Preliminary hydrogeochemical investigation of Alberta's groundwater database to locate areas with diamond potential

The compilation of Alberta-based groundwater chemical data from various government sources has resulted in a database with 236 809 records. In contrast to poor-density kimberlite-indicator mineral data, these groundwater data provide regional coverage through most of Alberta. Hence, the main objective of this study is to investigate hydrogeochemical relationships between groundwater and known kimberlite/ultramafic fields in Alberta, and to identify anomalies that may have precipitated from the unusual mineral assemblages associated with ultramafic rocks that will aid in the location of undiscovered kimberlite in Alberta. This innovative approach does not yield any ubiquitous relationships between provincially scaled hydrogeochemical signatures and known ultramafic bodies in Alberta, but does highlight nickel, chromium and potassium anomalies that cannot be explained by any known geological features and may entice interest for future exploration in these areas.