Tucked away in one of Canada’s most prospective copper regions, the Sedna site is more than a drilling operation; it’s a collaboration between some of the sharpest geoscientific minds in the field.
The Viridian Metals team made up of geologists spend their days in constant motion. Whether it’s logging and interpreting data, hiking the landscape, or digging into rocks for samples. The work is meticulous.
Here is a quick guide to a day in the life at the Sedna site as told by the Viridian Metals team of Charlene Duffet (Exploration Manager), Dr. Simon Jones (a Geologist from ICRAG), Alex Ovas (Geologist), Gregory Langille (Queen’s University, Geologist student), and Lauren DiPietro(Dalhousie University Earth Sciences student).
What time do you usually wake up in the field?
Charlene: Everybody is up by 7 a.m. Usually I’m awake by 6:30 a.m. but if it’s cold I’ll stay in my sleeping bag a bit longer.
What’s the morning routine like on-site?
Charlene: Our morning routine starts at 7 a.m. If you’re not up, you get the air horn. We then start the fire, have coffee and breakfast together. Simon and I will discuss where he’d like everyone to go for the day, while the rest of the crew get field supplies ready. I’ll update Tyrell (Viridian’s President) with our day’s plan as he’s our point of contact in civilization. Then we all pack our lunches, make sure everyone knows the plan for the day, check our water bottles and head out.
What do the day’s objectives look like? What are the key goals?
Charlene: Simon picks where we go and I figure out how to get there. Lauren, Greg and Alex’s primary responsibilities are to take measurements and help with sampling.
Simon: Our key goals are to investigate the lower part of the stratigraphy, groundtruth faults and structures.
What tools or equipment do you use?
Charlene: The GeoTool is the best hammer no question, it smashes really well.
Note: a GeoTool is designed for field geologists working in tough terrain. It will cut through moss, roots, and scrape away surface layers and access fresh rock for sampling.
What’s the first location you’ve been working on?
Charlene: We have been heading to the closest or easiest locations first ie. Visible outcrop on the satellite image. We’ll also check out known historical showings.
Can you describe what you’re physically doing during sampling, logging, mapping?
Charlene: Sampling is mostly hammering on a rock until something breaks off. We like to use electronic field equipment so we’ll put the sample data right into a portable GIS program.
What are you hoping to find at Sedna?
Charlene: Mostly we are interested in seeing as many rocks as possible. Of course copper mineralization would be amazing but we’re really taking a more regional mineral systems approach.
Do any unexpected things happen while out in the field?
Charlene: Yes, we got snow. One day it snowed and hailed off and on all morning.
How do you communicate or coordinate with the rest of the team?
Charlene: While we’re in the field we use walkie-talkies to communicate if we aren’t in speaking distance. We also like to use air horns – quick and easy ways to get a hold of someone or let them know where you are.
What’s something that surprised you about the work?
Lauren: I knew I would be riding in a helicopter, but I didn’t realize how fun it would be. I also was surprised by the topography of the landscape. There are lots of big hills that make for the most beautiful views (and sore legs).
When and how do you take breaks?
Charlene: Usually when we summit a big hill we’re all ready for a break. Or after we’ve finished at an outcrop that we’ve been at for a while. Simon likes to have coffee. Greg will take some photos. Lauren and Alex do a little suntanning. And I need a snack.
What’s lunch like in the field?
Alex: Lunch is often balanced and delicious, from chocolate, fruits, bagels, trail mix, to warm soups, pastas and curry’s on days we are able to be at the main tent for lunch.
What’s going through your head during the quieter moments?
Simon: There aren’t many. Camp tasks come one after another: chopping wood, washing clothes, cooking food, refueling the generator. I try to make time in the evenings to think about the broader significance of the rocks we had seen earlier in the day, while they are still fresh in my memory.
When do you wrap up? What happens at the end of the day?
Charlene: I will text Tyrell to let him know we are back and safe. Then I work on getting photos and data onto the computer. I write a daily report which just says what we’ve done today, accomplishments and any issues. I will plan the next day if needed, such as logistics with the helicopter or figuring out how to access an area. I am also planning for the rest of the summer so I will do that work in the evenings. It has been more office work than I imagined out here.
What’s the vibe at camp like in the evening?
Greg: After a long day of hiking, mostly in the rain but sometimes in the sun, as a group we usually come home exhausted. The weariness of camp is palpable, even still, we hang up our wet clothes and sit in the hot tent, tell stories and eat snacks, preparing ourselves for the next day.
How do you wind down or get ready to do it again tomorrow?
Charlene: I try to stretch as we are hiking a lot and I am old now. It’s also playoff season so we’ll watch the game in the evenings if it’s on.
Why do you love this kind of work?
Alex: I love this kind of work because it provides the opportunity to see and experience new places that not many people get to see. On a daily occurrence I am met with breathtaking views, and I get to say that this is my office. There is a sense of wonder that is innate to this kind of work, being outdoors, exploring, and discovering.
What’s something people might not realize about geology or field life?
Charlene: Field work is such hard work, and there are a million and one problems and almost none of them involve the geology, it’s everything else that goes wrong.
Why are you excited about this project?
Simon: Every once in a while we have an ah ha! moment, when something clicks into place and our understanding of the basin leaps forward. These moments are rare, but they deliver enormous satisfaction, and remind us that we are moving in the right direction.
