Send an E-mail: kevin.ansdell@usask.ca
Kevin Ansdell grew up in Sheffield, England, and has been a faculty member in the Department since 1993 after studying and working in England, Canada, South Africa, and Australia. His main fields of interest are Proterozoic magmatism and crustal evolution, and the genesis of hydrothermal mineral deposits. This research requires integration of field, petrological, geochemical, and isotopic techniques, and thus utilizes the superb analytical facilities in the Department of Geological Sciences.
His major research focus has been to develop a better understanding of the evolution and metallogeny of the Trans-Hudson Orogen in central Canada, one of the best exposed Paleoproterozoic orogens in the world. Recent projects, including undergraduate and graduate research, have involved examination of petrology, geochemistry and genesis of epigenetic gold mineralization; petrology and petrogenesis of granitoid and mafic volcanic rocks; Pb-Pb, U-Pb and Ar-Ar constraints on the timing of magmatism, deformation and metamorphism in the Flin Flon, Kisseynew and La Ronge domains; Nd isotope geochemistry of supracrustals in the Thompson Nickel Belt; geochemistry, Nd isotopes, and SHRIMP, conventional U-Pb, and Pb-evaporation geochronology of detrital zircons in turbidites and fluvial sedimentary rocks in Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Baffin Island; and the age, metallogenesis and tectonic evolution of the Wollaston Domain. Collaborations with scientists from the Geological Survey of Canada, Saskatchewan Industry and Resources, Manitoba Energy and Mines, University of Regina, and University of Manitoba have been especially productive.
He has expanded this interest in Paleoproterozoic crustal evolution by initiating research projects in the Capricorn Orogen of Western Australia. The Capricorn Orogen comprises a complex sequence of variably metamorphosed and deformed Archean, Paleoproterozoic, and Mesoproterozoic rocks that weld the Archean Yilgarn and Pilbara cratons. This research will be conducted with the Geological Survey of Western Australia and Curtin University.
Over the last few years, research on the genesis of hydrothermal mineral deposits has concentrated on lode gold deposits. An exciting project is a detailed structural, petrological, geochronological, and geochemical study of the giant Kumtor gold deposit, Kyrgyzstan. This deposit is located along the same regional structure as the Muruntau deposit, Uzbekistan, and the data generated will assist in the construction of better exploration models for gold deposits in Central Asia and advance our understanding of the tectonic evolution of the Tien Shan mountains. The deposit is owned by Cameco and the Kyrgyz government.
Prospective graduate students should access the graduate student projects page for updates. New research will also include development and application of isotope techniques using the recently acquired MC-ICP-MS.
Selected Recent Publications
Hollings, P. and Ansdell, K. 2002. Paleoproterozoic arc magmatism imposed on an older backarc basin: Implications for the tectonic evolution of the Trans-Hudson orogen, Canada. Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 114, p.153-168.
Ansdell, K.M. and MacDougall, D. 2002, Trip A7: Geotrip for teachers: Hard rocks and minerals in the Precambrian Shield. Field Trip A7 Guidebook, Geological Association of Canada/Mineralogical Association of Canada, 45 pp.
Connors, K.A., Ansdell, K.M., and Lucas, S.B., 2002. Development of a transverse to orogen parallel extension lineation in a complex collisional setting, Trans-Hudson Orogen, Manitoba, Canada. Journal of Structural Geology, v. 24, p. 89-106
Ansdell, K.M., Connors, K.A., Stern, R., and Lucas, S.B., 1999. Coeval sedimentation, magmatism, and fold-thrust belt development in the Trans-Hudson Orogen: Geochronological evidence from the Wekusko Lake area, Manitoba, Canada. Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences, v. 36, p. 293-312.
Ansdell, K.M., Abeleira, A., and Ivanov, S. 1999. Structural evolution and vein paragenesis at the Kumtor gold deposit, Kyrgyzstan. In: Stanley et al. (eds), Mineral Deposits: Processes to Processing, Balkema, Rotterdam, p. 1375-1378.
More Information. . . .
Biographical Information Publications Courses Graduate Student Projects GAC-MAC 2002 Fieldtrip Guides Outreach (in preparation) Personal (in preparation)