Geochemistry of the low‐grade Early Proterozoic sedimentary sequence in the Pine Creek Geosyncline,Northern Territory     

G. R. Ewers  R. S. Needham  P. G. Stuart‐Smith  I. H. Crick 《Australian Journal of Earth Sciences》2013,60(2):137-154

Abstract

The geochemistry of Early Proterozoic sedimentary rocks from the low‐grade metamorphic terrain W of the South Alligator Hinge Zone in the Pine Creek Geosyncline is reported and discussed in terms of the stratigraphy and differences in rock type. Major element trends are dominated by lithological and mineralogical variations; in particular, the dolomitic nature of pelites in the Mount Partridge and Namoona Groups, the presence of chlorite in Crater Formation pelites, and the volcanic affinity of pelites within the Gerowie Tuff. Concentration of Th, U, Zr, Y, Nb, Ce and La in the clastic sediments of the Finniss River and South Alligator Groups is probably related to the presence of felsic volcanics in these groups; high levels of Sn in these groups may be similarly related, and highlight the apparent volcanogenic source for this metal. The South Alligator Group is a preferred host for base‐metal mineralization, and the regional abundance of several metals in this group enhance its economic potential and support a syngenetic, possibly exhalative, origin for these deposits. Anomalous Co, Ni, and V values in Masson Formation pelites are probably related to the nearby mafic Stag Creek Volcanics. Detrital minerals derived from reworked Archaean basement account for high Zr and Th in the Crater Formation. The geochemical data support the shift in REE patterns related to changes in crustal composition about the Archaean‐Proterozoic boundary, though patterns within the Early Proterozoic have also been influenced by felsic volcanism in the South Alligator Group. The chemical index of alteration (which reflects the degree of weathering of sedimentary rocks) reflects the existence of a major unconformity between the Mount Partridge and Namoona Groups; however, other hiatuses observed in or inferred from the rock record are not evident. The dominant felsic volcanic component of the Gerowie Tuff pelites is also indicated by this technique.  相似文献   

Review of Lopingian (upper Permian) stratigraphy of the Galilee Basin,Queensland, Australia     

L. J. Phillips  J. S. Esterle  S. A. Edwards 《Australian Journal of Earth Sciences》2017,64(3):283-300

The recent increase in exploration activity in the Galilee Basin, Queensland, has highlighted inconsistencies in the usage of Lopingian (upper Permian) stratigraphic nomenclature across the basin. This study utilised peer-reviewed journal, company and government publications to evaluate the current understanding of the naming conventions in use and correlated them to nomenclature in the adjacent Bowen Basin. The prominent misinterpretation is between the stratigraphic relationship and terminology of the northern and western Betts Creek beds and its eastern and southern correlatives the Bandanna Formation and Colinlea Sandstone. The correlation between the units has been assessed from a (1) lithological, (2) sedimentological and (3) coal-seam architectural perspective. The Betts Creek beds appear similar to the Colinlea Sandstone in their lithology and sedimentological character, but increased drilling data suggest the original type-sections no longer fit the heterogeneous lithology of correlated strata bearing that nomenclature. Correlation across the Springsure Shelf into the Bowen Basin suggests that the Betts Creek beds and their subdivisions are in fact equivalent to the Bandanna Formation, the Fort Cooper Coal Measures (the Burngrove and Fair Hill formations) and the Moranbah Coal Measures. A revised stratigraphic column for the Galilee Basin has been proposed to reflect this, and to suggest that a new stratigraphic unit be introduced; the ‘Fort Cooper Coal Measures equivalent’ and its subdivisions the ‘Burngrove and Fair Hill formation equivalents.’  相似文献   

Characterising the present-day stress regime of the Georgina Basin     

A. Bailey  E. Tenthorey  B. Ayling 《Australian Journal of Earth Sciences》2017,64(1):121-136

The onshore Georgina Basin in northern Australia is prospective for unconventional hydrocarbons; however, like many frontier basins, it is underexplored. A well-connected hydraulic fracture network has been shown to be essential for the extraction of resources from the tight reservoirs that categorise unconventional plays, as they allow for economic flows of fluid from the reservoir to the well. One of the fundamental scientific questions regarding hydraulic stimulation within the sub-surface of sedimentary basins is the degree to which local and regional tectonic stresses act as a primary control on fracture propagation. As such, an understanding of present-day stresses has become increasingly important to modern petroleum exploration and production, particularly when considering unconventional hydrocarbon reservoirs. This study characterises the regional stress regime in the Georgina Basin using existing well data. Wellbore geophysical logs, including electrical resistivity image logs, and well tests from 31 petroleum and stratigraphic wells have been used to derive stress magnitudes and constrain horizontal stress orientations. Borehole failure features interpreted from wellbore image and caliper logs yield a maximum horizontal stress orientation of 044°N. Integration of density log data results in a vertical stress gradient of 24.6 MPa km^–1. Leak-off and mini-fracture tests suggest that this is the minimum principal stress, as leak-off values are generally shown to be at or above the magnitude of vertical stress. The maximum horizontal stress gradient is calculated to be in the range of 31.3–53.9 MPa km^–1. As such, a compressional stress regime favouring reverse/reverse–strike-slip faulting is interpreted for the Georgina Basin.  相似文献   

SHRIMP U–Pb zircon geochronological evidence for Neoarchean basement in western Arnhem Land, northern Australia     

Julie A. Hollis  Chris J. Carson  Linda M. Glass 《Precambrian Research》2009,174(3-4):364-380

The Pine Creek Orogen, located on the exposed northern periphery of the North Australian Craton, comprises a thick succession of variably metamorphosed Palaeoproterozoic siliciclastic and carbonate sedimentary and volcanic rocks, which were extensively intruded by mafic and granitic rocks. Exposed Neoarchean basement is rare in the Pine Creek Orogen and the North Australian Craton in general. However, recent field mapping, in conjunction with new SHRIMP U–Pb zircon data for six granitic gneiss samples, have identified previously unrecognised Neoarchean crystalline crust in the Nimbuwah Domain, the eastern-most region of the Pine Creek Orogen. Four samples from the Myra Falls and Caramal Inliers, the Cobourg Peninsula, and the Kakadu region have magmatic crystallisation ages in the range 2527–2510 Ma. An additional sample, from northeast Myra Falls Inlier, yielded a magmatic crystallisation age of 2671 ± 3 Ma, the oldest exposed Archean basement yet recognised in the North Australian Craton. These results are consistent with previously determined magmatic ages for known outcropping and subcropping crystalline basement some 200 km to the west. A sixth sample yielded a magmatic crystallisation age of 2640 ± 4 Ma. The ca. 2670 Ma and ca. 2640 Ma samples have ca. 2500 Ma metamorphic zircon rims, consistent with metamorphism broadly coeval with emplacement of the volumetrically dominant ca. 2530–2510 Ma granites and granitic gneisses. Neoarchean zircon detritus, particularly in the ca. 2530–2510 Ma and ca. 2670–2640 Ma age span, are an almost ubiquitous feature of detrital zircon spectra of unconformably overlying metamorphosed Palaeoproterozoic strata of the Pine Creek Orogen, and of local post-tectonic Proterozoic sequences, consistent with this local provenance. Neoarchean zircon is also a common detrital component in Palaeoproterozoic sedimentary units across much of the North Australian Craton suggesting the existence of an extensive, if not contiguous, Neoarchean crystalline basement underlying not only a large part of the Pine Creek Orogen, but also much of the North Australian Craton.  相似文献   

Neogene Billa Kalina Basin and Stuart Creek silicified floras,northern South Australia: a reassessment of their stratigraphy,age and environments     

R. A. Callen 《Australian Journal of Earth Sciences》2020,67(5):605-626

Abstract

Silicified fossil macrofloras of the Willalinchina Sandstone, at Stuart Creek in the Billa Kalina Basin of northern South Australia, are most likely early Miocene–early Pliocene with preference for the younger age, based on reinterpretation of published evidence including basin stratigraphy, paleogeography, isotopic and other dating. The macrofloras include Eucalyptus and occur in fluvial channel sandstones. The Willalinchina Sandstone is equated with the Danae Conglomerate Member of the Mirikata Formation, interpreted as older than the Watchie Sandstone, Millers Creek Dolomite Member and Billa Kalina Clay Member, and here regarded as of upper Neogene age. The Billa Kalina Basin lies between Lake Eyre, Torrens and Eucla basins, and has affinities with all three. The Kingoonya Paleochannel, peripheral to the Eucla Basin, joins the southern margin of the Billa Kalina Basin across the Stuart Range Divide, and contains the Garford Formation of mid-Miocene to Pliocene age (palynological dating), here partly equated with the Mirikata Formation. Interpretations of paleolake Billa Kalina and associated paleochannel environments are made, based on a new assessment of stratigraphic and paleogeographic relationships.

1. KEY POINTS

2. The Billa Kalina Basin sediments in northern South Australia are equated with the later Neogene ‘upper’ Garford Formation of the Kingoonya Paleochannel, which flowed into the Eucla Basin, and depositional processes are clarified.

3. A variety of consistent age data from adjacent basins and the Kingoonya Paleochannel indicate the Stuart Creek ‘silcrete floras’, associated with the Willalinchina Sandstone channel deposits, are Neogene, probably early Pliocene, but the possibility remains that they may be incised into the Watchie Sandstone and therefore late Pliocene.

4. The Billa Kalina Basin was linked to the Kingoonya Paleochannel through much of its history, with flow disrupted by the Stuart Range Divide, local tectonics, and regional tilting.

  相似文献   

Kuskonook Creek, an example of a debris flow analysis   总被引：1，自引：0，他引：1  

D. F. VanDine  R. F. Rodman  P. Jordan  J. Dupas 《Landslides》2005,2(4):257-265

Two debris flows occurred on Kuskonook Creek in British Columbia, Canada, in August and September 2004. The initiation factors included a major forest fire in the catchment in 2003, in association with relatively small rainfall events and the accumulation of sediment in the creek channels since the last large debris flow event. Previous regional studies and morphometric comparisons with other similar catchments indicate that Kuskonook Creek has characteristics predisposed to debris flows, even without the affects of a forest fire. Based on the investigations and analyses, a magnitude/frequency relationship for future debris events on Kuskonook Creek was developed, and this information was used to carry out a partial risk assessment. It is suggested that for design purposes, a 1/50-year return period and the corresponding debris flow magnitude of 15,000 m³ would provide conservative protection to the users of the provincial highway at the mouth of the creek.  相似文献   

Mineralization and regional alteration at the Mons Cupri stratiform Cu–Zn–Pb deposit, Pilbara Craton, Western Australia     

David L. Huston 《Mineralium Deposita》2006,41(1):17-32

The Mons Cupri Cu–Zn–Pb deposit is hosted by conglomerate of the ca. 2,965 Ma Cistern Formation, which forms part of the Bookingarra Group in the Central Pilbara tectonic zone of the Pilbara Craton. The deposit has two distinct mineralized zones: a 5- to 10-m-thick, stratiform, Zn–Pb-rich semi-massive sulphide lens, which overlies a funnel-shaped Cu-rich stringer zone. The deposit is located 5–20 m stratigraphically below the contact of the Cistern Formation with the overlying Rushall Slate. A high-Mg basalt (the Comstock Member) is located near the base of the Rushall Slate. Regional alteration mapping indicates that feldspar-destructive alteration facies are restricted to the vicinity of the deposit, with intense chloritic alteration restricted to the stringer zone and a narrow cross-cutting zone that can be traced for 700 m to the east, in the footwall of the deposit. Feldspar-destructive zones are well developed in the Comstock Member, indicating that mineralization occurred after deposition of the Rushall Slate. The Mons Cupri stratiform semi-massive sulphide lens is hosted by a conglomerate, and textural evidence indicates that this lens formed by replacement. These observations, combined with Pb isotope data, suggest that the Mons Cupri deposit formed epigenetically, at least 30 Ma after deposition of its host rock.Editorial Handling: B. Gemmell  相似文献   

Copper mobility in the Eastern Creek Volcanics, Mount Isa, Australia: evidence from laser ablation ICP-MS of iron-titanium oxides     

Melissa J. Gregory 《Mineralium Deposita》2006,41(7):691-711

The Palaeoproterozoic Eastern Creek Volcanics are a series of copper-rich tholeiitic basalts which occur adjacent to the giant sediment-hosted Mount Isa copper deposit in Queensland, Australia. The volcanic rocks are often cited as the source of metals for the deposit. New laser ablation ICP-MS analyses of iron–titanium oxides from the basalts provide evidence for the local mobilisation of copper during regional greenschist facies metamorphism. This interpretation is based on the observation that copper-bearing magmatic titanomagnetite was destabilised during greenschist facies metamorphism, and the new magnetite which crystallised was copper poor. Petrological observations, regional geochemical signatures and geochemical modelling suggest that the mobilised copper was concentrated in syn-metamorphic epidote-rich alteration zones, creating a pre-concentration of copper before the main mineralisation event at Mount Isa. Geochemical modelling demonstrates this process is enhanced by the addition of CO₂ from adjacent carbonate-rich sediments during metamorphic devolatilisation. Regional geochemical data illustrate elevated copper concentrations in epidote-rich zones (high CaO), but where these zones are overprinted by potassic alteration (high K₂O), copper is depleted. A two-stage model is proposed whereby after metamorphic copper enrichment in epidote–titanite alteration zones, an oxidised potassium-rich fluid leached copper from the epidote-altered metabasalts and deposited it in the overlying sedimentary rocks to form the Mount Isa copper deposit. This ore-forming fluid is expressed regionally as potassium feldspar-rich veins and locally as biotite-rich alteration, which formed around major fluid conduits between the metabasalt metal source rocks and the overlying deposit host sequence. This model is consistent with the remobilisation of copper from mafic source rocks, as has been found at other world-class copper deposits.Electronic supplementary material Supplementary material is available in the online version of this article at and is accessible for authorized users.  相似文献   

Evaluation of streambed hydraulic conductivity heterogeneity in an urban watershed   总被引：3，自引：0，他引：3  

Robert J. Ryan  Michel C. Boufadel 《Stochastic Environmental Research and Risk Assessment (SERRA)》2007,21(4):309-316

It has long been understood that streambed hydraulic conductivity plays an important role in surface-subsurface solute exchange. Using a portable falling head permeameter in situ, we estimated the horizontal hydraulic conductivity, K, of the near-surface streambed sediments at a total of 85 locations encompassing two depth intervals: 7.5–10 and 10–12.5 cm. The measurements were conducted in an 80 m reach of Indian Creek, a small urban stream in Philadelphia, PA, USA. We found that the ln K data within each sediment layer were Gaussian, but the combined data set was not. The results indicated that while the mean hydraulic conductivity decreased with depth, horizontal heterogeneity (e.g. the variance) increased with depth. This strong contrast between layers suggests that they should be treated as separated entities in modeling studies. Variogram analyses across the stream suggested symmetry with respect to the thalweg in the upper layer and fractality in the lower layer. The variograms along the streams suggested that the K data are random.  相似文献   

Kalman filter estimation model in flood forecasting     

Tahir Husain 《Advances in water resources》1985,8(1):15-21

Elementary precipitation and runoff estimation problems associated with hydrologic data collection networks are formulated in conjunction with the Kalman Filter Estimation Model. Examples involve the estimation of runoff using data from a single precipitation station and also from a number of precipitation stations. The formulations demonstrate the role of state-space, measurement, and estimation equations of the Kalman Filter Model in flood forecasting. To facilitate the formulation, the unit hydrograph concept and antecedent precipitation index is adopted in the estimation model. The methodology is then applied to estimate various flood events in the Carnation Creek of British Columbia.  相似文献