Prospective Areas for Mineral Exploration in Alberta (GIS data, polygon features)

This vector data file, in ESRI shapefile format, delineates prospective areas for mineral exploration in Alberta. It serves as an update to the previously published Prospective Areas for Mineral Exploration in Alberta dataset (AGS Digital Data 2019-0025) based on newly available data. Prospective areas were defined as regions with permissive geology for the presence of a mineral deposit and, therefore, favourable for the exploration of that mineral. The product includes prospective areas for minerals and other materials that naturally occur in rocks and sediments, as well as minerals and materials that can be recovered as by-products from industrial processes.
Commodities included are ammolite, bentonite, bromine, building stone, calcium, cobalt, copper, diamonds, dolomite, gold, gypsum, humalite, iodine, iron, lead, limestone, lithium, magnesium, magnetite, metallurgical coal, molybdenum, nickel, peat, phosphate, potash, REEs, salt, silica sand, silver, thorium, titanium, uranium, vanadium, zinc, and zircon.

Prospective areas represent a qualitative assessment of mineral prospectivity, informed by geological maps and models, government reports, mineral occurrence data, technical industry reports, and mineral assessment reports. These areas are the result of a preliminary mineral tract definition at a provincial scale. No attempt was made at this stage to assess, quantify or rank mineral prospectivity, probability or potential.
The data in this publication is represented in a simplified form in the Minerals of Alberta map (AGS Map 655). For more complete information on the methodology used to create this file, please see the information document included in the Minerals of Alberta map publication.

This work was completed under the Mineral Grant provided by the Government of Alberta June 22, 2021.