Open AccessPalaeomagnetic evidence for unification of the North and West Australian cratons by ca.1.7 Ga: new results from the Kimberley Basin of northwestern Australia
Author(s) -
Li Z. X.
Publication year - 2000
Publication title -
geophysical journal international
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.302
H-Index - 168
eISSN - 1365-246X
pISSN - 0956-540X
DOI - 10.1046/j.1365-246x.2000.00143.x
Subject(s) - zircon , geology , craton , paleomagnetism , remanence , paleontology , apparent polar wander , diagenesis , geochemistry , structural basin , tectonics , magnetization , physics , quantum mechanics , magnetic field
A palaeomagnetic study of the Elgee Formation red siltstones and shales in the Palaeoproterozoic Kimberley Basin of northwestern Australia has been carried out. All seven sampling sites revealed an extremely stable magnetic remanence carried by haematite. The age of the formation is confined by precise SHRIMP U–Pb ages of early diagenetic xenotime from rocks both above and below it to be 1704 + 7/−14 Ma, but this may represent a minimum age. The youngest detrital zircon grains in the underlying formation provide a maximum age of 1786 ± 14 Ma for the formation. The extreme stability of the remanence, the dissimilarity of the remanent direction from expected younger palaeomagnetic directions, and the lack of regional overprint in the 1790 ± 4 Ma Hart Dolerite just north of the study region support a primary origin for the remanence. A marginally positive fold test also supports a primary origin. The mean direction of D = 92.2°, I = 14.9°, α 95 = 6.4° gives a palaeopole at 4.4°S, 210.0°E with dp = 3.3°, dm = 6.5°. This pole, a previously reported palaeopole from the Hart Dolerite and ca. 1700 Ma overprint poles from the Pilbara Craton all agree with palaeopoles of similar ages from the McArthur Basin of northern Australia. Palaeomagnetic results thus suggest that the North and West Australian cratons were possibly joined together by approximately 1.7 Ga.