Workshops
GAC-MAC-IAH-CNC 2025 Workshops
PRE-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS
May 10-11, 2025
Organizers: Beth McLarty Halfkenny, Lesley Hymers, Janice Williams, Joanna Hodge
Contact: Beth McLarty Halfkenny
Sponsors: EdGEO Canadian Earth Science Teacher Workshop Program, Canadian Geoscience Education Network (CGEN), Canadian Geological Foundation (CGF), Carleton University Earth Science Teacher Workshop Fund
Date: Saturday May 10, 2025
The GAC-MAC conference has a rich history of engaging with local educators wherever the conference is held, leveraging the expertise of conference attendees to help teachers gain the knowledge, resources and confidence to teach Earth Science topics within their provincial curriculum.
For GAC-MAC-IAH (CNC) 2025 in Ottawa, Carleton University's Earth Sciences Department will host a one-day professional training and sharing workshop for K-12 teachers and informal educators, which will include a morning of learning sessions, and an afternoon field trip to sites in the region that showcase geological features that can be used to illustrate how one can build a field experience for students. Participants will receive a teaching resource kit and a one-day conference pass to attend the GAC's Geoscience Education and Communication Division technical session and Science Communication Workshop.
Organizer: Daniel Gregory
Contact: Daniel Gregory
Date: Saturday May 10, 2025
This one-day workshop will examine how transmission electron microscopy (TEM), atom probe tomography (APT) and synchrotron-based absorption techniques can be applied to understanding ore deposits. The morning will cover synchrotron applications and include the basic principles of μ-XRF, μ-XANES and μ-EXAFS and how they relate to mineral deposits through case studies. The afternoon will introduce APT through a case study on the enrichment of Ge in sphalerite in stratabound Zn-Pb-Ag deposits and Au in pyrite from orogenic Au deposits. This will be followed
by an exercise where participants will have the opportunity to work with APT data. A case study from the Brucejack deposit will show how TEM is used to develop a new model to explain extreme Au enrichments. The course will conclude with a case study of the Jinchang Au deposit showing how all these techniques together can be used to develop a deposit model.
Organizers: Christopher Lawley, Dianne Mitchinson, Julie Bourdeau, Steven Zhang and Mohammad Parsa
Contact: Christopher Lawley
Date: Saturday May 10, 2025
This one-day workshop will offer hands-on training in machine learning, using public geoscience data from the Geological Survey of Canada. Throughout the day, participants will learn the fundamentals of how to access and work with diverse geophysical, geochemical, and geological map data. Participants will then apply this data to train and validate machine learning models for predicting critical mineral potential. All interactive exercises will be completed using the free and open-source Orange software. No prior coding experience is necessary; however, participants are required to bring their own laptop. The course is intended for students interested in machine learning and professionals working with geoscience data.
Organizers: Brendan Murphy and Sally Pehrsson
Contact: Sally Pehrsson
Date: Sunday May 11, 2025
In association with the 2025 GACMAC meeting, Ottawa, the editors of Canadian Journal of Earth Sciences (Brendan Murphy and Sally Pehrsson) will present a 2-hour in-person and virtual workshop on publishing in geoscience journals. The workshop is intended for graduate students and early career researchers, although all are welcome. It will address topics including: (i) defining your research problem and main question; (ii) linking a manuscript’s Introduction and Discussion to have conceptual harmony and greater success; (iii) how to select appropriate journals; and (iv) the submission and review process. We encourage participants to bring examples of their work to the workshop in which we will conduct partnered assessments to see how well your framed questions/introductions and discussions communicate your research.
Organizer: Sergey Ishutov
Contact: Sergey Ishutov
Date: Sunday May 11, 2025
3D printing is a 21st century technology for transforming digital models into tangible objects. This rapidly advancing tool has revolutionized industries such as biomedicine, robotics, aerospace, and smart technologies. Geoscience research is at the forefront of utilizing 3D printing to innovate in sustainable energy storage and recovery, as well as education.
This one-day course introduces diverse 3D printing techniques using rock-like materials (e.g., sand, gypsum, clay) and polymers (e.g., plastics, resins). These cost-effective methods are shaping manufacturing's future, yet 3D printing geological media demands a deep understanding of each technique’s capabilities, limitations, and material properties. The course comprises modules on digitally designing and printing 3D models for applications in geotechnical engineering, geomechanics, reservoir rock analysis, geomorphology, petroleum geology/geophysics, and petrophysics. It highlights how 3D-printed rock proxies enable repeatable laboratory experiments without damaging natural rock samples. Case studies explore 3D-printed porous and fracture models used in research on deformation and fluid flow in reservoir sandstones and carbonates. Digital-to-physical model comparisons assess geomechanical and transport properties such as porosity, pore size, grain size, fracture aperture, connectivity, wettability, and stiffness.
Participants will learn: (i) how to deploy 3D-printed models to improve technical communication to diverse audiences (e.g., students, geoscientists, engineers, managers, community stakeholders); (ii) gain experience in 3D-printable terrain models to be generated with no CAD software or GIS experience; and (iii) learn how to integrate digital data sets with 3D-printed surface and subsurface features to support research, teaching, and communication for both societal and technical objectives.
Organizers: Jean-Sebastien Bouffard, Jeanne Percival and Aaron Thompson
Contact: Jean-Sebastien Bouffard
Date: Sunday May 11, 2025
Reflectance spectroscopy is an effective tool for exploration that can be applied to search for Rare Earth Element (REE) bearing minerals. Several exploitable minerals including, but not limited to, bastnaesite, eudialyte, monazite, and xenotime can be identified by their deep narrow absorption spectral features in the Near Infrared Region (NIR: 700-1300 nm) resulting from electronic transitions. These spectral features can be related to trivalent elements such as Nd3+, Yb3+, Er3+ and Dy3+ and are included in a robust field exploration guide under development for REE-bearing minerals.
This one-day workshop will be subdivided into two parts. The morning session will examine how reflectance spectroscopy can guide exploration. This will be accomplished with (i) an introduction to basic theory; (ii) demonstration of data collection and processing procedures; and (iii) the practical use of spectral libraries and software. A hands-on demonstration of a field portable instrument (Terraspec Halo) with rock and powder samples is planned.
The application of computational science in reflectance spectroscopy will be explored in the afternoon session using the Python programming language. This hands-on session will introduce: (i) basic data reading and structuring; (ii) visualization techniques; and (iii) spectra pre-processing followed by the analysis of spectra employing open-source machine and deep learning platforms and tools. Maximum participant engagement requires a laptop and satisfying installation prerequisites. Details on the prerequisites will be provided closer to the workshop date, and onsite installation support will be available.
Organizer: Christopher Neville
Contact: Christopher Neville
Sponsor: S.S. Papadopulos & Associates, Inc.
Date: Sunday May 11, 2025
It is impossible to exaggerate the significance of reliable interpretations of in situ hydraulic tests for all hydrogeologic assessments. Reliable inferences of aquifer structure and representative estimates of aquifer properties are important for assessments that range from the evaluation of groundwater resources, estimation of construction and mine dewatering requirements, prediction of the migration and fate of solutes in groundwater, to the design of remedial measures at contaminated sites. The focus of this one-day workshop is directed to constant-rate pumping tests, the “gold standard” of aquifer tests. Since these tests require major efforts for planning and execution, the data from these tests are worthy of careful interpretation. Pumping tests are generally interpreted using methods based on highly idealized conceptual models of the subsurface. The theory of these methods and their application in simple settings are treated well in several excellent textbooks and monographs. However, more often than not, when a hydrogeologist is charged with interpreting the results of an actual test, he/she often discovers that the data do not look like those in a textbook. Data are typically noisy, do not approximate theoretical curves, and frequently yield inconsistent estimates of aquifer properties.
This one-day course is designed to help groundwater students and practitioners bridge the gap between theory and practice. The objective of the course is to hone the critical thinking skills of interpreters of data from aquifer tests in complex natural settings. Attendees will be provided with a set of comprehensive course notes. The notes are intended to be formal technical documents that will serve for subsequent self-study.
Organizer: John Ayer
Contact: John Ayer
Sponsor: MERC (sponsoring student fees)
Date: Sunday May 11, 2025
The timing and distribution of mineralization in Archean terranes was influenced by a variety of differing geodynamic environments. Volcanogenic Massive Sulfide (VMS) deposits were syn-volcanic occurring in extensional oceanic settings associated with high crustal heat flow. Orogenic gold deposits were formed by later collisional tectonic processes associated with the development of folding, late crustal-scale faults and syn-orogenic sedimentary units. The faults provided critical pathways for hydrothermal mineralizing fluids during repeated reactivations.
Metal Earth’s program of reflection seismic, magnetotelluric and gravity surveys have provided crustal-scale imaging from areas with differing gold and base metal endowment across the Superior Craton including world class gold and VMS camps. Talks will highlight the crustal architecture of endowed and less endowed transects utilizing Metal Earth’s geophysical studies integrated with focused geological mapping programs, geochemical and geochronological data and also include a presentation on innovative geophysical solutions for smart targeting of mineral deposits. Orogenic gold presentations will cover the diversity of greenstone belt deposits and their exploration significance; a better understanding of their timing, fluid sources and mineralizing controls. They will also provide a better understanding of the regional scale faults system focussing mineralization and gold mineralization associated with metasedimentary terranes in the Superior Craton. Presentations will also include the key features of VMS deposits, their association with critical metals, and their stratigraphic and lithological controls in the highly endowed Abitibi Greenstone belt. The workshop will end with a final presentation highlighting crustal growth and mineral endowment in the modern Indo-Australian Arc-Back-Arc microplate environment, studied with the same geophysical, geochemical and geochronological tools used on Metal Earth’s transects in the Superior Craton. The focus will be on the crustal growth and Metal Endowment in modern back-arcs compared with ancient greenstone belts, an area with the fastest growing crust on earth hosting three of the top ten Cu-Au deposits in the world.
Morning
1. Ross Sherlock: Mapping fertile fault systems in the Superior Craton
2. John Ayer: Architecture and endowment of the Timmins - Matheson gold camp
3. Crystal LaFlamme: Towards linking the timing, fluid sources and mineralizing controls in orogenic gold systems of the southern Abitibi
4. Alireza Malehmir: Innovative geophysical solutions for smart targeting of mineral deposits from prototypes to deep-learning algorithms
Afternoon
5. Jack Simmons: Archean gold deposits associated with structurally-controlled metasedimentary belts of the Superior Craton
6. Taus Jorgensen: Assemblage and lithological compilations of the Abitibi Greenstone Belt and their use in assessing differential VMS endowment
7. Stefanie Bruckner: The many faces of VMS deposits: exploration, lithochemistry and critical metals
8. Mark Hannington: Microplate solutions to crustal growth and metal endowment in modern back-arc basins and ancient greenstone belts
POST-CONFERENCE WORKSHOPS
May 15, 2025
Organizer: Ross Knight and Bruce Kjarsgaard
Contact: Ross Knight
Date: Thursday May 15, 2025
This one-day workshop will provide the necessary background for participants to become familiar with pXRF spectrometry in order to acquire meaningful data. The workshop will be split into a morning and afternoon session.
Overview
A growing number of geoscientists are using portable X-ray fluorescence spectrometry (pXRF) for the chemical characterization of a variety of geological materials in field and laboratory settings. The application of this technology spans a broad range of geological, environmental, and economic investigations such as mineralization in rock samples, regional surficial geochemical surveys, chemostratigraphy of rock and till cores, trace metal concentrations in soils, and analysis of aerosol particulate matter. Common to each application is the challenge of determining how best to use the pXRF instrument, how to quantify uncertainties associated with their analytical measurements, and how to understand and interpret the resulting data. Upon completion of the one-day workshop participants will have a clear and robust understanding of pXRF spectrometry advantages and shortcomings.
Morning session - Data collection
Development of pXRF as a mainstream geochemical tool, analytical parameters to ensure quality analyses including: sample preparation, sample quantity, moisture content issues, optimal dwell time per element, element interferences, instrument drift, utilization of standards (CRM’s, SRM’s); data calibration, and assessment of data quality.
Afternoon session - Applications
During the afternoon a series of applications will be discussed including: (i) comparison of pXRF data with laboratory methods - a mineral resource assessment perspective; (ii) integrating in-field pXRF data into a regional bedrock mapping project.; (iii) chemostratigraphy by pXRF - quantifying the invisible; and (iv) integrating pXRF and downhole geophysical data for a Canadian Shield basement to Ordovician cover sequence.
Organizers: Myriam Lemelin, Jeannette Luna
Contact: Myriam Lemelin, Jeannette Luna
Sponsor: Centre d'applications et de recherches en télédétection (CARTEL)
Date: Thursday May 15, 2025
This one-day workshop introduces geoscientists to planetary geologic mapping. Exercises focus on integrating multiple datasets to: (i) identify and define planetary geologic map units; (ii) place these units into a stratigraphic framework; (iii) interpret the timing of key events such as impacts or tectonic activity; and (iv) use the maps to generate testable hypotheses for future missions. Geoscientists at any career stage and graduate students are welcome; no prior experience in planetary mapping required. The exercises are pen-and-paper, and additional materials for digital mapping using ArcGIS Pro or QGIS are provided at the end of the course.
Organizer: Brayden McNeill
Contact: Brayden McNeill
Sponsor: Aquanty
Date: Thursday May 15, 2025
Join the Aquanty team for a two-day intensive course which explores the complete integrated hydrologic modelling process using HydroGeoSphere (HGS). This course consists of various lectures and exercises to explore topics such as: (i) the benefits of integrated hydrologic modelling; (ii) the governing equations that control flow in an HGS model; (iii) use of supporting software for model mesh generation and results visualization; (iv) model parameterization and conceptualization of boundary conditions; (v) numerical solution techniques and recommended settings optimal convergence and improved runtimes; and (vi) model convergence troubleshooting, model calibration and more. Participants will receive a temporary license of HydroGeoSphere (30-day), a temporary license of AlgoMesh (2-week), a copy of all course content including lectures (PDF) and exercises, and the opportunity to network with other HydroGeoSphere users and the software development team.
Organizer: Lesley Hymers
Contact: Lesley Hymers
Facilitators: GAC GEC Division President Lesley Hymers and Vice President Courtney Onstad
Sponsors: Geological Association of Canada Geoscience Education and Communication Division (GAC GEC) and the Canadian Geoscience Education Network (CGEN)
Guest Presenter: Cate Larsen (@groovygeologist)
Date: Thursday May 15, 2025
Members of the Geoscience Education and Communication Division invite delegates to participate in a Science Communication Workshop with a focus on research and practice. Join us after the GEC technical session for an evening of practical skill building facilitated by Division members and special guests. This Workshop is of interest to geoscience communication researchers and practitioners, informal and formal educators and communicators, Faculty, Graduate Students and Graduate Teaching Assistants, the Museum Sector, Government, and Industry across Canada. The Workshop will be sponsored by the Geological Association of Canada Geoscience Education and Communication Division and the Canadian Geoscience Education Network.
