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Fluid inclusion analyses of bedded halite from the Neoproterozoic Browne Formation of central Australia to determine parent water origin and pH Jeremiah Bernau The depositional origin of the Neoproterozoic Browne Formation of Australia is unclear. The Browne Formation consists of red-siliciclastic mudstone and siltstone (red beds), bedded and displacive halite and gypsum, and dolomitized stromatolites. Environmental interpretations of the Browne Formation range from a marginal marine lagoon to a playa lake deposit (Grey and Blake, 1999; Hill et al., 2000; Haines et al., 2004; Spear, 2013). Primary fluid inclusions in Browne Formation bedded halite are the oldest known surface water remnants (Spear et al., 2014). Prior major-ion ratio analysis of these inclusions indicates that the Browne Formation formed from waters with unusually low sulfate concentrations. These waters differed significantly from modern seawater (Spear et al., 2014). This study tested the non-marine interpretation of the Browne Formation via geochemical analyses. A non-marine interpretation is supported by the sedimentological characteristics it shares with geochemically distinct evaporites and red beds from acid-saline-continental settings (pH < 1; Benison and Goldstein, 2002). This thesis is the first examination of primary fluid inclusions from bedded halite from the Neoproterozoic Browne Formation through detailed fluid inclusion petrography, freezing-melting microthermometry, and laser Raman spectroscopy. This thesis found that the Browne Formation inclusions are geochemically distinct. Freezing-melting attempts to determine major-ion composition and salinity were unsuccessful, this rare outcome indicates high inclusion salinity, and possible low pH. Efforts to determine pH through laser Raman spectroscopy were unsuccessful and do not indicate low pH (<1). Furthermore, no spectra of solutes or solids indicative of pH were detected. However, Raman analysis did detect anhydrite, disordered graphite, iron oxides, and several unidentified solids. Inclusion solids include exceptionally well-preserved suspect microbial life, including prokaryotes, spherules similar to Dunaleilla algae, and possible algal mats. This study found no conclusive data of marine or non-marine Browne Formation parent waters. There is no diagnostic evidence of acid parent waters in the Browne Formation. Due to its unique freezing-melting and laser Raman characteristics, the Browne Formation may be a geologically unique evaporite deposit. iii Acknowledgements This research would not have been possible without the guidance, support, advice, edits, and most importantly, the inspiration of my advisor, Dr. Kathleen Benison. Kathy introduced me to the world of fluid inclusions as a doorway to seeing into the past. For that, I now have this thesis, and so much more, to share. My lab group has been there every step of the way, from starting this project, to problemshooting the laser Raman spectrometer, to lending an eye to my edits. Thank you, Sofia, for bringing joy and community to our group and our department. You have enriched my time at West Virginia University. Lynnette, you have helped ground my research and commiserated with me over the pain of looking at very small things. Thank you for your humor and advice. I would like to thank my committee members, Dr. Vesper and Dr. Toro, for humbling me while still inspiring me to find new approaches to find solutions. The Geological Survey of Western Australia provided samples for this thesis. Thank you, Heidi Allen, Kath Gray, Peter Haines, and Roger Hocking for aiding in their collection and documentation. All science is based upon constructive criticism, and I thank Dr. Tim Lowenstein for sharing his insights with me on this project. The Shared Research Facilities at West Virginia University enabled much of this research through to access to their Laser Raman Spectrometer for analyses. Thank you Weiqiang Ding for teaching me how to use this device and helping to fix it when things went awry. Funding from the American Association of Petroleum Geologists Grants-in-Aid Program, the Milton Tidd and Doris E. Heald Award, the Carl del Signore Foundation Graduate Scholarship, and the Bob and Beverly Shumaker Fund made this project possible and greatly enriched it. Finally, I would like to thank my family for setting me on the path of strong academics. I thank my parents for the Magic School Bus books I received so long ago in second grade, and my aunt Louise for supporting an inquisitive mind. Finally, I would like to thank my siblings for their unwavering support and their congenial competition that helped bring me to where I am today.

Fluid inclusion analyses of Bedded Halite from the Neoproterozoic Browne Formation of Central Australia to Determine Parent Water Origin and pH