AN ATTEMPT to map the geology and the geodiversity of a hitherto unexplored section of the rainforest on the Guyana/Brazil border is currently under way.
The  Brazil/Guyana Border Geological and Geodiversity Mapping Project  involves geologists from both countries and the aim is to correlate the geology of the Guyana side of the border with that of Brazil, to unify it and integrate the updated  information on a  newly produced map of South America.
The Guyanese team, comprising four geologists, left for Lethem on the Guyana side on Monday last and, shortly before departure, the leader and consulting geologist of the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), Dr. Serge Nadeau disclosed that the undertaking had been previously agreed on by President Bharrat Jagdeo and then President of Brazil, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, at a 2009 meeting in Georgetown.
Other GGMC geologists on the expedition are Mr. Jimmy Reece, Senior Geologist and Mr. Randy Ault and Mr. Deokumar Lachman.
They all would be involved in investigative work in  remote areas between the Guyana/ Suriname/ Brazil tripartite junction to the East and the Guyana/ Venezuela/ Brazil tripartite junction to the West, along an area of 1,000 kilometres and is expected to last for six weeks.

“We and the Brazilians will be mapping and agreeing on the geological features on both sides. There are, too, several areas where the Brazilians have identified rocks on their side that are not in Guyana. We will be checking by going to see the extent of these geological units and their chemistry and composition,” Nadeau explained.
The geodiversity mapping will encompass surveys of the variety of earth and land forms and processes in the targeted area, including minerals, rocks, sediments, fossils, soils, water folds and faults.

The data collected will enable the participating geologists to complete a map showing the variety of geological elements and landscape in that pristine area and depicting the age and tectonic evolution over time.

Another objective of the mission is to compile information on border areas where people have been mining gold and diamonds, with the aim of determining the mineral potential, digitising the facts and determining whether those zones extend across the border.
Nadeau said that, in addition to  being useful for mineral exploration, that will be important for environmental studies and health issues.
Although there is no concern over chemical elements on the ground there, at the moment, he said it is always good to have a record, because people are moving around in the interior and border and it is important to know the levels of the chemical properties of metals in the area, since some metals at elevated values could be toxic to people.
The benefits for Guyana will include knowledge of the age of the granitic rocks through dating mechanisms, not now available and a much more informed and global view of the physical material of the earth in the deep South.
Rock samples will be collected and sent for chemical analysis at laboratories in Canada and laboratories in China for age dating.
Nadeau disclosed that they want to present a final report and map to representatives of both the Guyanese and Brazilian Governments in May of next year.