Surface geology of Australia 1:1,000,000 scale, South Australia  

Authors / CoAuthors

Whitaker, A.J. | Glanville, D.H. | English, P.M. | Stewart, A.J. | Retter, A.J. | Connolly, D.P. | Stewart, G.A. | Fisher, C.L.

Abstract

Surface geology of Australia 1:1,000,000 scale, South Australia The 1:1 million-scale "Geology of South Australia" dataset has been compiled from the latest published 1:250 000-scale and some 1:100 000-scale geological maps, modified to incorporate results of recent research by PIRSA in the Olary Domain. Much of South Australia is covered by Cenozoic regolith, mainly sand plains, dunes, playas and colluvium, with lesser silcrete, calcrete and laterite. Six main Precambrian provinces have been recognised: the Gawler and Curnamona Cratons, Musgrave Block, Officer Basin, Adelaide Fold Belt (Geosyncline) and Coompana Block (concealed). The Gawler Craton outcrops in the centre and south. Neoarchaean igneous and sedimentary rocks of the Mulgathing and Sleaford Complexes form the basement of the Craton and were metamorphosed to granulite facies during the period 2.7 to 2.4 Ga. Clastic and chemical sediments of the Hutchison Group were deposited along the eastern margin of the Craton during the Palaeoproterozoic, and were subsequently deformed during the Kimban Orogeny (1850 to 1700 Ma). Little deformed Mesoproterozoic sediments and the Gawler Range Volcanics were deposited unconformably over the older rocks, mainly in the east of the Craton. Coeval granites of the Hiltaba Suite are distributed throughout the Craton. Three domains of the Curnamona Craton - the Olary Domain, and Mt Babbage and Mt Painter Inliers - outcrop in the central east. They consist of Palaeoproterozoic schist and gneiss, metamorphosed and disrupted during the Olarian Orogeny (1700-1580Ma), and intruded by Palaeo- to Mesoproterozoic granite. The inliers were further disrupted by the Delamerian Orogeny (~500Ma) and are surrounded by Neoproterozoic to Cenozoic sediments. The Musgrave Block in the northwest of the State comprises quartzofeldspathic orthogneiss and granite, and minor pelitic, siliceous and calcareous metasediments. Widespread metamorphism at about 1600 Ma was followed by extensive granite intrusion at about 1500 Ma. Emplacement of the mafic-ultramafic Giles Complex at about 1080 Ma occurred towards the end of metamorphism and granite emplacement of the Musgravian Orogeny (1225-1075 Ma). During the Petermann Orogeny (~540 Ma), granulite of the southern Musgrave Block overthrust amphibolite facies gneiss north of the Woodroffe Thrust. Tectonic disruption on regional scale shear zones continued to the end of the Alice Springs Orogeny (400-350 Ma). During Neoproterozoic to Cambrian times, sedimentation occurred in shelf and trough settings in the Officer Basin (south of the Musgrave Block), and in the Adelaide Fold Belt. At times these basins were linked, yielding similar sedimentary sequences. The Adelaide Fold Belt was folded and disrupted during the Delamerian Orogeny (~500 Ma) and locally intruded by granite. Many of the intrusions are concealed by Murray Basin sediments, but coeval granites are exposed in the Padthaway Ridge inboard of the southeast coast. Small Precambrian inliers are exposed elsewhere in the state. They include: the Ammaroodinna and Yoolperlunna Inliers southeast of the Musgrave Block; Peake, Denison and Mount Woods inliers north of the Gawler Craton; and Houghton, Warren, Aldgate, Oakbank, and Myponga Inliers within the Adelaide Fold Belt. Carboniferous to Permian glaciation affected much of the state, and was followed by deposition of mixed marine and terrestrial sediments in the Mesozoic Eromanga Basin and Cenozoic Eyre, Murray, and Eucla Basins.

Product Type

dataset

eCat Id

65199

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Keywords

• GIS DatasetRegional

( Theme )

• geology

( Theme )

• regolith

( Theme )

• mapping

• AU-SA

Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC)

• Earth Sciences

• Published_Internal

Publication Date

2008-01-01T00:00:00

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Australian Government Security ClassificationSystem    

Classification - unclassified

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence    

Access - restricted

Use - license

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Purpose

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unknown

Topic Category

geoscientificInformation

Series Information

Lineage

The SA portion of the surface geology map of Australia 1:1,000,000 scale was compiled largely from PIRSA's digital 1:250,000 scale mapping, and complemented in selected areas with information from more detailed 1:100,000 scale mapping and current research by PIRSA staff.

Parent Information

Extents

[-39.0, -26.0, 129.0, 141.0]

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