Rockslides

Fused hillside shaded relief map and conductivity image (color) of the Horton Area showing numerous float samples of mineralized material likely derived from the Nortran Target located in top central area of the image. (click on image to enlarge)

Exploration Implications at Thor

Rockslides are not noise—they’re a secondary expression of the ore system. At Thor, here are some of the important aspects of rockslides:﻿
Mineralized boulders in rockslides (Mountain Goat Creek, Ferguson, etc.) are treated as vectors, not endpoints.
Structural and geophysical trends are projected under and behind the rockslides to predict where the intact system continues.
The limits of the known deposit are understood to be “exposure limits,” not system limits—the system likely extends beneath slide cover.

So the working assumption at Thor is: ﻿
If you see mineralized float in a rockslide at Thor, you are standing on the debris of the epithermal system, not at its edge!

A stunning image produced from Lidar data that shows a large rockslide deposit at the south end of the Thor deposit. Many of the components of the rockslide can be seen in the schematic image also shown on this page. (click on the image to enlarge)

Image caption

What is a Rockslide?

Understanding Rockslides

At Thor, “rockslides” refer to large, gravity‑driven mass‑wasting events that have transported blocks of mineralized rock, lamprophyre, and altered host units downslope, creating major exploration targets because they contain displaced pieces of the Thor epithermal system. These rockslides are not small talus piles — they are district‑scale landslide complexes that conceal or transport mineralized material.﻿
Mountain Goat Creek RockslideLocated ~800 m northwest of the main Thor deposit.
Contains mineralized boulders and float that indicate the presence of nearby, undiscovered epithermal structures.
Geophysical anomalies (VLF, EM‑37, airborne conductivity) trend into this area, suggesting continuity of mineralization beneath or behind the slide mass.
Taranis treats this as a high‑priority exploration target because the rockslide may be hiding the true bedrock source.
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Ferguson RockslideLocated southeast of the known Thor deposit.
A new exploration target extends almost 2 km southeast under the Ferguson Rockslide, indicating that the slide covers a potential continuation of the Thor mineralized corridor.
The rockslide likely masks structural extensions of the Combined Metals Unit and associated epithermal veins.

General Characteristics of a Landslide:Gravity‑driven downslope movement of rock, soil, or debris.
Triggered when shear stress exceeds shear strength, often due to rainfall, snowmelt, earthquakes, or slope cutting.
Water is a major factor—it adds weight, raises pore pressure, and reduces friction.
Occurs in weak, fractured, or oversteepened slopes.
Shows distinct surface features like a main scarp, cracks, and a bulging toe.
Movement styles vary (falls, slides, flows, topples, spreads).
Vegetation disturbance such as tilted trees or stripped ground is common.
Warning signs may include new cracks, ground bulging, or shifting structures.
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Rockslides have never been described around Thor and the may constitute up to 30% of the geology/geomorphology! Taranis was the first group to identify these features, and identification of a rockslide at the north end of the Thor deposit led to the discovery of the Thunder Zone.