Craig Hart

Biography

Dr. Craig J.R. Hart Craig Hart is the Director of MDRU-Mineral Deposit Research Unit at the University of British Columbia (UBC) where he initiates and facilitates a wide range of mineral exploration industry-sponsored research projects that focus on gold and porphyry systems, regional metallogeny and exploration methods.  Craig has degrees from McMaster University (BSc 1986), University of British Columbia (MSc 1995) and University of Western Australia (2005) spacing academic intervals over three decades separated by employment in industry and government.  Craig previously worked as a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Exploration Targeting at the University of Western Australia (UWA) in Perth where he pursued research gold metallogeny of China and Mongolia.  Most of Craig’s early career was with the Yukon Geological Survey where he undertook regional mapping and metallogenic surveys in the northern Cordillera.  He played a significant role in developing intrusion-related gold models, and understanding redox controls on regional metallogeny.  Craig has considerable field and mapping experience which he integrates with geochronology, geochemistry and geophysics to develop new exploration concepts and targets.  He has raised >$20M in research funding to contribute to the training of more than 40 graduate students and 20 senior researchers.  He has given and continues to provide numerous invited scientific presentations, short courses and industry training session throughout the world.  He was a top 5 finisher and Audience Choice winner at the Integra Gold Rush Challenge, and was awarded the Boldy Award in 2005 by the Geological Association of Canada for best presentation, and was the 2011 Society of Exploration Geologists Distinguished Lecturer. Dr. Craig J.R. Hart Craig Hart is the Director of MDRU-Mineral Deposit Research Unit at the University of British Columbia (UBC) where he initiates and facilitates a wide range of mineral exploration industry-sponsored research projects that focus on gold and porphyry systems, regional metallogeny and exploration methods.  Craig has degrees from McMaster University (BSc 1986), University of British Columbia (MSc 1995) and University of Western Australia (2005) spacing academic intervals over three decades separated by employment in industry and government.  Craig previously worked as a Senior Research Fellow at the Centre for Exploration Targeting at the University of Western Australia (UWA) in Perth where he pursued research gold metallogeny of China and Mongolia.  Most of Craig’s early career was with the Yukon Geological Survey where he undertook regional mapping and metallogenic surveys in the northern Cordillera.  He played a significant role in developing intrusion-related gold models, and understanding redox controls on regional metallogeny.  Craig has considerable field and mapping experience which he integrates with geochronology, geochemistry and geophysics to develop new exploration concepts and targets.  He has raised >$20M in research funding to contribute to the training of more than 40 graduate students and 20 senior researchers.  He has given and continues to provide numerous invited scientific presentations, short courses and industry training session throughout the world.  He was a top 5 finisher and Audience Choice winner at the Integra Gold Rush Challenge, and was awarded the Boldy Award in 2005 by the Geological Association of Canada for best presentation, and was the 2011 Society of Exploration Geologists Distinguished Lecturer.

Research Interest

Yukon Alaska Metallogeny Project - an MDRU industry consortium project evaluating regional geology and controls on gold mineralization in west-central Yukon and Alaska. Regional and Magmatic Controls on Gold and Porphyry Deposits in Colombia (link is external) - an MDRU industry consortium research project.  Western Tethyan Metallogeny Project (link is external)- an MDRU industry consortium research project in Turkey, Romania, Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, Armenia and Iran. Exploration Footprints of Hydrothermal Ore Systems - determining predictable patterns of detectable features in and beyond the region of observable alteration. Intrusion-related Gold Metallogeny  -  establishing relationships between magma character, redox state, igneous processes, metal enrichment mechanisms and associated metallogenic expressions.  Development of Reduced Intrusion-related Gold Systems model. Metallogenic and Magmatic Evolution of the Cordilleran Orogen - Integrated mapping, geochemistry, isotopes and geochronological characterization of the different plutonic suites and their relationships to the spatial and temporal distributions of mineral districts.  Particular emphasis on the Cretaceous. Porphyry Deposit Formation and Exploration - evaluating the processes and controls on the formation of porphyry copper deposits and the development of strategies and methods for more successful exploration and discovery. Carbonate Alteration Footprints - using the MDRU Mineral Isotope Analyser to determine the C and O isotopic footprints of ore systems in carbonate rocks or with carbonate alteration, and to develop exploration methods using C and O isotopes. PIMS -  Porphyry Indicator Minerals - establishing the characteristics of resistate minerals in different parts of altered porphyry systems to establish their use as an exploration tool or fertility indicator, particularly in covered terranes.   Geochronology of hydrothermal ore deposits -  dating timing relationships between complex, inter-related magmatic and hydrothermal events requires integrating and understanding differing minerals and dating methods, such as SHRIMP and TIMS U-Pb, Ar-Ar and Re-Os.  Predictive GIS-based Prospectivity Analysis -  evaluations and comparisons of differing methods of numerical prospectivity analysis (weights of evidence, fuzzy logic, and hybrids) for the recognition of important components in numerical ore system prediction, particularly in frontier areas Phanerozoic Orogenic Gold Systems - orogenic gold systems have significant crustal extents and their upper parts may be represented as systems dominated by Hg and Sb, that might otherwise be considered to be small epithermal occurrences.  Evaluating the geochemistry and fluid character of these systems can potentially identify large gold systems.