Trace copper and zinc in the Coronation mine overburden

Abstract

Various horizons of podsol soils developed on Pleistocene glacial sediments in the Coronation mine area were analyzed for copper and zinc by spectrophotometric means, using biquinoline-isoamyl alcohol and dithizon carbon tetrachloride reagents, respectively.

Results indicate that major copper and minor zinc values occur in the Ao and C horizons throughout the area; these have been largely derived from the oxidizing copper sulfide orebody. Horizons A1, A2 and B tend to lose heavy metals, and do not display marked anomalies. Of economic significance is the fact that the C horizon has developed an undisturbed copper anomaly directly over the orebody in excess of 100 times background value. Due to the erratic configuration of high copper concentrations in the Ao horizon with respect to the orebody, that horizon is not considered a reliable prospecting datum.