Developing a Tectonic Framework for the Gawler Craton: Paving the Way for Successful Mineral Exploration

A 5 year ARC Linkage funded collaborative project - LP0454301

Project Investigators

Project Collaborators

Dr. Anthony Reid (PIRSA)

Dr. Peter Betts (Monash University)

Dr. Bruce Schaefer (Monash University)

Project Details

The aim of this project is to develop a coherent integrated tectonic framework for the evolution of the late Archaean to Mesoproterozoic Gawler Craton in Southern Australia.

The project commenced in 2002 and is expected to finish in 2007.

Project Summary

The late Archaean to Mesoproterozoic Gawler Craton is the major Precambrian province in southern Australia. However, despite containing one of the largest orebodies on Earth, exploration expenditure in the craton has been comparatively low, and hampered by insufficient knowledge of the craton's tectonic systems. This project uses an integrated package of geochemical, isotopic and geophysical tools to develop a comprehensive model for the tectonic evolution of the Gawler Craton. The project will constrain the development of the Gawler Craton in the context of Precambrian Australian evolution, and offer insights into universal processes of lithosphere formation, growth and stabilisation. This project is subdivided into a number of subprojects listed below.

Project Background

The development of effective mineral exploration strategies in complex basement terrains is increasingly reliant on highly integrated data-rich tectonic models that describe the full terrain history. Such tectonic models allow a systems-based approach to mineral exploration, where the potential for certain styles of mineralisation can be ranked against terrain evolution variables such as denudation depth and magmatic styles which directly affect the likelihood of deposit generation and preservation.

This project forms a major part of the PIRSA Gawler Craton Team's five year strategic plan to develop effective exploration strategies for the Gawler Craton. In turn, the Gawler Craton Strategic Plan is a strong component in the vision of Minerals and Energy to generate $100 million dollars per annum in mineral exploration investment in South Australia by 2007.

Gawler Craton sub-projects

Publications

Direen, N. G. & Lyons P. 2006. Crustal setting of iron oxide Cu-Au mineral systems of the Olympic Dam region, South Australia: insights from potential field data. Economic Geology.

Direen, N.G., Brock, D., Lyons, P. & Teasdale, J. 2005. Architecture of Proterozoic shear zones in the Christie Domain, western Gawler Craton, Australia: Geophysical appraisal of a poorly exposed orogenic terrane.Precambrian Research Vol 142 No 1-2 pp 28-44

Heinson, G. S., Direen, N. G., & Gill, R. M. 2006. Magnetotelluric evidence for a deep-crustal mineralising system beneath the giant Olympic Dam Iron-Oxide Copper Gold deposit, southern Australia. Geology vol. 34 no. 7, pp. 573-576.

Lyons, P., Goleby, B. R., Drummond, B. J., Schwarz, M., Korsch, R. J., Jones, L. E. A., Fairclough, M., Preiss, W., Heinson, G., Direen, N., and Skirrow, R. 2005 'The 2003 Gawler Craton Seismic survey, Workshop Notes'. Geoscience Australia Record.

Payne, J., Barovich, K. & Hand, M. 2006. Provenance of metasedimentary rocks in the northern Gawler Craton, Australia: Implications for Palaeoproterozoic reconstructions. Precambrian Research, vol. 148, no. 3-4, pp. 275-291

Swain, G., Woodhouse, A., Hand, M., Barovich, K., Schwarz, M., Fanning, M. 2005. Provenance and Tectonic Development of the Late Archaean Gawler Craton, Australia; U-Pb zircon, geochemical and Sm-Nd isotopic implications. Precambrian Research vol 141 no 3-4 pp 83 -166.

Swain, G., Hand, M., Teasdale, J,. Rutherford, L., Clark, C. 2005. Age Constraints on terrane-scale shear zones in the Gawler Craton, southern Australia. Precambrian Research vol. 139 no 3-4 pp 164-180.

Thiel, S., Heinson, G.S., White, A. 2005. Tectonic evolution of the Southern Gawler Craton, South Australia, from electromagnetic sounding, Australian Journal of Earth Sciences, Vol 52, No 6, pp 887-896.