Proposed Title 1: - Queen's University

processes by which these deposits formed remain a contentious issue. Their timing and
genetic relationships with the unconformity-type deposits in the younger U-rich Athabasca
and Kombolgie basins, and the successor basins themselves, are inconclusive. An
understanding of the structural and geological setting, timing, origin, and nature of the
fluids that formed them and altered them and their relationship with the younger
unconformity-type uranium deposits are necessary to establish a more definitive genetic
model for the formation of these deposits and to contribute to more effective exploration
strategy in successor and associated basins in general.
This thesis reflects results of a study on the fluid evolution and structural control on
uranium deposits in the Martin Lake Basin in the Beaverlodge area, Northern
Saskatchewan, Canada, and the El Sherana Basin in the South Alligator River area,
Northern Territories, Australia, using modern geochemical techniques integrated with
detailed structural analysis. Results are compared to existing models for uranium deposits
in the younger Athabasca and Kombolgie basins.
1.1 Geological setting of the Beaverlodge area
1.1.1. Regional geological and structural setting
The Beaverlodge area lies in the southwestern Rae province of the Churchill
province, which is located in the northwest section of the North American shield (Fig. 1.1).
The Churchill province is subdivided into the Rae and Hearne domains separated by the ca.
1.91-1.90 Ga Snowbird Tectonic Zone (Hoffman, 1990; Hanmer et al., 1995) and bordered
to the northwest by the ca. 1.99-1.92 Ga Taltson-Thelon Orogen (Thériault, 1992; McNicoll
et al., 2000) and to the southeast by the ca. 1.9-1.8 Ga Trans-Hudson Orogen (Ansdell and
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