The Archean Winter Lake greenstone belt (WLB) is located in the western part of the Slave craton ~250 km north-northeast of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. Archean volcanic sequences of the Slave craton are known to host volcanogenic massive sulfide (VMS) deposits and this research will aid in understanding the hydrothermal, depositional, and tectonic history of volcanic rocks in the WLB. 

Mafic volcanic rocks of the WLB comprise calc-alkaline and tholeiitic basalts with komatiitic flows and associated volcaniclastic rocks contained in the ~2.7-2.6 Ga Snare and Credit formations. Structural interpretations of the WLB have suggested a broadly synclinal architecture but mapping during the 2019 and 2020 field seasons revealed that the two limbs are difficult to correlate and a series of thrust fault panels may better explain the observed structures. 

Work completed in 2019 and 2020 included mapping (1:2000) of the mafic volcanic rocks of the WLB in four different locations: 1) the south end of Sherpa Lake, 2) the south end of Big Bear Lake, and 3) at a massive VMS-style sulfide showing 20km south of Big Bear Lake 4) the south end of Newbigging Lake.