Large-scale crustal architecture as a first-order control on mineral systems  

Authors / CoAuthors

Mole, D. | Bodorkos, S. | Waltenberg, K. | Jones, S. | Fraser, G.

Abstract

<div>Lithospheric and crustal architecture — the framework of major tectonic blocks, terranes and their boundaries — represents a fundamental first-order control on major geological systems, including the location of world-class mineral camps. Traditionally, lithospheric and crustal architecture are constrained using predominantly geophysical methods. However, Champion and Cassidy (2007) pioneered the use of regional Sm–Nd isotopic data from felsic igneous rocks to produce isotopic contour maps of the Yilgarn Craton, demonstrating the effectiveness of ‘isotopic mapping’, and the potential to map ‘time-constrained’ crustal architecture. Mole et al. (2013) demonstrated the association between lithospheric architecture and mineral systems, highlighting the potential of isotopic mapping as a greenfield area selection tool. Additional work, using Lu-Hf isotopes (Mole et al., 2014), demonstrated that the technique could constrain a range of temporal events via ‘time-slice mapping’, explaining how Ni-Cu-PGE mineralized komatiite systems migrated with the evolving lithospheric boundary of the Yilgarn Craton from 2.9 to 2.7 Ga. Similar studies have since been conducted in West Africa (Parra-Avila et al., 2018), Tibet (Hou et al., 2015), and Canada (Bjorkman, 2017; Mole et al., 2021; 2022). This work continues in Geoscience Australia’s $225 million Exploring for the Future program (2016-present). Isotopic mapping, which forms an integral part of a combined geology-geophysics-geochemistry approach, is currently being applied across southeast Australia, covering the eastern Gawler Craton, Delamerian Orogen, and western Lachlan Orogen, encompassing more than 3 Gyrs of Earth history with demonstrable potential for large mineral systems.</div><div> <b>Reference(s):</b></div><div> Bjorkman, K.E., 2017. 4D crust-mantle evolution of the Western Superior Craton: Implications for Archean granite-greenstone petrogenesis and geodynamics. University of Western Australia, PhD Thesis, 134 pp.</div><div> Champion, D.C. and Cassidy, K.F., 2007. An overview of the Yilgarn Craton and its crustal evolution. In: F.P. Bierlein and C.M. Knox-Robinson (Editors), Proceedings of Geoconferences (WA) Inc. Kalgoorlie '07 Conference. Geoscience Australia Record 2007/14, Kalgoorlie, Western Australia, pp. 8-13.</div><div> Hou, Z., Duan, L., Lu, Y., Zheng, Y., Zhu, D., Yang, Z., Yang, Z., Wang, B., Pei, Y., Zhao, Z. and McCuaig, T.C., 2015. Lithospheric architecture of the Lhasa terrane and its control on ore deposits in the Himalayan-Tibetan orogen. Economic Geology, 110(6): 1541-1575.</div><div> Mole, D.R., Fiorentini, M.L., Cassidy, K.F., Kirkland, C.L., Thebaud, N., McCuaig, T.C., Doublier, M.P., Duuring, P., Romano, S.S., Maas, R., Belousova, E.A., Barnes, S.J. and Miller, J., 2013. Crustal evolution, intra-cratonic architecture and the metallogeny of an Archaean craton. Geological Society, London, Special Publications, 393: pp. 23-80.</div><div> Mole, D.R., Fiorentini, M.L., Thebaud, N., Cassidy, K.F., McCuaig, T.C., Kirkland, C.L., Romano, S.S., Doublier, M.P., Belousova, E.A., Barnes, S.J. and Miller, J., 2014. Archean komatiite volcanism controlled by the evolution of early continents. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 111(28): 10083-10088.</div><div> Mole, D.R., Thurston, P.C., Marsh, J.H., Stern, R.A., Ayer, J.A., Martin, L.A.J. and Lu, Y., 2021. The formation of Neoarchean continental crust in the south-east Superior Craton by two distinct geodynamic processes. Precambrian Research, 356: 106104.</div><div> Mole, D.R., Frieman, B.M., Thurston, P.C., Marsh, J.H., Jørgensen, T.R.C., Stern, R.A., Martin, L.A.J., Lu, Y.J. and Gibson, H.L., 2022. Crustal architecture of the south-east Superior Craton and controls on mineral systems. Ore Geology Reviews, 148: 105017.</div><div> Parra-Avila, L.A., Belousova, E., Fiorentini, M.L., Eglinger, A., Block, S. and Miller, J., 2018. Zircon Hf and O-isotope constraints on the evolution of the Paleoproterozoic Baoulé-Mossi domain of the southern West African Craton. Precambrian Research, 306: 174-188.</div><div> This Abstract was submitted/presented to the Target 2023 Conference 28 July (https://6ias.org/target2023/)

Product Type

document

eCat Id

147804

Contact for the resource

Keywords

( Project )

• EFTF – Exploring for the Future

( Project )

• Darling-Curnamona-Delamerian

( Project )

• Australia’s Resources Framework

( Project )

• Isotopic Atlas of Australia

• Lu-Hf isotopes

• Isotopic Atlas of Australia

• zircon

• Sm-Nd isotopes

• mineral systems

• Isotopic mapping

theme.ANZRC Fields of Research.rdf

• Isotope geochemistry

• Published_External

Publication Date

2023-09-15T00:24:14

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Australian Government Security Classification System    

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Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence    

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Abstract for the Target 2023 conference in Perth, July 28th 2023.

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notPlanned

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geoscientificInformation

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Target 2023 28 July 2023 Fremantle Perth WA

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<div>Abstract is for a talk that will summarise the use of isotopic data and mapping over the last 20-30 years across various areas including Australia and Canada.</div>

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Extents

[-54.75, -9.2402, 112.92, 159.11]

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Association Type - wasInformedBy

Crustal evolution of the south-east Superior Craton and insights into Archean geodynamics    

eCat Identifier - 147722,

UUID - c8972ed2-e30f-4ae4-9dfc-6932940f6005

Association Type - wasInformedBy

Construction of the Yilgarn Craton over 1.5 billion years    

eCat Identifier - 147724,

UUID - bbef5c62-2781-450a-9a6f-76708db6426e

Association Type - wasInformedBy

Isotopic Atlas of Australia, Lu Hf and O isotope data structure and delivery. Version 1.1    

eCat Identifier - 147720,

UUID - 43a17d3d-c467-49b2-8944-8af51a1208e3

Association Type - wasInformedBy

Crustal architecture of Precambrian Australias south-eastern margin - an isotopic perspective    

eCat Identifier - 147190,

UUID - 88144a06-52e4-4595-9c4a-ce547d1ddea9

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