The PI and his collaborator at the Geological Survey of Sierra Leone will undertake a detailed field sampling and attitude measuring program of igneous rocks from the Freetown layered complex. The samples will be analyzed in the U.S. for their concentrations of the platinum-group elements and other related elements, in order to develop geochemical criteria for distinguishing barren from mineralized rocks. This research will improve understanding of the processes that control the concentration and dispersion of platinum-group metals in the Freetown layered complex. Scope: This project will enable the collaborating PI and his institution to develop skills for mineral resources evaluation based on field mapping and rock geochemistry. Eventually, this research will contribute to a much broader study, to include a characterization of the magmatic framework of the Freetown complex and a greatly expanded geochemical data base. This project is relevant to the objectives of the Science in Developing Countries (SDC) Program with regard to strengthening scientific and engineering infrastructure in developing countries and increasing cooperation between U.S. scientists and engineers and their counterparts in developing countries.
