithm. However, interpreting each spectrum separately is impractical for large datasets such as those produced by an MSCL, as such datasets contain thousands of spectra for
each drill hole.
Automated mineralogical identication can be performed by computer software. We use the software The Spectral Geologist (TSG),
Core version, commercialized by AusSpec International of Australia
and New Zealand. TSG was initially developed by the Australian Commonwealth Scientic and Research Organization (CSIRO) based on
many years of research. TSG Core can handle on the order of 100,000
spectra simultaneously and has a function called The Spectral Assistant (TSA) which proposes either one mineral or a mixture of 23 minerals for each spectrum in a dataset (Berman and Bischof, 1997;
Huntington et al., 1997). This algorithm works on the 13002500 nm
portions of the spectra only (although a function for visible light analysis has been recently added). Note that the mixture of minerals proposed by the algorithm explains the spectral signature of the sample,
but the semi-quantitative mineral proportions are not mass or volumetric proportions since other minerals such as quartz or feldspar, likely to
be present, are not spectrally active in the Vis/NIR wavelengths.
It is almost certain that automated spectral interpretation
(unmixing) will produce some errors of mineral identication: the algorithm is not to be trusted blindly. A proportion of such errors can be
eliminated manually by inspecting spectra which are interpreted as
surprising minerals, etc. The main strength of automated mineral
identication (apart from its great speed) is in dealing with spectra
which come from spatially contiguous samples, as these tend to have
similar mineral assemblages. By considering an entire drill hole
2500
750
380
1300
104
SWIR
AlOH
CO3
Visible
Calcite
CO2004
Muscovite
GDS107
GDS109
MgOH
water
Reflectance
Paragonite
Hornblende
MgOH
FeOH
NMNH117329
Chlorite
(Mg-rich)
AlOH
water
water
green
SMR-13
Illite/smectite
GDS4
400
600
800
1000
1200
1400
1600
1800
2000
2200
2400
Fig. 10. Examples of Vis/NIR spectra for some hydrothermal alteration and metamorphic minerals, taken from the U.S. Geological Survey splib06a library (Clark et al., 2007). Spectra
have been vertically offset for clarity, and the main diagnostic absorption peaks are identied. The two varieties of white mica illustrated (muscovite and paragonite) are spectrally
very similar, but notice the slight wavelength shift in their AlOH absorption peaks.
simultaneously, mineralogical associations possibly corresponding to

alteration zones can be identied (Huntington et al., 1997).
6.4. Compositional variations and mineral proportions

In addition to identifying which spectrally active minerals are present
in each sample, one interest of Vis/NIR spectrometry is the ability to give
compositional indications in minerals such as micas or chlorites. This
requires measuring the wavelength positions of certain absorption
peaks, such as the AlOH peak for white mica (Fig. 10) or the FeOH
peak for chlorites. TSG Core can perform these measurements automatically and the numerical data can be exported and plotted in spatial
context. This can be used to produce, for example, a map, section or
3D model outlining the different varieties of white mica around a

volcanogenic massive sulde deposit.
When two minerals are abundant in a sample, spectral parameters
can be used to estimate their relative proportions. For example, the
ratio of the AlOH peak depth to the MgOH (or FeOH) peak depth
in samples containing both white mica and chlorite is a function of
the relative abundances of these minerals (e.g., Huston et al., 1999;
Thompson et al., 2009).
7. Handheld XRF analyzers

A complementary method to traditional geochemistry is the use of
portable X-ray orescence (pXRF) devices (e.g., Ge, 2008; Glanzman
pXRF technology is still new, and each device is different, we have

conducted an extensive test program to determine precision and accuracy of the measurements. While precision was found to be acceptable,
the accuracy of the measurements on intact (uncrushed) rocks is poor.
We have developed empirical corrections for some elements based on
comparison with traditional geochemistry. The topic of in situ pXRF
measurements on drill cores and how to correct them is complex
enough to justify a separate paper, so the results of our investigations
on this topic will be reported elsewhere.
and Closss, 2007; Peter et al., 2009). The smallest of these are
known as handheld analyzers. These analyzers give immediate in
situ (non-destructive) measurements and spatial resolution can be
down to centimeters if needed.
The INRS mobile lab currently includes two Delta Premium analyzers from Olympus Innov-X of Woburn, Massachusetts. One of these
has been integrated to the MSCL, but time can be saved by using the
two instruments separately from the MSCL, since the geochemical analyses take 6090 s each (much longer than other measurements). Since
78o
Ontario
80o
Qubec
105
76o
Matagami
o
74W
50o
Chibougamau
49o
Timmins
Rouyn-Noranda
Qubec
o
48N
ABITIBI
Ontario
ARCHEAN
PROTEROZOIC
Granitoids
ARCHEAN
c
Fault
NORTH
FLANK
Rivi
reAll
ard
Diabase(Prot.)
PD-1
Norita
Persvrance
Matagami
Caber
McIvor Pluton
Isle-Dieu
SO
Cavelier
ES
PD-2
CA
Riv
ir
Orchan
Ouest
eB
ell
Orchan
BellAllard
UT
FL
Bracemac
AN
intrusions
McLeod
intrusions
P
Lynx
Fig. 11. (a) Location of the Abitibi greenstone belt in eastern Canada. (b) Simplied geological map of the Abitibi greenstone belt showing the location of the Matagami mining
camp. (c) Simplied geological map of the Matagami area, showing the location of the Bracemac volcanogenic massive sulde deposit, modied from Roy and Allard (2006).
Grid is UTM Nad 83, zone 18.
106
8. Application: preliminary results from the Matagami

mining camp
The mobile laboratory is being used in applied research projects in
collaboration with industry and governments. Data acquisition is now
completed for the rst such project in the Matagami area, where the
cores from ten diamond drill holes totaling over 7000 m have
been logged (Ross et al., 2011b, 2012). Here we present the results
for one of these holes, BRC-08-72, as an illustration of what multisensor core logging can bring to geoscience research and mineral
exploration.
8.1. Geological setting

The Matagami mining camp in the northern Abitibi Subprovince
(Superior Province) contains numerous volcanogenic massive sulde
deposits (e.g., Pich et al., 1993; Fig. 11) and has good potential for
additional discoveries. Diamond drill hole BRC-08-72 crosses the
Bracemac volcanogenic massive sulde deposit (Fig. 12). This deposit
will be mined by Xstrata Zinc Canada and Donner Metals Ltd as part
of the Bracemac-McLeod mine starting in 2013, with proven and probable reserves of 3.7 Mt @ 9.6% Zn, 1.3% Cu, 28 g/t Ag and 0.4 g/t Au
(GENIVAR, 2010).
The Archean submarine volcanic sequence in the BracemacMcLeod
area starts with the Watson Lake Group, which contains a dacite overlain by a rhyolite (Adair, 2009). The Key Tufte, a volcano-exhalative
horizon, sits above this felsic sequence and marks the position of most
of the VMS deposits in the Matagami camp (e.g., Pich et al., 1993).
The main mineralized lens at Bracemac is located at this level and the
suldes are underlain by a semi-concordant chlorite-sericite alteration
zone. The volcanic rocks overlying the Key Tufte belong to the
Wabassee Group, which here starts with the Bracemac Rhyolite and
then consists of a thick pile of intermediate to mac lavas intercalated
with minor tuftes. At Bracemac, some of these upper tuftes mark
the stratigraphic position of stacked VMS lenses (Fig. 12). Numerous intrusions, mainly mac in composition, cross-cut the volcanic sequence
and in some cases, the ore bodies.
Diamond drill hole BRC-08-72, which is 662 m-deep, crosses the
bottom two ore lenses at Bracemac as well as the whole volcanic sequence (except the undrilled Watson Dacite) and the intensely altered
zones under the mineralized lenses (Fig. 12).
Fig. 12. Vertical cross-section through the Bracemac volcanogenic massive sulde deposit, looking WNW, showing the trace of the studied diamond drill hole (BRC-08-72). No
vertical exaggeration. Modied from Adair (2009).
8.2. Results and interpretation

Taking into account the overburden portion of the hole (no core)
and the few missing core boxes, about 623.5 m of NQ core was available. For physical properties, 1207 measurements were made, resulting
in an average measurement spacing of ~52 cm (Fig. 13). For XRF geochemistry, 1159 measurements were realized (Fig. 14). Some 1207
Vis/NIR spectrometric measurements were made with an integration
time of 1 s, but here we show instead 1135 more reliable measurements at 5 s (Fig. 15).
8.2.1. Physical properties
Density and magnetic susceptibility are greatest in the massive
suldes, as was expected (Fig. 13). Magnetic susceptibility is also mostly
107
high in quartz-gabbros compared to other intrusive and volcanic rocks.

The physical properties obtained at Matagami will be useful on their
own to plan and interpret geophysical surveys, carry out constrained
inversions of the geophysical data, etc. But they are also useful for multivariate statistical analyses, including those that aim to improve lithological discrimination, in combination with immobile trace element ratios
such as Ti/Zr and Al/Zr (Fig. 13). Work on such statistical analyses is ongoing (B. Fresia, MSc in progress).
8.2.2. Geochemistry
The Ti/Zr and Al/Zr ratios are especially useful to conrm or interpret
lithological distinctions. The mac-intermediate volcanic rocks and
gabbros and have higher Ti and lower Zr concentrations than the underlying felsic volcanic rocks (Figs. 13, 14). Within the lavas there is a
Fig. 13. Downhole prole of the physical properties (corrected gamma density; volumetric magnetic susceptibility; mean reectance in the visible light portion of the spectrum) and
corrected immobile element ratios (Ti/Zr; Al/Zr) in BRC-08-72. The graphic summary at left in this and subsequent gures is distilled from Xstrata Zinc Canada's original description of
the core. Andesite should be interpreted as andesite or basalt (undifferentiated). Smoothing (3-point moving average) was applied to facilitate data display at this scale.
108
Fig. 14. Downhole prole of the pXRF geochemistry in BRC-08-72. The data has not been corrected to correspond to traditional geochemistry on this plot. Two Olympus Innov-X Delta
Premium XRF analyzers were used in mining mode on different portions of the core and the data were leveled. Smoothing (3-point moving average) was applied to facilitate data display.
decrease in average Ti, average Zr, and average Ti/Zr, below about
230 m down-hole depth; this is thought to correspond to the downward change from tholeiitic basalts to transitional andesites, known regionally from traditional geochemistry.
The original geological log of the core assumes that the rocks below
the bottom ore zone consist of variably altered Watson Rhyolite. But the
immobile element ratio proles outline several mac dikes in this portion of the core (especially at ~581599 m). Other unreported dikes are
interpreted below the middle ore zone (below 200 m depth) and at the
top of the Bracemac Rhyolite, just under the Bracemac Tufte (Fig. 13).
The geochemical analyses can also be used to study hydrothermal alteration. For example, a signicant gain in iron due to chlorite alteration
is observed below the bottom ore zone. Iron is also higher in the andesite below the middle ore zone (compare the gains in Fe on Fig. 14 to the
high Ishikawa index values on Fig. 15). The highest Zr and Al values of the
drill hole are found in the interval marked highly altered near 600 m.
Studies of alteration based on the pXRF data and traditional geochemistry are ongoing.
8.2.3. Mineralogy
The mineralogical prole for BRC-08-72 is dominated by Fe-Mg
chlorite (Fig. 15). Some of this chlorite is metamorphic, especially in
the mac to intermediate rocks. There is no obvious systematic difference in chlorite composition between the very abundant, obviously
hydrothermal black chlorite under the bottom ore zone, and chlorite
in the rest of the drilled sequence.
White mica is a common mineral group in the prole, and is more
abundant under the mineralized intervals, although not immediately
below the mineralization. Below the bottom ore zone, the white
micas are muscovitic in composition, whereas they tend to be more
109
Fig. 15. Downhole prole of the mineralogy derived from infrared spectrometry for BRC-08-72. In the plot of mineral groups automatically extracted by TSG Core, black lines show the
main group whereas superimposed red squares are the subsidiary mineral groups. Blue lozenges represent white micas for which the estimated relative abundance is less than 15%.
Other=other minerals; N.M.D.=no mineral determined. Data acquisition time: 5 s per spectrum. White mica composition is based on the wavelength of the AlOH peak, whereas chlorite composition is based on the wavelength of the FeOH peak. The Ishikawa alteration index, based on traditional geochemistry, is shown for reference (calculated using unpublished data
from Xstrata Zinc Canada and INRS).
phengitic in the rest of the hole. This suggests that the composition
of white micas may be used as a vector toward ore at Matagami,
although more work is needed to conrm this.
Mac to intermediate rocks more commonly display epidote,
carbonate and amphibole relative to felsic rocks (Fig. 15). Epidote
and carbonate are typical greenschist grade metamorphic minerals,
whereas the amphiboles have not been evaluated.
8.3. Usefulness of the data

Measurements of physical properties in drill core will make it possible to convert geophysical models into geological models. Moreover, high-resolution geochemical and mineralogical measurements
on volcanic and intrusive rocks, used together with physical properties, will lead to a better understanding of the volcanic stratigraphy,
110
volcanic architecture and hydrothermal alteration in the Matagami

area. This will contribute to ongoing academic, industrial and governmental geoscience investigations. The different parameters which are
measured are valuable on their own, but the data can also be analyzed
protably with multivariate statistical methods.
9. Comparison of the INRS logger with other logging systems
There are two other loggers or logger families in use or formerly in
use on rock cores about which signicant information is publically
available, both from Australia. Here we explain what the common
points and differences are between the INRS logger and these other
systems.
9.1. A physical properties logger in Tasmania
Vatandoost et al. (2008) present information about a Geotek MSCL
used at the University of Tasmania as part of an AMIRA geometallurgical
project. The logger was used over the period 20052009 and about
8 km of core was logged (M. Roach, written commun., 2012). The parameters measured with this logger were density, magnetic susceptibility, electrical resistivity, and P-wave velocity; there was also core
imagery being performed, using two camera systems (Vatandoost et
al., 2008). The focus of the work was mineralized (sulde-rich) core intervals, with the stated aim being petrophysical characterization of
metalliferous deposits. The authors noted that a xed measurement interval of 9 cm was optimal in terms of logging efciency, but they also
pointed out spikes in their logs due to broken sections or gaps in the
core. Presumably such spikes were removed during data processing.
In our logging protocol, we have instead chosen to avoid gaps and broken core altogether as explained in Section 2.6.
9.1.1. Comparison with the INRS logger
Both loggers were manufactured by Geotek Ltd and work on the
same general principles. The magnetic susceptibility and density sensors are exactly the same (although to solve the problem of the upper
limit of the magnetic susceptibility sensor, the University of Tasmania
had their MS2C sensor modied by Bartington Instruments Ltd.,
whereas INRS had the opportunity to purchase a MS3 meter instead).
The University of Tasmania system features two extra sensors for
physical properties (resistivity, P-wave) but does not perform geochemical or mineralogical measurements. The INRS logger did not include a P-wave sensor because seismic surveys are uncommon in
eastern Canada for mineral exploration purposes, and because we
wanted the logger to have a narrow width in order to t in the trailer.
The INRS logger did not include the non-contact resistivity sensor
either because of Vatandoost et al. (2008)'s comment that this sensor
was unsuitable for highly conductive mineralized rock samples.
9.2. Hyperspectral loggers
The Commonwealth Scientic and Industrial Research Organization
(CSIRO) of Australia has developed three hyperspectral logging systems:
HyLogger, HyChips and the TIR Logger. The rst two systems use Vis/NIR
spectrometry whereas the third, which is a prototype, utilizes thermal
infrared radiation (Cudahy et al., 2009; Thompson et al., 2009). The system most comparable to the MSCL at INRS is the HyLogger. It operates
with exploration drill cores in their original trays, moving those trays
with a robotic system so that cores are digitally imaged and Vis/NIR spectra are acquired (Huntington et al., 2006). CSIRO's website describes version 2 of this system, which can log 700 m of core per day (CSIRO,
2011). The previous version the only one we can nd published literature on (e.g., Huntington et al., 2006; Tappert et al., 2011) had a relatively low spectral resolution (16 nm; Huntington et al., 2006); version
2 has a spectral resolution of 4 nm (Huntington et al., 2010). Advantages
of the HyLogger are its great logging speed and the high spatial
resolution (125 observations per meter for versions 1 and 2, i.e. 8 mm

spacing, also described as imaging spectroscopy or hyperspectral
scanning by Huntington et al., 2010). CSIRO plans to add thermal infrared measurements to the HyLogger (in the future version 3), to detect
minerals such as feldspar, quartz, etc.
Competitors to the HyLogger include (i) the Hyperspectral Core Imager Mark II from the company Corescan Pty Ltd, of Australia; (ii) the
SpecCam portable imaging spectrometer from Spectra-Map Ltd of England. We are not aware of scientic publications about these systems
or their applications.
9.2.1. Comparison with the INRS logger
CSIRO's Hyloggers (versions 1 and 2) acquire Vis/NIR spectra and digital images. These parameters are also measured by the INRS logger, but
the spatial resolution of the spectral measurements is typically much less
on the INRS logger, and the logging speed is slower. However, the INRS
logger acquires a number of important parameters not available with
the HyLogger, namely the physical properties and geochemistry.
10. Conclusions
In this paper we have described a multi-sensor core logger specically
designed and adapted to work on rock cores from mineral exploration
drilling. The logger is not meant to replace the geologist but instead is utilized to acquire rock properties measurements useful for geological and
geophysical interpretations. The measurements are non-destructive and
carried out at core storage sites. Using a semi-automated logger allows
the different types of measurements to be co-located, which facilitates
data analysis; it also allows a high spatial resolution (small measurement
spacing) which is essential to capture quickly changing rock properties
due to down-hole lithological variations.
Other loggers have been used on exploration drill cores, but the one
described here is the rst to integrate magnetic susceptibility, density,
geochemistry, Vis/NIR spectrometry (alteration mineralogy) and imaging.
We believe this innovation makes the data especially useful for a wide
range of applications. One of the applications illustrated here for the
Matagami mining camp is the improvement of down-hole lithological
discriminations when the rocks are ne-grained and/or hydrothermally
altered. Such improved lithological discriminations can aid better understanding the geology of an area, which can lead to better targeting for future drilling. Another application of the INRS logger is to create a complete
virtual archive of the core, so that if the core is eventually lost, at least a
high-quality image is preserved and numerous rock properties have
been recorded at a high resolution for the benet of future generations.
Acknowledgements
The mobile laboratory was funded by an infrastructure grant from
the Canadian Foundation for Innovation and the Government of Quebec
(ministre de l'ducation, du Loisir et du Sport). Initial work was
performed using research funding from ministre des Ressources
Naturelles et de la Faune (Qubec) and the Fonds qubcois de recherche
sur la nature et les technologies (FQRNT). Xstrata Zinc Canada, Donner
Metals Ltd. and Breakwater Resources provided access to cores and logistical support in Matagami. We thank all of these organizations and
especially the following individuals: M. Allard, M. Dessureault, S.
Lacroix, P. Pilote and G. Roy. The LogView software from the Geological
Survey of Canada has been used to draft certain gures. B. Morris and an
anonymous reviewer made helpful comments on an earlier version of
the manuscript.
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Ore Geology Reviews 53 (2013) 93111

Contents lists available at SciVerse ScienceDirect

Ore Geology Reviews

rocks in three dimensions; (3) documenting hydrothermal alteration;

P.-S. Ross et al. / Ore Geology Reviews 53 (2013) 93111

at most to setup at destination, since most of the MSCL's components

P.-S. Ross et al. / Ore Geology Reviews 53 (2013) 93111

spectrometer. A comparison between the INRS logger and other systems

P.-S. Ross et al. / Ore Geology Reviews 53 (2013) 93111

900 1100 1300 1500 1700 1900 2100 2300 2500

logged at a constant temperature. Since space is restricted in the INRS

P.-S. Ross et al. / Ore Geology Reviews 53 (2013) 93111

In addition, because the illumination is fully controlled, the images

3.1. Principle of measurement and practical details

The GeoScan color line-scan camera, designed by Geotek Ltd., is a

P.-S. Ross et al. / Ore Geology Reviews 53 (2013) 93111

allowing the user to visualize exactly where each measurement was

P.-S. Ross et al. / Ore Geology Reviews 53 (2013) 93111

rock. Potential eld geophysical surveys can be better interpreted

4.4. Correction for core and loop diameters

P.-S. Ross et al. / Ore Geology Reviews 53 (2013) 93111

beam is quite small, which means that small-scale heterogeneities of

5.1. MSCL measurement method

P.-S. Ross et al. / Ore Geology Reviews 53 (2013) 93111

The empirical way in which these calibration problems are solved is

5.3. Precision of measurements

The precision of gamma density measurements is a function of

5.5. Adjustment for cut cores

5.4. Inuence of air temperature

5.6. Corrected gamma density for unmineralized whole NQ cores

P.-S. Ross et al. / Ore Geology Reviews 53 (2013) 93111

corr 0:9666 uncorr 0:0038:

This empirical correction is valid for uncorrected gamma densities

Fig. 8. Comparison of average uncorrected gamma densities (uncorr), obtained with

P.-S. Ross et al. / Ore Geology Reviews 53 (2013) 93111

spectrometer that is more commonly used on geological samples.

P.-S. Ross et al. / Ore Geology Reviews 53 (2013) 93111

simultaneously, mineralogical associations possibly corresponding to

6.4. Compositional variations and mineral proportions

3D model outlining the different varieties of white mica around a

7. Handheld XRF analyzers

P.-S. Ross et al. / Ore Geology Reviews 53 (2013) 93111

pXRF technology is still new, and each device is different, we have

P.-S. Ross et al. / Ore Geology Reviews 53 (2013) 93111

8. Application: preliminary results from the Matagami

8.1. Geological setting

P.-S. Ross et al. / Ore Geology Reviews 53 (2013) 93111

8.2. Results and interpretation

high in quartz-gabbros compared to other intrusive and volcanic rocks.

P.-S. Ross et al. / Ore Geology Reviews 53 (2013) 93111

P.-S. Ross et al. / Ore Geology Reviews 53 (2013) 93111

8.3. Usefulness of the data

P.-S. Ross et al. / Ore Geology Reviews 53 (2013) 93111

volcanic architecture and hydrothermal alteration in the Matagami

resolution (125 observations per meter for versions 1 and 2, i.e. 8 mm

P.-S. Ross et al. / Ore Geology Reviews 53 (2013) 93111

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