Rafael Bacha, Ph.D., P.Geo.
Last updated on April 2, 2025Engagement Geologist
Rafael works to connect the public with the geology of the province.
Education
Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina, Brazil and University of Queensland, Australia (B.Sc., 2015)
Universidade de Brasília, Brazil (M.Sc., 2019)
Carleton University (Ph.D., 2024)
Expertise
Rafael joined the Survey in 2023. He works to connect First Nations, local communities, government, the minerals industry, public safety agencies, environmental scientists, research organizations, and the public to the geology and mineral resources of the province. Rafael fosters relationships with Indigenous communities, serving as the primary liaison to share geological data to enhance land-use planning and resource co-management and establish support for field programs.
Rafael has conducted research on large igneous provinces associated with continental breakups, the formation of orogenic gold deposits in greenstone belts, and the correlation between mafic intrusive rocks and sedimentary rock-hosted base metal deposits. He also has worked for the Ministry of Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Canada.
Publications
2023
Bacha, R.R.B., Mungall, J.E., and Ernst, R.E., 2023. Petrogenesis of the Katangan mafic rocks, Zambia: Insights from lithogeochemistry, large igneous province classification, and petrological modeling. Results in Geochemistry, Volume 12, 100027.
2022
Bacha, R.R.B., Waichel, B.L., and Ernst, R.E., 2022. The mafic volcanic climax of the Paraná-Etendeka Large Igneous Province as the trigger of the Weissert Event. Terra Nova, Volume 34, 28-36.
2021
Bacha, R.R.B., Toledo, C.L.B., Silva, A.M., and Mungall, J.E., 2021. Alkali element mobility as a vector for gold mineralization: An example from Central Brazil. Geochemistry, Volume 81, Issue 4, 125808.
2013
Waichel, B.L., Tratz, E.B., Pietrobelli, G., Jerram, D.A., Calixto, G.R., Bacha, R.R., Tomazzolli, E.R., and Silva, W.B., 2013. Lava tubes from the Paraná-Etendeka Continental Flood Basalt Province: Morphology and importance to emplacement models. Journal of South American Earth Sciences, Volume 48, 255-261.