Reconstruction of the early Proterozoic stratigraphy of the Gawler Craton,South Australia

Detailed structural mapping on NE Eyre Peninsula, South Australia, has led to a revised stratigraphy and model of sedimentation for Early Proterozoic metasediments of the Gawler Craton. Four stages of deformation have been recognised; three stages are associated with the Kimban Orogeny (c. 1820–1580 Ma) and a fourth stage is known as the Wartakan Event (c. 1500–1450 Ma). The recognition of major D₂ folds has shown the previously used stratigraphy to be incorrect and has necessitated its revision. At the base of the sequence, unconformably overlying a 2300 Ma or older basement, is the Warrow Quartzite. A transgressive cycle of schist, dolomite (Katunga Dolomite) and iron formation (Lower Middleback Jaspilite) overlies the quartzite, and this is overlain in turn by a regressive semipelitic unit containing local amphibolites (Cook Gap Schist), and another transgressive iron‐formation bearing cycle (Upper Middleback Jaspilite). At the top of the sequence is the Yadnarie Schist. All units overlying the older basement to the top of the Yadnarie Schist are defined collectively as the Hutchison Group. The Middle‐back ‘Group’ consisting of units from the top of the Warrow Quartzite to the base of the Yadnarie Schist is redefined as the Middleback Subgroup. Sediments of the Hutchison Group were probably derived from 2300+ Ma rocks on western Eyre Peninsula and deposited on a shallow platform now oriented approximately N‐S.     

Tectonic evolution of the southern Gawler Craton,South Australia,from electromagnetic sounding

Long-period natural-source electromagnetic data have been recorded using portable three-component magnetometers at 39 sites in 1998 and 2002 across the southern Eyre Peninsula, South Australia that forms part of the Gawler Craton. Site spacing was of order 5 km, but reduced to 1 km or less near known geological boundaries, with a total survey length of approximately 50 km. A profile trending east – west was inverted for a 2D electrical resistivity model to a depth of 20 km across the southern Eyre Peninsula. The main features from the models are: (i) on the eastern side of the Gawler Craton, the Donington Suite granitoids to the east of the Kalinjala Shear Zone are resistive (>1000 Ωm); (ii) the boundary between the Donington Suite granitoids and the Archaean Sleaford Complex, which has much lower resistivity of 10 – 100 Ωm, is almost vertical in the top 10 km and dips slightly westwards; and (iii) two very low resistivity (<1 Ωm) arcuate zones in the top 3 km of Hutchison Group sediments correlate with banded iron-formations, and are probably related to biogenic-origin graphite deposits concentrated in fold hinges. Such features suggest an extensional regime during the time period 2.00 – 1.85 Ga. We suggest that the resistivity boundary between the Donington Suite and the Archaean Sleaford Complex represents a growth fault, typical for rift systems that evolve into a half-graben structure. In the graben basin, low-resistivity shallow-marine Hutchison Group sediments were deposited. Folding of the sediments during the Kimban Orogeny between 1.74 and 1.70 Ga has led to migration of graphite to the fold hinges resulting in linear zones of very low resistivity that correlate with banded iron-formation magnetic anomalies.     

Structural analysis of sheath folds with horizontal X-axes,northeast Canada

Early Proterozoic supracrustal rocks occur below a thick nappe of Archaean basement gneiss in the Melville Peninsula where sheath folds are exposed in a wide zone of middle Proterozoic dynamothermal metamorphism. Outcrop patterns of truncated isoclinal sheath folds resemble cylindrical folds except in relatively small areas around the paraboloidal caps. Bulk extension axes are parallel to strike in the belt as shown by isoclinal sheath folds with horizontal central axes (X-axes), as well as similarly aligned mullion structure and rotated scapolite prisms. Extension axes converge from northeast to southwest in the apparent flow direction.     

镁铁岩脉侵位机制及伴随变形

南澳的ＥＹＲＥ半岛位于ＧＡＷＬＥＲ克拉通南部，包含了ＧＡＷＬＥＲ克拉通太古界至中元古界结晶基底的主要部分，全区于１４２３Ｍａ克拉通化，此后除了局部的，较小的地壳运动外，一直是稳定的克拉通地块，研究区ＪＵＳＳＩＥＵ半岛为ＦＹＲＥ半岛南部的次级半岛，镁铁岩脉群以及韧性剪切糜棱岩带主要沿海岩分布，区内出露岩石变形复杂，脉岩强烈的布丁化并重结晶，围岩中的转换拉伸构造及转换挤压构造可追踪识别，基性岩浆的侵位是转换拉伸力和岩浆压力联合作用的结果，脉岩群的传播侵位(PROPAGATION)与转换拉伸作用(TRANSTENSION)密切相关。多次的转换拉伸与挤压作用，还导致镁铁岩脉边缘成为高应变带，并形成复杂的变形图案 此外，围岩中伴随的变形以次剪切带(SUBSHEAR ZONE)最为显著，是作动力学分析最好的匹配构造。     

Transpressive Structures in the Ghadir Shear Belt,Eastern Desert,Egypt: Evidence for Partitioning of Oblique Convergence in the Arabian‐Nubian Shield during Gondwana Agglutination

Transpressional deformation has played an important role in the late Neoproterozoic evolution of the ArabianNubian Shield including the Central Eastern Desert of Egypt. The Ghadir Shear Belt is a 35 km-long, NW-oriented brittleductile shear zone that underwent overall sinistral transpression during the Late Neoproterozoic. Within this shear belt, strain is highly partitioned into shortening, oblique, extensional and strike-slip structures at multiple scales. Moreover, strain partitioning is heterogeneous along-strike giving rise to three distinct structural domains. In the East Ghadir and Ambaut shear belts, the strain is pure-shear dominated whereas the narrow sectors parallel to the shear walls in the West Ghadir Shear Zone are simple-shear dominated. These domains are comparable to splay-dominated and thrust-dominated strike-slip shear zones. The kinematic transition along the Ghadir shear belt is consistent with separate strike-slip and thrustsense shear zones. The earlier fabric(S1), is locally recognized in low strain areas and SW-ward thrusts. S2 is associated with a shallowly plunging stretching lineation(L2), and defines ～NW-SE major upright macroscopic folds in the East Ghadir shear belt. F2 folds are superimposed by ～NNW–SSE tight-minor and major F3 folds that are kinematically compatible with sinistral transpressional deformation along the West Ghadir Shear Zone and may represent strain partitioning during deformation. F2 and F3 folds are superimposed by ENE–WSW gentle F4 folds in the Ambaut shear belt. The sub-parallelism of F3 and F4 fold axes with the shear zones may have resulted from strain partitioning associated with simple shear deformation along narrow mylonite zones and pure shear-dominant deformation in fold zones. Dextral ENEstriking shear zones were subsequently active at ca. 595 Ma, coeval with sinistral shearing along NW-to NNW-striking shear zones. The occurrence of upright folds and folds with vertical axes suggests that transpression plays a significant role in the tectonic evolution of the Ghadir shear belt. Oblique convergence may have been provoked by the buckling of the Hafafit gneiss-cored domes and relative rotations between its segments. Upright folds, fold with vertical axes and sinistral strike-slip shear zones developed in response to strain partitioning. The West Ghadir Shear Zone contains thrusts and strikeslip shear zones that resulted from lateral escape tectonics associated with lateral imbrication and transpression in response to oblique squeezing of the Arabian-Nubian Shield during agglutination of East and West Gondwana.     

Granite gneiss basement on Flinders Island,South Australia

A U–Pb zircon age of 1762 ± 11 Ma is reported for granite gneiss located on Flinders Island, South Australia. This age is identical, within analytical uncertainty, to a previously reported age for schists of the Price Metasediments located 100 km to the southeast on the southwestern coast of the Eyre Peninsula. The outcrop represents the only known country rock to the Early Mesoproterozoic Calca Granite (Hiltaba Suite) of Flinders Island, the largest island of the Investigator Group of islands, in the southwestern Gawler Craton. The stratigraphic name Investigator Granite Gneiss is proposed for this rock unit. The discovery of the Investigator Granite Gneiss now considerably increases the extent of known Late Palaeoproterozoic rocks on the eastern side of the peninsula. The outcrop was previously included with the considerably younger St Peter Suite granite‐monzogranite, and grouped together with other islands in the Investigator Group. This new dating suggests that the geology on the other islands may require revision. For the first time, detailed major and trace‐element geochemistry is supplied for the granite gneiss on Flinders Island.     

南天山山前复杂褶皱的构造形态分析:以库车秋里塔克背斜和柯坪八盘水磨背斜为例

南天山山前发育叠瓦状断层和叠加褶皱,这类褶皱构造形态复杂,研究难度大。应用断层相关褶皱理论,依据地表倾角产状、二维地震剖面和钻测井数据,建立了南天山山前库车秋里塔克背斜和柯坪八盘水磨背斜的构造模型。该研究思路和手段对中国西部山前带复杂褶皱的研究有借鉴作用。     

The sheath folds in the Tananao Group between Tienshiang and Tailuko, east-west cross-island highway, Taiwan

Sheath folds or “eye” folds on decimetric to metric scales are well-developed in the metachert-marble-green rock interlayers of the Changchun Formation and in the marble lens of the Tienhsiang Formation, within the Tananao Group between Tienhsiang and Tailuko, along E-W cross-island highway of Taiwan. Closely associated with the sheath folds are the tight to isoclinal folds with rectilinear axes which are parallel to the hinge line of the “eyes”, and the directions of these folds range from N-S to N30°E with gentle plunges to the north or south.The sheath folds are believed to have been formed during the second phase of deformation in this region. The traces of the earlier folding can generally be found at the hinges or limbs of these sheath folds.The explanation presented here is that the sheath fold might be generated episodically during the F₂ deformational phase throughout the entire history of progressive shearing as a result of episodic instability of the flow with successive refolding of metamorphic fabric, during Plio-Pleistocene deformation of Taiwan.     

Structure of the Late Palaeozoic Coffs Harbour Beds,northeastern New South Wales

F₁ macroscopic folds in the Late Palaeozoic Coffs Harbour Beds in the SE portion of the New England Fold Belt are commonly transected by cleavage. These macroscopic folds are tight to isoclinal structures, with a consistent vergence to the NE. Axial surfaces are either steeply dipping to the SW or vertical, and are typically faulted. Anomalous bedding‐cleavage relations occur where the steeply dipping cleavage intersects overturned limbs of F₁ macroscopic and some F₁ mesoscopic folds. Elsewhere F₁ mesoscopic folds have a well developed, axial‐surface cleavage and are rarely downward facing. Cleavage is commonly strike‐divergent from axial surfaces of F₁ macroscopic folds, except adjacent to the Demon Fault System, where they are parallel. These anomalous cleavage‐folds relations possibly developed during the one deformation. D₁ structures are refolded by kink‐like folds that are steeply plunging. The structural style of the D₁ deformation indicates that it possibly resulted from accretionary processes at a consuming plate margin.     

Cenozoic Vertical-Axis Rotations of the Hoh Xil Basin, Central–Northern Tibet

Understanding the Cenozoic vertical-axis rotation in the Tibetan Plateau is crucial for continental dynamic evolution. Paleomagnetic and rock magnetic investigations were carried out for the Oligocene and Miocene continental rocks of the Hoh Xil basin in order to better understand the tectonic rotations of central Tibet. The study area was located in the Tongtianhe area located in the southern part of the Hoh Xil basin and northern margin of the Tanggula thrust system in central-northern Tibet. A total of 160 independently oriented paleomagnetic samples were drilled from the Tongtianhe section for this study. The magnetic properties of magnetite and hematite have been recognized by measurements of magnetic susceptibility vs. temperature curves and unblocking temperatures. The mean directions of the Oligocene Yaxicuo Group in stratigraphic coordinates(Declination/Inclination = 354.9°/29.3°, k = 33.0, α_(95) = 13.5°, N =5 Sites) and of the Miocene Wudaoliang Group in stratigraphic coordinates(Declination/Inclination = 3.6°/36.4°, k = 161.0, α_(95) = 9.7°, N =3 Sites) pass reversal tests, indicating the primary nature of the characteristic magnetizations. Our results suggested that the sampled areas in the Tuotuohe depression of the Hoh Xil basin have undergone no paleomagnetically detectable rotations under single thrusting from the Tanggula thrust system. Our findings, together with constraints from other tectonic characteristics reported by previous paleomagnetic studies, suggest tectonic rotations in the Cuoredejia and Wudaoliang depressions of the Hoh Xil basin were affected by strike-slip faulting of the Fenghuo Shan-Nangqian thrust systems. A closer examination of geological data and different vertical-axis rotation magnitudes suggest the tectonic history of the Hoh Xil basin may be controlled by thrust and strike-slip faulting since the Eocene.     

Sheath fold development in monoclinic shear zones

We use numerical simulations to investigate the evolution of sheath folds around slip surfaces in simple‐shear‐dominated monoclinic shear zones. A variety of sheath fold shapes develops under general shear, including tubular folds with low aspect ratio eye patterns and tongue‐like structures showing bivergent flanking structures in sections normal to the sheath elongation, which may potentially lead to confusing shear sense interpretations. Not all investigated monoclinic flow end‐members lead to the development of sheath folds sensu stricto (folds with apical angle <90°). The aspect ratio of the eye patterns, R_yz, correlates with the ratio between the principal strain in the Y‐direction and the smaller of the principal strains in the X–Z plane, and thus it could be used in strain analysis.     

Structural studies in the Pre-Vindhyan rocks of Rajasthan: A summary of work of the last three decades

Multiple deformation in all the Precambrian metamorphic-migmatitic rocks has been reported from Rajasthan during the last three decades. But, whereas the Aravalli Group and the Banded Gneissic Complex show similarity in the style and sequence of structures in all their details, the rocks of the Delhi Group trace a partly independent trend. Isoclinal folds of the first generation (AF₁) in the rocks of the Aravalli Group had gentle westerly plunge prior to later deformations. These folds show reclined, inclined, and upright attitude as a result of coaxial upright folding (AF_la). Superposition of upright folds (AF₂) of varying tightness, with axial plane striking N to NNE, has resulted in interference patterns of diverse types in the scale of maps, and deformation of earlier planar and linear structures in the scale of hand specimens. The structures of the third generation (AF₃) are either open recumbent folds or reclined conjugate folds with axial planes dipping gently towards NE or SW. Structures of the last phase are upright conjugate folds (AF₄) with axial planes striking NNE-SSW and E-W. The Banded Gneissic Complex (BGC) underlies the Aravalli Group with a conglomerate horizon at the contact, especially in southern Rajasthan. But, for a major part of central and southern Rajasthan, migmatites representing BGC show a structural style and sequence identical with those in the Aravalli Group. Migmatization, broadly synkinematic with the AF₁ folding, suggests extensive remobilization of the basement. Very rare relict fabric athwart to and overprinted by structures of AF, generation provide tangible evidence for a basement. Although the structures of later phases in the rocks of the Delhi Group (DF₃ and DF₄) match with the late-phase structures in the Aravalli Group (AF₃ and AF₄), there is a contrast in the structural history of the early stages in the rocks of the two groups. The folds of the first generation in the Delhi Group (DF₁) were recumbent to reclined with gentle plunge towards N to NNE or S to SSW. These were followed by coaxial upright folds of varying tightness (DF₂). Absence of westerly trending AF₁ folds in the Delhi Group, and extreme variation in plunge of the AF₂ folds in contrast with the fairly constant plunge of the DF₂ folds, provide evidence for an angular unconformity between the Aravalli and the Delhi Groups. Depending on the importance of flattening attendant with and following buckling during AF₂ deformation, the lineations of AF₁ generation show different patterns. Where the AF₁ lineations are distributed in circular cones around AF₂ axes because of flexural-slip folding in layered rocks with high viscosity contrast, loci of early lineations indicate that the initial orientation of the AF₁ axes were subhorizontal, trending towards N280°. The orientation of the axial planes of the earlier folds has controlled the development of the later folds. In sectors where the AF, axial planes had N-S strike and gentle dips, or E-W strike with gentle to steep dips, nearly E-W horizontal compression during AF₂ deformation resulted in well-developed AF₂ folds. By contrast, where the AF, axial planes were striking nearly N-S with steep dips, E-W horizontal compression resulted in tightening (flattening) of the already isoclinal AF₁ folds, and probably boudinage structures in some instances, without the development of any AF₂ folds. A similar situation obtains when DF₄ deformation is superposed on earlier structures. Where the dominant S-planes were subhorizontal, N-S compression during DF₄ deformation resulted in either chevron folds with E-W striking axial plane or conjugate folds with axial plane striking NE and NW. In zones with S-planes striking E-W and dipping steeply, the N-S compression resulted in flattening of the earlier folds without development of DF₄ folds.     

Unravelling the tectonothermal evolution of reworked Archean granulite facies metapelites using in situ geochronology: an example from the Gawler Craton,Australia

The use of in situ geochronological techniques allows for direct age constraints to be placed on fabric development and the metamorphic evolution of polydeformed and reworked terranes. The Shoal Point region of the southern Gawler Craton consists of a series of reworked granulite facies metapelitic and metaigneous units which belong to the Late Archean Sleaford Complex. Structural evidence indicates three phases of fabric development with D₁ retained within boudins, D₂ consisting of a series of upright open to isoclinal folds producing an axial planar fabric and D₃ composed of a highly planar vertical high‐strain fabric which overprints the D₂ fabric. Th–U–total Pb EPMA monazite and garnet Sm–Nd geochronology constrain the D₁ event to the c. 2450 Ma Sleaford Orogeny, whereas the D₂ and D₃ events are constrained to the 1730–1690 Ma Kimban Orogeny. P–T pseudosections constrain the metamorphic conditions for the Sleafordian Orogeny to between 4.5 and 6 kbar and between 750 and 780 °C. Subsequent Kimban‐aged reworking reached peak metamorphic conditions of 8–9 kbar at 820–850 °C during the D₂ event, followed by high‐temperature decompression to metamorphic conditions <6 kbar and 790–850 °C associated with the development of the D₃ high‐strain fabric. The P–T–t evolution of the Shoal Point rocks reflects the transpressional exhumation of lower crustal rocks during the Kimban Orogeny and the development of a regional ‘flower structure’.     

Structural fabric evidence for indentation tectonics in the Nambucca Block,southern New England Fold Belt,New South Wales

Structural studies of Lower Permian sequences exposed on wave‐cut platforms within the Nambucca Block, indicate that one to two ductile and two to three brittle — ductile/brittle events are recorded in the lower grade (sub‐greenschist facies) rocks; evidence for four, possibly five, ductile and at least three brittle — ductile/brittle events occurs in the higher grade (greenschist facies) rocks. Veins formed prior to the second ductile event are present in some outcrops. Further, the studies reveal a change in fold style from west‐southwest‐trending, open, south‐southeast‐verging, inclined folds (F₁ ⁰) at Grassy Head in the south, to east‐northeast‐trending, recumbent, isoclinal folds (F₁ ⁰; F₂ ⁰) at Nambucca Heads to the north, suggesting that strain increases towards the Coffs Harbour Block. A solution cleavage formed during D₁ in the lower grade rocks and cleavages defined by neocrystalline white mica developed during D₁ and D₂ in the higher grade rocks. South‐ to south‐southwest‐directed tectonic transport and north‐south shortening operated during these earlier events. Subsequently, north‐northeast‐trending, open, upright F₃ ² folds and inclined, northwest‐verging, northeast‐trending F₄ ² folds developed with poorly to moderately developed axial planar, crenulation cleavage (S₃ and S₄) formed by solution transfer processes. These folds formed heterogeneously in S₂ throughout the higher grade areas. Later northeast‐southwest shortening resulted in the formation of en échelon vein arrays and kink bands in both the lower and higher grade rocks. Shortening changed to east‐northeast‐west‐southwest during later north‐northeast to northeast, dextral, strike‐slip faulting and then to approximately northwest‐southeast during the formation of east‐southeast to southeast‐trending, strike‐slip faults. Cessation of faulting occurred prior to the emplacement of Triassic (229 Ma) granitoids. On a regional scale, S₁ trends east‐west and dips moderately to the north in areas unaffected by later events. S₂ has a similar trend to S₁ in less‐deformed areas, but is refolded about east‐west axes during D₃. S₃ is folded about east‐west axes in the highest grade, multiply deformed central part of the Nambucca Block. The deformation and regional metamorphism in the Nambucca Block is believed to be the result of indenter tectonics, whereby south‐directed movement of the Coffs Harbour Block during oroclinal bending, sequentially produced the east‐west‐trending structures. The effects of the Coffs Harbour Block were greatest during D₁ and D₂.     

Planar, non-planar and refolded sheath folds in the Phulad Shear Zone, Rajasthan, India

Progressive ductile shearing in the Phulad Shear Zone of Rajasthan, India has produced a complex history of folding, with development of planar, non-planar and refolded sheath folds. There are three generations of reclined folds, F₁, F₂ and F₃, with a striping lineation (L₁) parallel to the hinge lines of F₁. The planar sheath folds of F₁ have long subparallel hinge lines at the flanks joining up in hairpin curves at relatively small apices. L₁ swerves harmoniously with the curving of F₁ hinge line. There is a strong down-dip mineral lineation parallel to the striping lineation in most places, but intersecting it at apices of first generation sheath folds. Both the striping and the mineral lineation are deformed in U-patterns over the hinges of reclined F₂ and F₃. Folding of axial surfaces and hinge lines of earlier reclined folds by later folds was accompanied by very large stretching and led to the development of non-planar sheaths. The reclined folds of all the three generations were deformed by a group of subhorizontal folds. Each generation of fold initially grew with the hinge line at a very low angle with the Y-axis of bulk non-coaxial strain and was subsequently rotated towards the down-dip direction of maximum stretching. The patterns of deformed lineations indicate that the stretching along the X-direction was extremely large, much in excess of 6000 percent.     

Structural history of the Arthur Lineament,northwest Tasmania: An analysis of critical outcrops

The Arthur Lineament of northwestern Tasmania is a Cambrian (510 ± 10 Ma) high‐strain metamorphic belt. In the south it is composed of metasedimentary and mafic meta‐igneous lithologies of the ‘eastern’ Ahrberg Group, Bowry Formation and a high‐strain part of the Oonah Formation. Regionally, the lineament separates the Rocky Cape Group correlates and ‘western’ Ahrberg Group to its west from the relatively low‐strain parts of the Oonah Formation, and the correlated Burnie Formation, to its east. Early folding and thrusting caused emplacement of the allochthonous Bowry Formation, which is interpreted to occur as a fault‐bound slice, towards the eastern margin of the parautochthonous ‘eastern’ Ahrberg Group metasediments. The early stages of formation of the Arthur Lineament involved two folding events. The first deformation (CaD₁) produced a schistose axial‐planar fabric and isoclinal folds synchronous with thrusting. The second deformation (CaD₂) produced a coarser schistosity and tight to isoclinal folds. South‐plunging, north‐south stretching lineations, top to the south shear sense indicators, and south‐verging, downward‐facing folds in the Arthur Lineament suggest south‐directed transport. CaF₁ and CaF₂ were rotated to a north‐south trend in zones of high strain during the CaD₂ event. CaD₃, later in the Cambrian, folded the earlier foliations in the Arthur Lineament and produced west‐dipping steep thrusts, creating the linear expression of the structure.     

On the deformation sequence in the New Harbour Group of Holy Island,Anglesey, North Wales

Four phases of deformation are recorded by minor structures in the New Harbour Group (NHG) of southern Holy Island. The regional schistosity in these rocks is a differentiated crenulation cleavage of D₂ age. An earlier preferred orientation (S₁) is commonly preserved as crenulations within the Q-domain microlithons of the S₂ schistosity and is demonstrably non-parallel to bedding. F₃ folds are widely developed in S₂ and, to a lesser extent, in bedding. S₃ crenulation cleavage is sporadically developed but can be intense locally. A major antiformal fold exists in the NHG near Rhoscolyn. This fold is of D₃ age since it clearly deforms S₂ schistosity and is consistent with the vergence of F₃ minor structures. All planar structures are deformed by folds of D₄ age. © 1997 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Formation of lode‐style gold mineralisation during Tabberabberan wrench faulting at Lefroy,eastern Tasmania

The Lefroy Goldfield in eastern Tasmania is anomalous in southeastern Australia because mineralised fault reefs (i.e. reefs that are also faults) strike in an easterly direction at a high angle to the predominantly northwest strike of bedding and folds. Gold mineralisation is of Early to Middle Devonian age, with reef formation coinciding with a third regionally compressive deformation event (D₃), and a second phase of Tabberabberan orogenesis. Mineralised reefs are hosted by Mathinna Supergroup turbidites of Cambrian to Ordovician age and extend for up to 2 km across the boundary between the sandstone‐dominated Stony Head Sandstone and the shale‐dominated Turquoise Bluff Slate. Ore shoots in the reefs plunge moderately west and, in the Volunteer Mine, coincide with the intersection of the reef and a D₁/D₂ thrust contact. The subvertical orientation and discordant relationship of the mineralised reefs to bedding, as well as the lack of gold mineralisation along bedding and pre‐D₃ structures, indicate that the reefs formed during a period of wrench faulting. In contrast to lode‐style deposits in Victoria, the far‐field minimum compressive stress at Lefroy during reef formation was not vertical but, rather, occupied a subhorizontal orientation.     

Structure and tectonics along the inner edge of a foreland basin: The Hunter Coalfield in the northern Sydney Basin,New South Wales

From the early Late Permian onwards, the northeastern part of the Sydney Basin, New South Wales, (encompassing the Hunter Coalfield) developed as a foreland basin to the rising New England Orogen lying to the east and northeast. Structurally, Permian rocks in the Hunter Coalfield lie in the frontal part of a foreland fold‐thrust belt that propagated westwards from the adjacent New England Orogen. Thrust faults and folds are common in the inner part of the Sydney Basin. Small‐scale thrusts are restricted to individual stratigraphic units (with a major ‘upper decollement horizon’ occurring in the mechanically weak Mulbring Siltstone), but major thrusts are inferred to sole into a floor thrust at a poorly constrained depth of approximately 3 km. Folds appear to have formed mainly as hangingwall anticlines above these splaying thrust faults. Other folds formed as flat‐topped anticlines developed above ramps in that floor thrust, as intervening synclines ahead of such ramp anticlines, or as decollement folds. These contractional structures were overprinted by extensional faults developed during compressional deformation or afterwards during post‐thrusting relaxation and/or subsequent extension. The southern part of the Hunter Coalfield (and the Newcastle Coalfield to the east) occupies a structural recess in the western margin of the New England Orogen and its offshore continuation, the Currarong Orogen. Rocks in this recess underwent a two‐stage deformation history. West‐northwest‐trending stage one structures such as the southern part of the Hunter Thrust and the Hunter River Transverse Zone (a reactivated syndepositional transfer fault) developed in response to maximum regional compression from the east‐northeast. These were followed by stage two folds and thrusts oriented north‐south and developed from maximum compression oriented east‐west. The Hunter Thrust itself was folded by these later folds, and the Hunter River Transverse Zone underwent strike‐slip reactivation.     

Metamorphism and tectonics of a Pan-African terrain in southeastern Sinai

The Precambrian crystalline basement of Sinai represents a low-pressure metamorphic terrain intruded by large volumes of granitic rock. Based on detailed fieldwork, a general assessment of the metamorphic and tectonic history of the Wadi Kid area, southeastern Sinai, is presented. Three lithostratigraphic units can be traced over the whole area; the Umm Zariq Formation (arkoses, greywackes, pelites), the Tarr Formation (dolomitic-calcareous rocks) and, unconformably overlying the previous two units, the Heib Formation (flows, pyroclastics, conglomerates). D₁ deformation of this 3.5 km thick sequence resulted in upright folds, with changing strike of the axial planes from NE to NW across the area. Low-grade conditions prevailed during this phase. D₂ produced recumbent folds and a subhorizontal cleavage, leading to transposition of D₁ structures in the higher grade parts of the area. Metamorphism reached its peak conditions around D₂. Pressures are estimated at 2.5–3.5 kb, whereas temperatures vary from 450–660°C. In the central Wadi Kid area, garnet, staurolite, cordierite and andalusite occur in metapelitic rocks. Highest grade rocks are syn-D₂ andalusite—K-feldspar gneiss diapirs. Metamorphic zones are shallow dippin and form a domed pattern. Most of the metavolcanics and the syntectonic and late tectonic plutonic rocks belong to the calc-alkaline suite.The Kid Group sediments and volcanics were deposited in a shallow basin and subaerially, respectively, probably on older sialic basement. This basement is at present not exposed because post-orogenic uplift directly after the Pan-African event was relatively small (3–6 km). Metamorphism and the D₂ formation phase can both be related to a rising (mafic?) diapir. The Sinai Peninsula may have been a continental margin or a cratonized, mature island arc, in Late Proterozoic times.