Long-period magnetotelluric (MT) data allow geoscientists to investigate the link between mineralisation and lithospheric-scale features and processes. In particular, the highly conductive structures imaged by MT data appear to map the pathways of large-scale palaeo-fluid migration, the identification of which is an important element of several mineral system models. Given the importance of these data, governments and academia have united under the Australian Lithospheric Architecture Magnetotelluric Project (AusLAMP) to collect long-period MT data across the continent on a ~55 km-spaced grid. Here, we use AusLAMP data to demonstrate the MT method as a regional-scale tool to identify and select prospective areas for mineral exploration undercover. We focus on the region between Tennant Creek in the Northern Territory and east of Mount Isa in Queensland. Our results image major conductive structures up to 150 km deep in the lithosphere, such as the Carpentaria Conductivity Anomaly east of Mount Isa. This anomaly is a significant lithospheric-scale conductivity structure that shows spatial correlations with a major suture zone and known iron oxide–copper–gold deposits. Our results also identify similar features in several under-explored areas that are now considered to be prospective for mineral discovery. These observations provide a powerful means of selecting frontier regions for mineral exploration undercover.. <b>Citation:</b> Duan, J., Kyi, D., Jiang, W. and Costelloe, M., 2020. AusLAMP: imaging the Australian lithosphere for resource potential, an example from northern 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.

AusLAMP is a collaborative national project to cover Australia with long-period magnetotelluric (MT) data in an approximately 55 km spaced array. Signatures from past tectonothermal events can be retained in the lithosphere for hundreds of millions of years when these events deposit conductive mineralogy that is imaged by MT as electrically conductive pathways. MT also images regions of different bulk conductivity and can help to understand the continuation of crustal domains down into the mantle, and address questions on the tectonic evolution of Australia. The AusLAMP data presented here were collected as part of three separate collaborative projects involving several organisations. Geoscience Australia (GA), the Geological Survey of South Australia, the Geological Survey of New South Wales, the Geological Survey of Victoria, and the University of Adelaide all contributed staff and/or funding to collection of AusLAMP data; GA and AuScope contributed instrumentation. The data cover the Paleo-Mesoproterozoic Curnamona Province, the Neoproterozoic Flinders Ranges, and the Cambrian Delamerian Orogen, encompassing eastern South Australia and western New South Wales and western Victoria. This project represents the first electrical resistivity model to image the entire Curnamona Province and most of the onshore extent of the Delamerian Orogen, crossing the geographical state borders between South Australia, New South Wales and Victoria.

The NSW component of the Australian Lithospheric Architecture Magnetotelluric Project (AusLAMP), is a collaboration between Geoscience Australia and the Geological Survey of New South Wales which commenced in 2016. Long-period MT data have been recorded at a 55-km spacing in a rolling deployment which to date has completed 224 of a planned 320 sites in NSW. This article summarises the progress of the AusLAMP NSW program and highlights how it is contributing to our understanding of the tectonic architecture in NSW.

This OGC compliant service provides access to magnetotelluric data and associated products, which have been produced by Geoscience Australia’s Magnetotelluric Program. This program includes regional magnetotelluric projects and the Australian Lithospheric Architecture Magnetotelluric Project (AusLAMP), a collaborative project between Geoscience Australia, the State and Northern Territory geological surveys, universities, and other research organisations. The data provided in this service comprise resistivity model depth sections and the locations of sites used in these studies.

This OGC compliant service provides access to magnetotelluric data and associated products, which have been produced by Geoscience Australia’s Magnetotelluric Program. This program includes regional magnetotelluric projects and the Australian Lithospheric Architecture Magnetotelluric Project (AusLAMP), a collaborative project between Geoscience Australia, the State and Northern Territory geological surveys, universities, and other research organisations. The data provided in this service comprise resistivity model depth sections and the locations of sites used in these studies.

This OGC compliant service provides access to magnetotelluric data and associated products, which have been produced by Geoscience Australia’s Magnetotelluric Program. This program includes regional magnetotelluric projects and the Australian Lithospheric Architecture Magnetotelluric Project (AusLAMP), a collaborative project between Geoscience Australia, the State and Northern Territory geological surveys, universities, and other research organisations. The data provided in this service comprise resistivity model depth sections and the locations of sites used in these studies.

Magnetotelluric (MT) data allow geoscientists to investigate the link between mineralisation and lithospheric-scale features and processes. In particular, the highly conductive structures imaged by MT data appear to map the pathways of large-scale palaeo-fluid migration, which is an important element of several mineral systems. New data were collected as part of the Australian Lithospheric Architecture Magnetotelluric Project (AusLAMP) under Geoscience Australia Exploring for the Future (EFTF) program in northern Australian. We use this dataset to demonstrate that the MT method is a valuable tool for mapping lithospheric-scale features and for selecting prospective areas for mineral exploration. Our results image a number of major conductive structures at depths up to ~200 km or deeper in the survey region, for example, the Carpentaria Conductivity Anomaly in east of Mount Isa; and the Tanami Conductive Anomaly along the Willowra Suture Zone. These significant anomalies are lithospheric- scale highly conductive structures, and show spatial correlations with major suture zones and known mineral deposits. These results provide important first-order information for lithospheric architecture and possible large footprint of mineral systems. Large-scale crustal/mantle conductivity anomalies mapping fluid pathways associated with major sutures/faults may have implications for mineral potential. These results provide evidence that some mineralisation occurs at the gradient of or over highly conductive structures at lower crustal and lithospheric mantle depths. These observations provide a powerful means of highlighting greenfields for mineral exploration in under-explored and covered regions.

This animation shows how Magnetotelluric (MT) Surveys Work. It is part of a series of Field Activity Technique Engagement Animations. The target audience are the communities that are impacted by our data acquisition activities. There is no sound or voice over. The 2D animation includes a simplified view of what magnetotelluric (MT) stations and equipment looks like what the equipment measures and how the survey works.

The Australian Lithospheric Architecture Magnetotelluric Project (AusLAMP) aims to collect long period magnetotelluric data on a half degree (~55 km) grid across the Australian continent. New datasets have been collected in Northern Australia, as part of Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future (EFTF) program with in-kind contributions from the Northern Territory Geological Survey and the Geological Survey of Queensland. This web service depicts the location of the 155 sites which were used in this study.

The Australian Lithospheric Architecture Magnetotelluric Project (AusLAMP) aims to collect long period magnetotelluric data on a half degree (~55 km) grid across the Australian continent. New datasets have been collected in Northern Australia, as part of Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future (EFTF) program with in-kind contributions from the Northern Territory Geological Survey and the Geological Survey of Queensland. This web service depicts the location of the 155 sites which were used in this study.