The Fissure Systems of British Columbia

Introduction The study of the ore deposits of British Columbia is one of fascinating interest not only from a scientific but also from a commercial standpoint and certain wide problems in connection therewith have interested me for some years. Several of these problems have been set forth in papers presented before this Institute on previous occasions. In 1918 it was pointed out that the commercial ore deposits of British Columbia, with one exception, were associated with the granodiorite batholiths of upper Jurassic age. This was followed, in 1922, by a discussion of the ore deposits of British Columbia in which the mineral belts of the province were defined and named, showing a zonal arrangement of ores in which the Pacific coast deposits are characterized by the presence of copper, while the interior belt is marked by the presence of silver, lead, and gold. Methods Of Investigation In reading various reports on the economic geology of British Columbia one is struck with the fact that the mineral veins may be arranged as a system and further examination will show that such a system follows two main directions, one northeasterly and the other northwesterly, both related in origin to the same force.