Authors / CoAuthors
Ball, P.W. | Czarnota, K. | White, N. J. | Champion, D.C.
Abstract
There is a growing recognition that lithospheric structure places first-order controls on the distribution of resources within the upper crust. While this structure is increasingly imaged using geophysical techniques, there is a paucity of geological constraints on its morphology and temporal evolution. Cenozoic intraplate volcanic rocks along Australia’s eastern seaboard provide a significant opportunity to constrain mantle conditions at the time of their emplacement and thereby benchmark geophysical constraints. This volcanic activity is subdivided into two types: age-progressive provinces generated by the passage of mantle plumes beneath the plate; and age-independent provinces, which may arise from edge-driven convection at a lithospheric step. In this study, we collected and analysed 78 igneous rock samples from both types of volcanoes across Queensland. We combined these analyses with previous studies to create and augment a comprehensive database of Australian Cenozoic volcanism. Geochemical modelling techniques were used to estimate mantle temperatures and lithospheric thicknesses beneath each province. Our results show that melting occurred at depths of 45–70 km across eastern Australia. Mantle temperatures are inferred to be ~50–100 °C higher beneath age-progressive provinces than beneath age-independent provinces. These results agree with geophysical observations used to aid resource assessments and indicate that upper mantle temperatures have varied over Cenozoic times. <b>Citation:</b> Ball, P.W., Czarnota, K., White, N.J. and Champion, D.C. 2020. Exploiting Cenozoic volcanic activity to quantify upper mantle structure beneath eastern Australia. In: Czarnota, K., Roach, I., Abbott, S., Haynes, M., Kositcin, N., Ray, A. and Slatter, E. (eds.) Exploring for the Future: Extended Abstracts, Geoscience Australia, Canberra, 1–4.
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document
eCat Id
135117
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Cnr Jerrabomberra Ave and Hindmarsh Dr GPO Box 378
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Keywords
- theme.ANZRC Fields of Research.rdf
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- EARTH SCIENCES
- ( Project )
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- Exploring for the Future
- ( Theme )
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- Geochemistry
- ( Theme )
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- Rare Earth Elements
- ( Theme )
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- Cenozoic volcanism
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- EftF
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- Mantle
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- inversion
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- melt
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- lithosphere
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- Published_External
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2020-06-30T05:06:38
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completed
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EFTF Extended Abstract
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asNeeded
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geoscientificInformation
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Datasets used in this study are based on geochemistry data in the Geoscience Australia OzChem database, state and territory geological surveys and published academic literature. New geochemical data acquired as part of the Exploring for the Future program is available through the OzChem database. Geophyscail datasets used in this study are from Hoggard et al. (2020). Hoggard, M.J., Czarnota, K., Richards, F.D. et al. Global distribution of sediment-hosted metals controlled by craton edge stability. Nat. Geosci. 13, 504–510 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41561-020-0593-2
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[-39.50, -15.50, 141.00, 155.00]
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