Final answer:
The rich ore bodies near Sudbury were formed by a massive meteorite impact that melted rock and differentiated metals, creating an extensive deposit of nickel and other precious metals like copper and platinum.
Step-by-step explanation:
The rich ore bodies near Sudbury formed as a result of complex geological processes. Sudbury is known for its vast deposits of nickel ore, which were created by a massive meteorite impact approximately 1.85 billion years ago. The impact created the Sudbury Basin, which is the second-largest known impact crater on Earth. The tremendous force of the impact melted the rock and differentiated the metals from the surrounding material, forming a rich ore body that includes nickel, copper, platinum, palladium, gold, and other metals.
This geological phenomenon is an example of how precipitates from water with high concentrations of dissolved oxygen can form minerals like hematite and magnetite, which are also components of banded iron formations. Moreover, the color of the soil and the types of plants growing in an area can sometimes indicate the presence of certain minerals, as has been historically observed in the search for gold deposits.