The fundamental geological framework of the concealed Paleoproterozoic East Tennant area of northern Australia is very poorly understood, despite its relatively thin veneer of Phanerozoic cover and its position along strike from significant Au–Cu–Bi mineralisation of the Tennant Creek mining district within the outcropping Warramunga Province. We present 18 new U–Pb dates, obtained via Sensitive High Resolution Ion Micro Probe (SHRIMP), constraining the geological evolution of predominantly Paleoproterozoic metasedimentary and igneous rocks intersected by 10 stratigraphic holes drilled in the East Tennant area. The oldest rocks identified in the East Tennant area are two metasedimentary units with maximum depositional ages of ca. 1970 Ma and ca. 1895 Ma respectively, plus ca. 1870 Ma metagranitic gneiss. These units, which are unknown in the nearby Murphy Province and outcropping Warramunga Province, underlie widespread metasedimentary rocks of the Alroy Formation, which yield maximum depositional ages of 1873–1864 Ma. While parts of this unit appear to be correlative with the ca. 1860 Ma Warramunga Formation of the Warramunga Province, our data suggest that the bulk of the Alroy Formation in the East Tennant area is slightly older, reflecting widespread sedimentation at ca. 1870 Ma. Throughout the East Tennant area, the Alroy Formation was intruded by voluminous 1854–1845 Ma granites, contemporaneous with similar felsic magmatism in the outcropping Warramunga Province (Tennant Creek Supersuite) and Murphy Province (Nicholson Granite Complex). In contrast with the outcropping Warramunga Province, supracrustal rocks equivalent to the 1845–1810 Ma Ooradidgee Group are rare in the East Tennant area. Detrital zircon data from younger sedimentary successions corroborate seismic evidence that at least some of the thick sedimentary sequences intersected along the southern margin of the recently defined Brunette Downs rift corridor are possible age equivalents of the ca. 1670–1600 Ma Isa Superbasin. Our new results strengthen ca. 1870–1860 Ma stratigraphic and ca. 1850 Ma tectono-magmatic affinities between the East Tennant area, the Murphy Province, and the mineralised Warramunga Province around Tennant Creek, with important implications for mineral prospectivity of the East Tennant area. Appeared in Precambrian Research Volume 383, December 2022.

The footprint of a mineral system is potentially detectable at a variety of scales, from ore deposits to the Earth’s crust and lithosphere. To map these systems, Geoscience Australia has undertaken a series of integrated studies to identify key regions of mineral potential using new data from the Exploring for the Future program, together with legacy datasets. The conductivity anomaly mapped from long-period magnetotellurics (AusLAMP) data with a half-degree resolution has highlighted a structural corridor to the east of Tennant Creek, representing a potential source region for iron oxide copper–gold mineral systems. To refine the geometry of this anomaly, we used a higher-resolution magnetotellurics survey to investigate if the deep conductivity anomaly is linked to the near surface by crustal-scale fluid pathways. The 3D conductivity model revealed two prominent conductors in the resistive host, whose combined responses result in the lithospheric-scale conductivity anomaly mapped in the AusLAMP model. The resistivity contrasts coincide with major structures preliminarily interpreted from seismic reflection and potential field data. Most importantly, the conductive structures extend from the lower crust to the near surface. This observation strongly suggests that the major faults in this region are deep-penetrating structures that potentially acted as pathways for transporting metalliferous fluids to the upper crust where they could form mineral deposits. This result indicates high mineral prospectivity for iron oxide copper–gold deposits in the vicinity of these major faults. This study demonstrates that integration of geophysical data from multiscale surveys is an effective approach to scale reduction during mineral exploration in covered terranes with limited geological knowledge. <b>Citation:</b> Jiang, W., Duan, J., Schofield, A. and Clark, A., 2020. Mapping crustal structures through scale reduction magnetotelluric survey in the East Tennant region, 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.

Exploring for the Future (EFTF) is a four-year (2016-20) geoscience data and information acquisition program that aims to better understand on a regional scale the potential mineral, energy and groundwater resources concealed under cover in northern Australia and parts of South Australia. Hydrogeochemical surveys utilise groundwater as a passive sampling medium to reveal the chemistry of the underlying geology including hidden mineralisation. These surveys also potentially provide input into regional baseline groundwater datasets that can inform environmental monitoring and decision making. Geoscience Australia, as part of the Australian Government’s EFTF program, undertook an extensive groundwater sampling survey in collaboration with the Northern Territory Geological Survey and the Geological Survey of Queensland. During the 2017, 2018 and 2019 dry season, 224 groundwater samples (including field duplicate samples) were collected from 203 pastoral and water supply bores in the Tennant Creek-Mt Isa EFTF focus area of the Northern Territory and Queensland. An additional 38 groundwater samples collected during the 2013 dry season in the Lake Woods region from 35 bores are included in this release as they originate from within the focus area. The area was targeted to evaluate its mineral potential with respect to iron oxide copper-gold, sediment-hosted lead-zinc-silver and Cu-Co, and/or lithium-boron-potash mineral systems, among others. The 2017-2019 surveys were conducted across 21 weeks of fieldwork and sampled groundwater for a comprehensive suite of hydrogeochemical parameters, including isotopes, analysed over subsequent months. The present data release includes information and atlas maps of: 1) sampling sites; 2) physicochemical parameters (EC, pH, Eh, DO and T) of groundwater measured in the field; 3) field measurements of total alkalinity (HCO3-), dissolved sulfide (S2-), and ferrous iron (Fe2+); 4) major cation and anion results; 5) trace element concentrations; 6) isotopic results of water (δ18O and δ2H), DIC (δ13C), dissolved sulfate (δ34S and δ18O), dissolved strontium (87Sr/86Sr), and dissolved lead (204Pb, 206Pb, 207Pb, and 208Pb) isotopes; 7) dissolved hydrocarbon VFAs, BTEX, and methane concentrations, as well as methane isotopes (δ13C and δ2H); and 8) atlas of hydrogeochemical maps representing the spatial distribution of these parameters. Pending analyses include: CFCs and SF6; tritium; Cu isotopes; and noble gas concentrations (Ar, Kr, Xe, Ne, and 4He) and 3He/4He ratio. This data release (current as of July 2021) is the second in a series of staged releases and interpretations from the Northern Australia Hydrogeochemical Survey. It augments and revises the first data release, which it therefore supersedes. Relevant data, information and images are available through the GA website (https://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/133388) and GA’s EFTF portal (https://portal.ga.gov.au/).

As part of Geoscience Australia's Exploring for the Future program, the East Tennant region, which is centred on the Barkly Roadhouse in the Northern Territory, was identified as having favourable geological and geophysical indicators of mineral systems potential. Potentially prospective stratigraphy in the East Tennant region is completely concealed beneath Mesoproterozoic to Quaternary cover sequences. Prior to 2020 basement rocks in the East Tennant region were only known from a handful of legacy boreholes, supported by geophysical interpretation. In order to test geophysical interpretations and obtain additional samples of basement rocks for detailed analysis, a stratigraphic drilling campaign was undertaken in the East Tennant region as part of the MinEx CRC’s National Drilling Initiative. Ten stratigraphic boreholes were drilled through the cover sequences and into basement for a total of nearly 4000 m, including over 1500 m of diamond cored basement rocks to be used for scientific purposes. Inorganic geochemical samples from East Tennant National Drilling Initiative boreholes were taken to characterise cover and basement rocks intersected during drilling. Two sampling approaches were implemented based on the rocks intersected: 1) Borehole NDIBK04 contained localised sulphide mineralisation and elevated concentrations of several economically-significant elements in portable X-ray fluorescence data. In order to understand the geochemical variability and distribution of elements important for mineral system characterisation, the entire basement interval was sampled at nominal one metre intervals. This spacing was reduced to between 0.5 and 0.25 m from 237 m to 263 m to better understand a more intense zone of mineralisation, and 2) Samples from boreholes NDIBK01, NDIBK02, NDIBK03, NDIBK05, NDIBK06, NDIBK07, NDIBK08, NDIBK09 and NDIBK10 were selected to capture lithological and geochemical variability to establish bulk rock geochemical compositions for further interpretation. Attempts were made to sample representative, lithologically consistent intervals. A total of 402 samples were selected for analysis. Sample preparation was completed at Geoscience Australia and Bureau Veritas, with all analyses performed by Bureau Veritas in Perth. All samples were submitted for X-ray fluorescence (XRF), laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS), FeO determination, and loss on ignition (LOI). Samples from borehole NDIBK04 also underwent total combustion C and S, and Pb collection fire assay by ICP-MS for determination of Au, Pt and Pd concentrations. This data release presents inorganic geochemistry data acquired on rock samples from the ten East Tennant National Drilling Initiative boreholes.

SHRIMP U-Pb zircon and monazite geochronology of magmatic, metamorphic and sedimentary rocks sampled from an undercover region informally referred to as ‘East Tennant’, located approximately 200 km east of Tennant Creek, has redefined our knowledge of the geology of this region. These results establish strong temporal links with rocks in the Au-Cu-Bi mineralised Tennant Creek region (Warramunga Province) and the Paleoproterozoic Murphy Province, approximately 270 km to the northeast. Detrital zircon U-Pb analyses of two metasedimentary samples show maximum depositional ages of ca. 1875 Ma and detrital zircon age spectra similar to Warramunga Formation metasedimentary rocks in the Warramunga Province. Additionally, three extrusive rocks and an intermediate intrusive rock have magmatic crystallisation ages of 1858–1849 Ma, synchronous with magmatism in the Warramunga Province associated with the 1860–1845 Ma Tennant Event. Monazite U-Pb analyses of two samples of metapelites from the East Tennant region and Murphy Province record metamorphism at ca. 1845 Ma, which is also synchronous with magmatism associated with the Tennant Event. These new results suggest that the undercover East Tennant region could represent an extension of the Warramunga Province and therefore be prospective for Au-Cu-Bi mineralisation. <b>Citation:</b> Cross, A.J., Clark, A.D., Schofield, A. and Kositcin, N., 2020. New SHRIMP U-Pb zircon and monazite geochronology of the East Tennant region: a possible undercover extension of the Warramunga Province, Tennant Creek. 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.

<p>The footprint of a mineral system is potentially detectable at a variety of scales, from the ore deposit to the Earth’s crust and lithosphere. In order to map these systems, Geoscience Australia has undertaken a series of integrated studies to identify key regions of mineral potential using new data from the Exploring for the Future program together with legacy datasets. <p>The recently acquired long-period magnetotellurics (MT) data under the national-scale AusLAMP project mapped a lithospheric scale electrical conductivity anomaly to the east of Tennant Creek. This deep anomaly may represent a potential source region for mineral systems in the crust. In order to refine the geometry of this anomaly, high-resolution broadband and audio MT data were acquired at 131 stations in the East Tennant region and were released in Dec 2019 (http://dx.doi.org/10.26186/5df80d8615367). We have used these high-resolution MT data to produce a new 3D conductivity model to investigate crustal architecture and to link to mineral potential. The model revealed two prominent conductors in the resistive host, whose combined responses link to the deeper lithospheric-scale conductivity anomaly mapped in the broader AusLAMP model. The resistivity contrasts coincide with the major faults that have been interpreted from seismic reflection and potential field data. Most importantly, the conductive structures extend from the lower crust to near-surface, strongly suggesting that the major faults are deep penetrating structures that potentially act as pathways for transporting metalliferous fluids to the upper crust where they can form mineral deposits. Given the geological setting, these results suggest that the mineral prospectivity for iron oxide copper-gold deposits is enhanced in the vicinity of the major faults in the region. <p>This release package includes the 3D conductivity model produced using ModEM code in sGrid format and Geo-referenced depth slices in .tif format.

New multidisciplinary data collected as part of the Exploring for the Future (EFTF) Program has changed our understanding of the basement geology of the East Tennant region in the Northern Territory, and its potential to host mineralisation. To ensure this understanding is accurately reflected in geological maps, we undertake a multidisciplinary interpretation of the basement geology in East Tennant. For the purposes of this product, basement comprises polydeformed and variably metamorphosed rocks of the pre-1800 Ma Warramunga Province, which are exposed in outcrop around Tennant Creek, to the west. In the East Tennant region, these rocks are entirely covered by younger flat-lying strata of the Georgina Basin, and locally covered by the Kalkarindji Suite, and South Nicholson Basin (Ahmad 2000). The data from this solid geology map are designed to be included in mineral potential models and future updates to Geoscience Australia’s chronostratigraphic solid geology maps. This interpretation comprises a Geographic Information System (GIS) dataset containing basement geology polygons, faults and contacts. Geological units are consistent with the Australian Stratigraphic Units Database and faults utilise existing conventions followed by Geoscience Australia’s chronostratigraphic solid geology products (Stewart et al. 2020). To aid in understanding the data, we have added a three-stage fault hierarchy. Basement geology was interpreted at 1:100000 scale (but is intended for display at 1:250000 scale) using geophysical imagery, namely total magnetic intensity and vertical derivatives of these data, and gravity. The interpretation makes use of numerous new datasets collected as part of the EFTF program. These include a new 2-km spaced gravity grid over most of East Tennant, drill-core lithology from new boreholes drilled as part of the MinEx CRC National Drilling Initiative, airborne electromagnetic data collected under the AusAEM program, new active seismic data, and geochronology from legacy boreholes. These data are available to view and download from the Geoscience Australia portal (https://portal.ga.gov.au). We interpret that basement in the East Tennant region does represent the eastern continuation of the Warramunga Province. There is no obvious geophysical or geological boundary between Tennant Creek and East Tennant. However, the East Tennant region mostly lacks stratigraphy equivalent to the Ooradidgee Group, which overlies and postdates mineralisation in turbiditic rocks of the Warramunga Formation at Tennant Creek. Instead, East Tennant is underlain by a widespread succession of clastic metapelitic rocks that bear many lithological and geochronological similarities to the Warramunga Formation (Cross et al. 2020). Other important outcomes of this work include the documentation of significant regional faults and shear zones and abundant intrusive rocks at East Tennant. Geophysical and geochronological data suggest that this deformation and magmatism is the eastern continuation of ~1850 Ma tectonism preserved at Tennant Creek (e.g. Cross et al. 2020). NOTE: Specialised (GIS) software is required to view this data. References: Ahmad M, 2000. Geological map of the Northern Territory. 1:2 500 000 scale. Northern Territory Geological Survey, Darwin. Cross AJ, Clark AD, Schofield A and Kositcin N, 2020. New SHRIMP U-Pb zircon and monazite geochronology of the East Tennant region: a possible undercover extension of the Warramunga Province, Tennant Creek. 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. Stewart AJ, Liu SF, Bonnardot M-A, Highet LM, Woods M, Brown C, Czarnota K and Connors K, 2020. Seamless chronostratigraphic solid geology of the North Australian Craton. 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.

As part of Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future Program, Broadband and Audio Magnetotelluric (MT) data were acquired at 131 stations in the East Tennant region, Northern Territory, in 2019. This survey aimed to characterise major crustal structures, to map cover thickness to assist in stratigraphic drill targeting, and to help understand mineral potential in the region. The data package was released in December 2019 (http://dx.doi.org/10.26186/5df80d8615367) and the 3D resistivity model was released in March 2020 (https://pid.geoscience.gov.au/dataset/ga/135011). We applied a probabilistic approach to inverting high-frequency MT data for cover thickness estimation using the 1D Rj-McMCMT code, newly developed in Geoscience Australia. The inversion employs multiple Markov chains in parallel to generate an ensemble of millions of resistivity models that adequately fit the data given the assigned noise levels. The algorithm uses trans-dimensional Markov chain Monte Carlo techniques to solve for a probabilistic resistivity-depth model. Once the ensemble of models is generated, its statistics are analysed to assess the posterior probability distribution of the resistivity at any particular depth, as well as the number of layers and the depths of the interfaces. This stochastic approach gives a thorough exploration of the model space and a more robust estimation of uncertainty than deterministic methods allow. This release package includes the results of probabilistic inversion of Audio Magnetotelluric data at the 131 stations. They can be used to estimate cover thickness for drill site planning, and to map the base of geological basins in the region. Model data files are large, but can be made available on request to clientservices@ga.gov.au.

<p>The East Tennant Gravity Survey P201901 is a gravity survey funded under Geoscience Australia’s (GA) Exploring for the Future program. Atlas Geophysics was commissioned by GA to support the Tennant Creek-Mt Isa drilling program to be undertaken at a later date. <p>The survey infills existing 4km gravity coverage to 2km coverage. The data package consist of 2,552 gravity stations as a point located dataset and grids of the newly acquired gravity data. <p>This survey is the first of two surveys. The second survey is the South West McArthur, Barkly Gravity Survey (eCat number 132968). Together the two surveys can be called the Tennant Creek Mount Isa (TISA) Gravity Surveys, P201901.