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Proposed Title 1: - Queen's University

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1.1). In the South Alligator Valley area, research is focused on the Coronation Hill and El<br />

Sherana deposits, the largest deposits of their type in the area (Fig. 1.2, Table 1.2).<br />

1.6. Thesis Structure<br />

The results of this research are presented in three manuscripts (Chapters 2 to 4).<br />

Chapter 2 (accepted pending moderate revisions in Precambrian Research) details<br />

the timing of deformation, fluid flow and uranium mineralization in the Beaverlodge area.<br />

U-Pb geochronology of uraninite from various uranium deposits, together with<br />

petrographic and structural analysis along the Main Ore shear zone at the Cinch Lake<br />

deposit and the Saint Louis fault at the Ace Fay deposit, are used to constrain the timing of<br />

deformation and fluid events and to clarify the relationship between fault activity and<br />

uranium mineralization. Ages of the uranium mineralization and late alteration events that<br />

affected them are used to correlate the chronology of fault activity and uranium<br />

mineralization to major thermotectonic events associated with the evolution of the North<br />

American shield.<br />

Chapter 3 (accepted pending moderate revisions to Economic Geology) evaluates the<br />

character and formation of the fluids that formed uranium deposits in the Beaverlodge area<br />

and determines key geochemical factors that control uranium mineralization. A mineral<br />

paragenesis that details the relative timing of alteration minerals is presented. Stable isotope<br />

geochemistry, rare earth element contents in uraninite and mineral crystal chemistry are<br />

used to constrain the nature and origin of fluids. These results are used to identify key<br />

factors controlling uranium mineralization in deposits of the Beaverlodge area, present a<br />

17

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