title: Carbonate Alteration of the Sams Creek Gold Deposit

authors: Lee, Ryan John

subjects: Sams Creek Gold Depsoit

abstract: Located near Upper Takaka, NW Nelson, the Sams Creek Gold Deposit is host to significant gold mineralisation, which has been extensively explored since being first discovered in 1974 by CRA exploration. The gold mineralisation, hosted largely within the Sams Creek Granite Dyke has since been the focus of continual ongoing exploration and research by various companies and academia. The dyke is a peralkaline microgranite, is up to 60 meters wide and has a strike length totalling 7 kilometres. Multiple stages of hydrothermal alteration have affected the granite dyke which is host to a series of sheeted, stock work and irregular fracture veins. At the time of writing, Sams Creek is New Zealand’s largest undeveloped gold project.

Despite extensive research and exploration, the origin of Au bearing fluids and hence classification of the deposit is still debated. Little is also known about the role of which the widespread carbonate alteration has had during the genesis of this deposit. Siderite/ankerite (carbonate) veins are a common occurrence at Sams Creek, occurring in both the highly mineralised granite and seemingly unaltered metasedimentary rock, of which the Sams Creek Granite and various other mafic dykes intrude.

This study presents a detailed paragenetic study of the multiple phases of carbonate alteration throughout the prospect. Trace element geochemistry for individual vein generations was obtained by in-situ analysis of the carbonate vein minerals using LA-ICP-MS. Oxygen and carbonate stable isotope ratios were also determined for many of the carbonate minerals.

The carbonate alteration was found to be largely structurally controlled and coeval with the multiple stages of Au mineralisation and alteration. The veins were often comprised of multiple siderite and ankerite intergrowths, reflecting temporally distinct fluids of varying Ca/Fe/Mn/Mg concentrations. Whole vein geochemical analysis confirmed an overall ankerite composition, contrary to the previous reports of siderite only veins. Major and trace element signatures showed geochemically distinct ankerite veins for each host rock. Notably, the geochemistry of the veins indicates that the surrounding metasediments are an unlikely fluid source for the carbonate alteration. This has implications for models which suggest an orogenic fluid is responsible for the alteration. The fluid likely received its trace element and isotopic signature from a high temperature, reduced and 18O-depleted fluid source, consistent with a fluid source that is not metamorphogenic. The carbonate minerals associated with the mineralisation and/or the dyke have a unique trace element signature in relation to carbonate of other lithologies.

Overall, this study provides evidence that is in agreement with the Sams Creek Dyke being classified as an Intrusion Related Gold System. Further implications for exploration potential are the distinctions between metamorphogenic and hydrothermal carbonate minerals, which could be easily undertaken using pXRF based upon anomalous Mn and Mg contents.

text: Carbonate Alteration of the Sams Creek Gold Deposit Located near Upper Takaka, NW Nelson, the Sams Creek Gold Deposit is host to significant gold mineralisation, which has been extensively explored since being first discovered in 1974 by CRA exploration. The gold mineralisation, hosted largely within the Sams Creek Granite Dyke has since been the focus of continual ongoing exploration and research by various companies and academia. The dyke is a peralkaline microgranite, is up to 60 meters wide and has a strike length totalling 7 kilometres. Multiple stages of hydrothermal alteration have affected the granite dyke which is host to a series of sheeted, stock work and irregular fracture veins. At the time of writing, Sams Creek is New Zealand’s largest undeveloped gold project.

Despite extensive research and exploration, the origin of Au bearing fluids and hence classification of the deposit is still debated. Little is also known about the role of which the widespread carbonate alteration has had during the genesis of this deposit. Siderite/ankerite (carbonate) veins are a common occurrence at Sams Creek, occurring in both the highly mineralised granite and seemingly unaltered metasedimentary rock, of which the Sams Creek Granite and various other mafic dykes intrude.

This study presents a detailed paragenetic study of the multiple phases of carbonate alteration throughout the prospect. Trace element geochemistry for individual vein generations was obtained by in-situ analysis of the carbonate vein minerals using LA-ICP-MS. Oxygen and carbonate stable isotope ratios were also determined for many of the carbonate minerals.

The carbonate alteration was found to be largely structurally controlled and coeval with the multiple stages of Au mineralisation and alteration. The veins were often comprised of multiple siderite and ankerite intergrowths, reflecting temporally distinct fluids of varying Ca/Fe/Mn/Mg concentrations. Whole vein geochemical analysis confirmed an overall ankerite composition, contrary to the previous reports of siderite only veins. Major and trace element signatures showed geochemically distinct ankerite veins for each host rock. Notably, the geochemistry of the veins indicates that the surrounding metasediments are an unlikely fluid source for the carbonate alteration. This has implications for models which suggest an orogenic fluid is responsible for the alteration. The fluid likely received its trace element and isotopic signature from a high temperature, reduced and 18O-depleted fluid source, consistent with a fluid source that is not metamorphogenic. The carbonate minerals associated with the mineralisation and/or the dyke have a unique trace element signature in relation to carbonate of other lithologies.

Overall, this study provides evidence that is in agreement with the Sams Creek Dyke being classified as an Intrusion Related Gold System. Further implications for exploration potential are the distinctions between metamorphogenic and hydrothermal carbonate minerals, which could be easily undertaken using pXRF based upon anomalous Mn and Mg contents.

year: 2016

title: Education for power: English language in the workplace

authors: Hunter, Judy

abstract: Developed countries around the world are increasingly competing for highly skilled, educated immigrants. A case in point is Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). The NZ Immigration Service actively encourages skilled migrants, and around the country there are numerous English language programmes focussing on English for employment. The dominant focus of these programmes is on migrants' acquisition of correct, appropriate language form, with some attention to intercultural communication. In the view of the authors, this focus is reductionist and provides inadequate preparation for communication in the workplace. This article considers ambiguity and power relations in positioning and interpreting migrant employees in the workplace. Two sets of data are drawn upon. First, a workplace ethnography in a 'migrant friendly' NZ engineering office reveals a management culture that exercises the power of the dominant Anglo-Saxon population to control and exclude a Japanese migrant engineer. Second, a published analysis of immigrant employees' interactions is revisited in order to interrogate the interpretation of workplace texts and underlying discourses of 'appropriate' workplace language. The analysis traces implications for both formal and informal education, and the discussion raises larger questions of social justice concerning migrants.

text: Education for power: English language in the workplace Developed countries around the world are increasingly competing for highly skilled, educated immigrants. A case in point is Aotearoa New Zealand (NZ). The NZ Immigration Service actively encourages skilled migrants, and around the country there are numerous English language programmes focussing on English for employment. The dominant focus of these programmes is on migrants' acquisition of correct, appropriate language form, with some attention to intercultural communication. In the view of the authors, this focus is reductionist and provides inadequate preparation for communication in the workplace. This article considers ambiguity and power relations in positioning and interpreting migrant employees in the workplace. Two sets of data are drawn upon. First, a workplace ethnography in a 'migrant friendly' NZ engineering office reveals a management culture that exercises the power of the dominant Anglo-Saxon population to control and exclude a Japanese migrant engineer. Second, a published analysis of immigrant employees' interactions is revisited in order to interrogate the interpretation of workplace texts and underlying discourses of 'appropriate' workplace language. The analysis traces implications for both formal and informal education, and the discussion raises larger questions of social justice concerning migrants.

year: 2014

title: Software development: Involving Tangata Whenua and incorporating Tikanga Māori

authors: Taia, Ivy

subjects: software engineering

abstract: Over the past fifty years, software development (SD) has been dominated by Western approaches, which is widely accepted as the standard way of doing things (Diaz Andrade et al., 2021). Consequently, many software applications for specific Indigenous cultures, especially health interventions and educational software (Dobson, Whittaker, Bartley, Connor, Chen, Ross & McCool, 2017; Fleer, 1989), were developed using traditional software engineering (SE) methodologies. Although these methodologies provide the workflows and methods for developing software, they do not provide guidelines for developing Indigenous software. While there have been numerous studies on diversity, such as gender and ethnicity in the field of Information Systems, there is very little research on the practices of involving Indigenous people and incorporating their traditional customs in the software development process. This thesis examines the participation of Indigenous people in software development. The research specifically focuses on Tangata Whenua (Māori people, the Indigenous population of Aotearoa New Zealand) and Tikanga Māori (Māori cultural methods). Our findings are useful to those attempting to enhance Indigenous representation in software development, especially those wanting to involve Māori people and their cultural methods in the development process and design of software.

text: Software development: Involving Tangata Whenua and incorporating Tikanga Māori Over the past fifty years, software development (SD) has been dominated by Western approaches, which is widely accepted as the standard way of doing things (Diaz Andrade et al., 2021). Consequently, many software applications for specific Indigenous cultures, especially health interventions and educational software (Dobson, Whittaker, Bartley, Connor, Chen, Ross & McCool, 2017; Fleer, 1989), were developed using traditional software engineering (SE) methodologies. Although these methodologies provide the workflows and methods for developing software, they do not provide guidelines for developing Indigenous software. While there have been numerous studies on diversity, such as gender and ethnicity in the field of Information Systems, there is very little research on the practices of involving Indigenous people and incorporating their traditional customs in the software development process. This thesis examines the participation of Indigenous people in software development. The research specifically focuses on Tangata Whenua (Māori people, the Indigenous population of Aotearoa New Zealand) and Tikanga Māori (Māori cultural methods). Our findings are useful to those attempting to enhance Indigenous representation in software development, especially those wanting to involve Māori people and their cultural methods in the development process and design of software.

year: 2025