The eastern part of the Tasman Orogenic Zone

The eastern part of the Tasman Orogenic Zone (or Fold Belt System) comprises the Hodgkinson—Broken River Orogen (or Fold Belt) in the north and the New England Orogen (or Fold Belt) in the centre and south. The two orogens are separated by the northern part of the Thomson Orogen.The Hodgkinson—Broken River Orogen contains Ordovician to Early Carboniferous sequences of volcaniclastic flysch with subordinate shelf carbonate facies sediments. Two provinces are recognized, the Hodgkinson Province in the north and the Broken River Province in the south. Unlike the New England Orogen where no Precambrian is known, rocks of the Hodgkinson—Broken River Orogen were deposited immediately east of and in part on, Precambrian crust.The evolution of the New England Orogen spans the time range Silurian to Triassic. The orogen is orientated at an acute angle to the mainly older Thomson and Lachlan Orogens to the west, but the relationships between all three orogens are obscured by the Permian—Triassic Bowen and Sydney Basins and younger Mesozoic cover. Three provinces are recognized, the Yarrol Province in the north, the Gympie Province in the east and the New England Province in the south.Both the Yarrol and New England Provinces are divisible into two zones, western and eastern, that are now separated by major Alpine-type ultramafic belts. The western zones developed at least in part on early Palaeozoic continental crust. They comprise Late Silurian to Early Permian volcanic-arc deposits (both island-arc and terrestrial Andean types) and volcaniclastic sediments laid down on unstable continental shelves. The eastern zones probably developed on oceanic crust and comprise pelagic sediments, thick flysch sequences and ophiolite suite rocks of Silurian (or older?) to Early Permian age. The Gympie Province comprises Permian to Early Triassic volcanics and shallow marine and minor paralic sediments which are now separated from the Yarrol Province by a discontinuous serpentinite belt.In morphotectonic terms, a Pacific-type continental margin with a three-part arrangement of calcalkaline volcanic arc in the west, unstable volcaniclastic continental shelf in the centre and continental slope and oceanic basin in the east, appears to have existed in the New England Orogen and probably in the Hodgkinson—Broken River Orogen as well, through much of mid- to late Palaeozoic time. However, the easternmost part of the New England Orogen, the Gympie Province, does not fit this pattern since it lies east of deepwater flysch deposits of the Yarrol Province.     

Metallogeny and tectonic development of the Tasman Fold Belt System in New South Wales

The northwestern corner of New South Wales consists of the paratectonic Late Proterozoic to Early Cambrian Adelaide Fold Belt and older rocks, which represent basement inliers in this fold belt. The rest of the state is built by the composite Late Proterozoic to Triassic Tasman Fold Belt System or Tasmanides.In New South Wales the Tasman Fold Belt System includes three fold belts: (1) the Late Proterozoic to Early Palaeozoic Kanmantoo Fold Belt; (2) the Early to Middle Palaeozoic Lachlan Fold Belt; and (3) the Early Palaeozoic to Triassic New England Fold Belt. The Late Palaeozoic to Triassic Sydney—Bowen Basin represents the foredeep of the New England Fold Belt.The Tasmanides developed in an active plate margin setting through the interaction of East Gondwanaland with the Ur-(Precambrian) and Palaeo-Pacific plates. The Tasmanides are characterized by a polyphase terrane accretion history: during the Late Proterozoic to Triassic the Tasmanides experienced three major episodes of terrane dispersal (Late Proterozoic—Cambrian, Silurian—Devonian, and Late Carboniferous—Permian) and six terrane accretionary events (Cambrian—Ordovician, Late Ordovician—Early Silurian, Middle Devonian, Carboniferous, Middle-Late Permian, and Triassic). The individual fold belts resulted from one or more accretionary events.The Kanmantoo Fold Belt has a very restricted range of mineralization and is characterized by stratabound copper deposits, whereas the Lachlan and New England Fold Belts have a great variety of metallogenic environments associated with both accretionary and dispersive tectonic episodes.The earliest deposits in the Lachlan Fold Belt are stratabound Cu and Mn deposits of Cambro-Ordovician age. In the Ordovician Cu deposits were formed in a volcanic are. In the Silurian porphyry Cu---Au deposits were formed during the late stages of development of the same volcanic are. Post-accretionary porphyry Cu---Au deposits were emplaced in the Early Devonian on the sites of the accreted volcanic arc. In the Middle to Late Silurian and Early Devonian a large number of base metal deposits originated as a result of rifting and felsic volcanism. In the Silurian and Early Devonian numerous Sn---W, Mo and base metal—Au granitoid related deposits were formed. A younger group of Mo---W and Sn deposits resulted from Early—Middle Carboniferous granitic plutonism in the eastern part of the Lachlan Fold Belt. In the Middle Devonian epithermal Au was associated with rifting and bimodal volcanism in the extreme eastern part of the Lachlan Fold Belt.In the New England Fold Belt pre-accretionary deposits comprise stratabound Cu and Mn deposits (pre-Early Devonian): stratabound Cu and Mn and ?exhalite Au deposits (Late Devonian to Early Carboniferous); and stratabound Cu, exhalite Au, and quartz—magnetite (?Late Carboniferous). S-type magmatism in the Late Carboniferous—Early Permian was responsible for vein Sn and possibly Au---As---Ag---Sb deposits. Volcanogenic base metals, when compared with the Lachlan Fold Belt, are only poorly represented, and were formed in the Early Permian. The metallogenesis of the New England Fold Belt is dominated by granitoid-related mineralization of Middle Permian to Triassic age, including Sn---W, Mo---W, and Au---Ag---As Sb deposits. Also in the Middle Permian epithermal Au---Ag mineralization was developed. During the above period of post-orogenic magmatism sizeable metahydrothermal Sb---Au(---W) and Au deposits were emplaced in major fracture and shear zones in central and eastern New England. The occurrence of antimony provides an additional distinguishing factor between the New England and Lachlan Fold Belts. In the New England Fold Belt antimony deposits are abundant whereas they are rare in the Lachlan Fold Belt. This may suggest fundamental crustal differences.     

U–Pb zircon geochronology of Late Devonian to Early Carboniferous extension‐related silicic volcanism in the northern New England Fold Belt

Laser ablation‐inductively coupled plasma‐mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) analysis of zircons confirm a Late Devonian to Early Carboniferous age (ca 360–350 Ma) for silicic volcanic rocks of the Campwyn Volcanics and Yarrol terrane of the northern New England Fold Belt (Queensland). These rocks are coeval with silicic volcanism recorded elsewhere in the fold belt at this time (Connors Arch, Drummond Basin). The new U–Pb zircon ages, in combination with those from previous studies, show that silicic magmatism was both widespread across the northern New England Fold Belt (>250 000 km² and ≥500 km inboard of plate margin) and protracted, occurring over a period of ～15 million years. Zircon inheritance is commonplace in the Late Devonian — Early Carboniferous volcanics, reflecting anatectic melting and considerable reworking of continental crust. Inherited zircon components range from ca 370 to ca 2050 Ma, with Middle Devonian (385–370 Ma) zircons being common to almost all dated units. Precambrian zircon components record either Precambrian crystalline crust or sedimentary accumulations that were present above or within the zone of magma formation. This contrasts with a lack of significant zircon inheritance in younger Permo‐Carboniferous igneous rocks intruded through, and emplaced on top of, the Devonian‐Carboniferous successions. The inheritance data and location of these volcanic rocks at the eastern margins of the northern New England Fold Belt, coupled with Sr–Nd, Pb isotopic data and depleted mantle model ages for Late Palaeozoic and Mesozoic magmatism, imply that Precambrian mafic and felsic crustal materials (potentially as old as 2050 Ma), or at the very least Lower Palaeozoic rocks derived from the reworking of Precambrian rocks, comprise basement to the eastern parts of the fold belt. This crustal basement architecture may be a relict from the Late Proterozoic breakup of the Rodinian supercontinent.     

The Palaeozoic tectono-metallogenic evolution of the northern Tasman Fold Belt System, Australia: Interplay of subduction rollback and accretion

The Tasman Fold Belt System in eastern Australia provides a record of the Palaeozoic geological history and growth of the Australian continent along the proto-Pacific margin of Gondwana inboard of an extensive and long-lived subduction system. The Hodgkinson and Broken River provinces represent prominent geological elements of this system and together form the northern Tasman Fold Belt System. Geochronological age dating of the timing of gold formation in the Amanda Bel Goldfield in the Broken River Province and the Hodgkinson Goldfield in the Hodgkinson Province provides constraints on the occurrence of a deformation and mineralisation episode in the Late Devonian–Early Carboniferous. Integration of these newly-obtained data with petrogenetic constraints and a time–space evaluation of the geological evolution of the Hodgkinson and Broken River provinces, as well as other terranes in the northern Tasman Fold Belt System, allows for the development of a geodynamic model for the Palaeozoic evolution of the northern Tasman Fold Belt System. Our model indicates that three cycles of extension–contraction occurred during the Palaeozoic evolution of the northern Tasman Fold Belt System. Episodes of extension were controlled by rollback of the subduction system along the proto-Pacific margin of Gondwana, whereas episodes of contraction resulted from accretion following the arrival of positively buoyant segments (i.e., micro-continental blocks/oceanic plateaus) at the subducting trench.Our composite interpretative model on the geodynamic evolution of the northern Tasman Fold Belt System integrates the timing of the development of mineral deposits throughout this part of the system and provides a significant advancement in the understanding of Palaeozoic geodynamics along the margin of Gondwana in northeast Australia and allows comparison with the southern part of the Tasman Fold Belt System.     

Isotopic constraints on crustal architecture and Permo‐Triassic tectonics in New Guinea: Possible links with eastern Australia

New U–Pb zircon ages and Sr–Nd isotopic data for Triassic igneous and metamorphic rocks from northern New Guinea help constrain models of the evolution of Australia's northern and eastern margin. These data provide further evidence for an Early to Late Triassic volcanic arc in northern New Guinea, interpreted to have been part of a continuous magmatic belt along the Gondwana margin, through South America, Antarctica, New Zealand, the New England Fold Belt, New Guinea and into southeast Asia. The Early to Late Triassic volcanic arc in northern New Guinea intrudes high‐grade metamorphic rocks probably resulting from Late Permian to Early Triassic (ca 260–240 Ma) orogenesis, as recorded in the New England Fold Belt. Late Triassic magmatism in New Guinea (ca 220 Ma) is related to coeval extension and rifting as a precursor to Jurassic breakup of the Gondwana margin. In general, mantle‐like Sr–Nd isotopic compositions of mafic Palaeozoic to Tertiary granitoids appear to rule out the presence of a North Australian‐type Proterozoic basement under the New Guinea Mobile Belt. Parts of northern New Guinea may have a continental or transitional basement whereas adjacent areas are underlain by oceanic crust. It is proposed that the post‐breakup margin comprised promontories of extended Proterozoic‐Palaeozoic continental crust separated by embayments of oceanic crust, analogous to Australia's North West Shelf. Inferred movement to the south of an accretionary prism through the Triassic is consistent with subduction to the south‐southwest beneath northeast Australia generating arc‐related magmatism in New Guinea and the New England Fold Belt.     

The Devonian history of northeastern Australia

Devonian rocks occur in northeastern Australia within the ‘Tasman Geosyncline’ in three major tectonic divisions—(a) a very broad mobile platform related to the last stages of stabilisation of the Lachlan Geosyncline, marginal to which is found, (b) the volcanic‐rich New England Geosyncline, and (c) a contrasting region in northern Queensland where complex marine to continental sedimentation occurred on cratonic blocks while non‐volcanic flysch‐like sedimentation occurred in the marginal Hodgkinson Basin.

The tectonic setting was governed by differences in the nature of the continental margin, so that the New England Geosyncline and Hodgkinson Basin, which developed along the eastern margin of the continent from the earliest Devonian to the late Palaeozoic, show correspondingly different sedimentation and deformation histories.

An integrated account of the Devonian geology of these regions is given, leading to.an interpretation of the environments of the Devonian in terms of plate‐tectonic movements, generally from the east.

Postulated tectonic zones within the New England Geosyncline region include pre‐Devonian deep ocean deposits with mild high‐pressure low‐temperature meta‐morphism, and Devonian volcanic arc and marginal sea volcanic‐derived deposits. Within the mobile platform to the west, variable marine and continental deposits are associated with volcanicity in the zone transitional to the New England Geosyncline. In the northern region, rifting of the craton and development of an Atlantic‐type margin was followed by subduction with folding and metamorphism at the end of the Devonian.

The Devonian rocks are strongly affected by intense late Palaeozoic tectonic and igneous activity in the eastern marginal regions, but only minor effects are seen to the west.     

中昆仑北部地区构造地层学初步研究

中昆仑北部造山带可分为 5个构造地层区 :白干湖、求勉雷克、大九坝、祁漫塔格南缘和祁漫塔格北缘。白干湖和求勉雷克构造地层区出露前寒武纪变质结晶基底 ;早古生代期间 ,祁漫塔格洋沿鸭子泉—阿特阿特坎河断裂向北西俯冲碰撞 ,在祁漫塔格北缘沉积了古海沟岛弧浊积岩、晚泥盆世蛇绿混杂岩 ,在祁漫塔格南缘被动大陆边缘上发育晚泥盆世前陆磨拉石沉积 ;晚古生代早期 ,昆中求勉雷克地区简单剪切滑覆 ,在祁漫塔格南、北缘形成浅海相沉积 ,而大九坝地区由于断层高角度伸展 ,沉积了一套海相碳酸盐岩建造 ;晚古生代晚期 ,特提斯洋沿昆中断裂斜向俯冲 ,在大九坝出露了托库孜达坂蛇绿混杂岩和早二叠世前陆盆地堆积 ;晚三叠世陆相火山岩出露于祁漫塔格山南缘。     

Late Palaeozoic arc flank and fore‐arc basin sequence of the New England fold belt in the stanage bay region,central Queensland

Devonian and Carboniferous (Yarrol terrane) rocks, Early Permian strata, and Permian‐(?)Triassic plutons outcrop in the Stanage Bay region of the northern New England Fold Belt. The Early‐(?)Middle Devonian Mt Holly Formation consists mainly of coarse volcaniclastic rocks of intermediate‐silicic provenance, and mafic, intermediate and silicic volcanics. Limestone is abundant in the Duke Island, along with a significant component of quartz sandstone on Hunter Island. Most Carboniferous rocks can be placed in two units, the late Tournaisian‐Namurian Campwyn Volcanics, composed of coarse volcaniclastic sedimentary rocks, silicic ash flow tuff and widespread oolitic limestone, and the conformably overlying Neerkol Formation dominated by volcaniclastic sandstone and siltstone with uncommon pebble conglomerate and scattered silicic ash fall tuff. Strata of uncertain stratigraphic affinity are mapped as ‘undifferentiated Carboniferous’. The Early Permian Youlambie Conglomerate unconformably overlies Carboniferous rocks. It consists of mudstone, sandstone and conglomerate, the last containing clasts of Carboniferous sedimentary rocks, diverse volcanics and rare granitic rocks. Intrusive bodies include the altered and variably strained Tynemouth Diorite of possible Devonian age, and a quartz monzonite mass of likely Late Permian or Triassic age.

The rocks of the Yarrol terrane accumulated in shallow (Mt Holly, Campwyn) and deeper (Neerkol) marine conditions proximal to an active magmatic arc which was probably of continental margin type. The Youlambie Conglomerate was deposited unconformably above the Yarrol terrane in a rift basin. Late Permian regional deformation, which involved east‐west horizontal shortening achieved by folding, cleavage formation and east‐over‐west thrusting, increases in intensity towards the east.     

Paleozoic terranes of eastern Australia and the drift history of Gondwana

Critical assessment of Paleozoic paleomagnetic results from Australia shows that paleopoles from locations on the main craton and in the various terranes of the Tasman Fold Belt of eastern Australia follow the same path since 400 Ma for the Lachlan and Thomson superterranes, but not until 250 Ma or younger for the New England superterrane. Most of the paleopoles from the Tasman Fold Belt are derived from the Lolworth-Ravenswood terrane of the Thomson superterrane and the Molong-Monaro terrane of the Lachlan superterrane. Consideration of the paleomagnetic data and geological constraints suggests that these terranes were amalgamated with cratonic Australia by the late Early Devonian. The Lolworth-Ravenswood terrane is interpreted to have undergone a 90° clockwise rotation between 425 and 380 Ma. Although the Tamworth terrane of the western New England superterrane is thought to have amalgamated with the Lachlan superterrane by the Late Carboniferous, geological syntheses suggest that movements between these regions may have persisted until the Middle Triassic. This view is supported by the available paleomagnetic data. With these constraints, an apparent polar wander path for Gondwana during the Paleozoic has been constructed after review of the Gondwana paleomagnetic data. The drift history of Gondwana with respect to Laurentia and Baltica during the Paleozoic is shown in a series of paleogeographic maps.     

Subduction,mega-shear systems and Late Palaeozoic basin development in the African segment of Gondwana

 Basins within the African sector of Gondwana contain a Late Palaeozoic to Early Mesozoic Gondwana sequence unconformably overlying Precambrian basement in the interior and mid-Palaeozoic strata along the palaeo-Pacific margin. Small sea-board Pacific basins form an exception in having a Carboniferous to Early Permian fill overlying Devonian metasediments and intrusives. The Late Palaeozoic geographic and tectonic changes in the region followed four well-defined consecutive events which can also be traced outside the study area. During the Late Devonian to Early Carboniferous period (up to 330 Ma) accretion of microplates along the Patagonian margin of Gondwana resulted in the evolution of the Pacific basins. Thermal uplift of the Gondwana crust and extensive erosion causing a break in the stratigraphic record characterised the period between 300 and 330 Ma. At the end of this period the Gondwana Ice Sheet was well established over the uplands. The period 260–300 Ma evidenced the release of the Gondwana heat and thermal subsidence caused widespread basin formation. Late Carboniferous transpressive strike-slip basins (e.g. Sierra Australes/Colorado, Karoo-Falklands, Ellsworth-Central Transantarctic Mountains) in which thick glacial deposits accumulated, formed inboard of the palaeo-Pacific margin. In the continental interior the formation of Zambesi-type rift and extensional strike-slip basins were controlled by large mega-shear systems, whereas rare intracratonic thermal subsidence basins formed locally. In the Late Permian the tectonic regime changed to compressional largely due to northwest-directed subduction along the palaeo-Pacific margin. The orogenic cycle between 240 and 260 Ma resulted in the formation of the Gondwana fold belt and overall north–south crustal shortening with strike-slip motions and regional uplift within the interior. The Gondwana fold belt developed along a probable weak crustal zone wedged in between the cratons and an overthickened marginal crustal belt subject to dextral transpressive motions. Associated with the orogenic cycle was the formation of mega-shear systems one of which (Falklands-East Africa-Tethys shear) split the supercontinent in the Permo-Triassic into a West and an East Gondwana. By a slight clockwise rotation of East Gondwana a supradetachment basin formed along the Tethyan margin and northward displacement of Madagascar, West Falkland and the Gondwana fold belt occurred relative to a southward motion of Africa. Received: 2 October 1995 / Accepted: 28 May 1996     

Geochemical character and tectonic significance of Early Devonian keratophyres in the New England Fold Belt,eastern Australia

Extrusive and high level intrusive Early Devonian keratophyres are the oldest in situ igneous rocks in the Tamworth Block of the New England Fold Belt of eastern Australia. They show extensive evidence of degradation, including the destruction of magmatic phases, the growth of low grade metamorphic minerals, and changes in composition involving the dilution of elemental abundances in response to silica addition. Relations between the less mobile minor and trace elements, and limited data on clinopyroxene compositions, lead to the conclusion that these Early Devonian volcanic rocks are mostly calc‐alkaline volcanic arc andesites with minor dacite. These rocks unconformably overlie a sequence of Early Palaeozoic forearc basin deposits, indicating that the Early Devonian marks a period of readjustment of tectonic elements within the New England Fold Belt, associated with a marked east‐directed stepping out of the magmatic arc. Generation of the keratophyres in a subduction zone environment limits the position of the trench to 100 km east of the Peel Fault System.     

The Thomson Orogen of the Tasman Orogenic Zone

The Thomson Orogen forms the northwestern segment of the Tasman Orogenic Zone. It was a tectonically active area with several episodes of deposition, deformation and plutonism from Cambrian to Carboniferous time.Only the northeastern part of the orogen is exposed; the remainder is covered by gently folded Permian and Mesozoic sediments of the Galilee, Cooper and Great Artesian Basins. Information on the concealed Thomson Orogen is available from geophysical surveys and petroleum exploration wells which have penetrated the Permian and Mesozoic cover.The boundaries of the Thomson Orogen with other tectonic units are concealed, but discordant trends suggest that they are abrupt. To the west, the orogen is bordered by Proterozoic structural blocks which form basement west of the northeast-trending Diamantina River Lineament. The most appropriate boundary with the Lachlan and Kanmantoo Orogens to the south is an arcuate line marking a distinct change in the direction of gravity trends. The north-northwest orientation of the northern part of the New England Orogen to the east cuts strongly across the dominant northeast trend of the Thomson Orogen.The Thomson Orogen developed as a tectonic entity in latest Proterozoic or Early Cambrian time when the former northern extension of the Adelaide Orogen * was truncated along the Muloorinna Ridge. Early Palaeozoic deposition was dominated by finegrained, quartz-rich clastic sediments. Cambrian carbonates accumulated in the southwest and a Cambro-Ordovician island arc was active in the north. Along the western margin of the orogen, sediments were probably laid down on downfaulted blocks of deformed Proterozoic rocks, with oceanic crust further to the east.A mid- to Late Ordovician orogeny which affected the whole of the Thomson Orogen marked the climax of its precratonic (orogenic) stage. The northeast structural trend of the orogen (parallel to its western boundary with the Precambrian craton) was imposed at this time and has controlled the orientation of later folding and faulting. Up to three generations of folding have been recognized and fine-grained metasediments exhibit a prominent slaty cleavage. Metamorphism was to the greenschist and amphibolite facies, the highest grade rocks being associated with synorogenic granodiorite batholiths in the north. Following deposition of Late Ordovician marine sediments at the eastern margin, emplacement of post-tectonic Late Silurian or Early Devonian batholiths ended the precratonic history of the Thomson Orogen.The subsequent transitional tectonic regime was characterized by deposition of Devonian to Early Carboniferous shallow marine and continental sediments including widespread red-beds and andesitic volcanics. The maximum marine transgression occurred in the early Middle Devonian. Localized folding affected the easternmost part of the Thomson Orogen at the end of Middle Devonian time and was followed by intrusion of Devono-Carboniferous granitic plutons. However, the terminal orogeny which deformed all Devonian to Early Carboniferous rocks of the orogen was of mid-Carboniferous age. It produced northeast-trending open folds and normal and high-angle reverse faults which are considered to reflect basement structures. The cratonization of the Thomson Orogen was completed with the emplacement of Late Carboniferous granites and the eruption of comagmatic volcanics in the northeast, permian and Mesozoic sediments accumulated in broad, relatively shallow down warps which covered most of the former orogen.     

Lachlan Fold Belt in New South Wales

The Lachlan Fold Belt is a Middle Palaeozoic orogenic belt in which terminal tectogenesis occurred during the Early Carboniferous (Kanimblan Orogeny). This fold belt went through a complicated tectonic history and developed from the stratotectonic Lachlan Marginal Mobile Zone (or geosyncline of other authors). The Lachlan Fold Belt can be divided into structural zones which are characterized by varying tectonic styles. Zones of intensive deformation alternate with less deformed zones.The formation of the Lachlan Fold Belt may be viewed in terms of a series of tensional and compressional deformational events with the major compressional or tensional stress maintaining an approximate east—west orientation (relative to the grain of the fold belt) for the life of the Lachlan Marginal Mobile Zone.     

新疆古生代陆相火山-次火山岩型金矿成矿规律分析

新疆古生代陆相火山岩型金矿主要矿床式有阿希式,分布于西天山博罗科努西段,形成于晚泥盆世;石英滩式分布于东天山觉罗塔格,形成于早二叠世;马庄山式分布于塔里木板块北缘,形成于晚石炭世.通过成矿条件、成矿作用及矿床成因分析表明,上述金矿的成矿时代与含矿建造近于同时或略晚,属于陆相火山-次火山岩准同生Au-Ag成矿系列类型.     

Granite provinces and basement terranes in the Lachlan Fold Belt,southeastern Australia

Many granites have compositional features that directly reflect the composition of their source rocks. Since most granites come from the deeper parts of the Earth's crust, their study provides information about the nature of parts of that deep crust. Granites and related volcanic rocks are abundant and widely distributed in the Palaeozoic Lachlan Fold Belt of southeastern Australia. These granites show patterns of regional variation in which sharp discontinuities occur between provinces which internally are of a rather constant character. Such a discontinuity has long been recognized at the I‐S line and the extent of that line can now be defined more fully. Breaks of this type are thought to correspond to sharp changes in the composition of the deep crust that correspond to unexposed or basement terranes. Nine such basement terranes can be recognized in the Lachlan Fold Belt. The character of these basement terranes appears to be different from that of the terranes recognized in the Mesozoic‐Cainozoic Cordilleran fold belt, in which the plates accreted during the period of tectonism reflected in the exposed surface rocks. In the Lachlan Fold Belt, it is postulated that fragments of continental crust, or microplates, were assembled in the Late Proterozoic or Early Palaeozoic to form the substrate of the presently exposed Palaeozoic sedimentary rocks; the compositional features of these fragments were later redistributed vertically by magmatic processes. The identification of basement terranes of this type shows that models which involve the lateral growth of the Lachlan Fold Belt during the Palaeozoic, in a manner analogous to the accretion of younger belts, are untenable. These basement terranes have implications for mineral exploration because the content of heavy metals can vary from one to another and this would ultimately affect the probability of concentrating these metals to form a mineral deposit.     

Kenn Plateau off northeast Australia: a continental fragment in the southwest Pacific jigsaw

The submarine Kenn Plateau, with an area of about 140 000 km², lies some 400 km east of central Queensland beyond the Marion Plateau. It is one of several thinned continental fragments east of Australia that were once part of Australia, and it originally fitted south of the Marion Plateau and as far south as Brisbane. It is cut into smaller blocks by east- and northeast-trending faults, with thinly sedimented basement highs separated by basins containing several kilometres of sediment. In the Cretaceous precursor of the Kenn Plateau, Late Triassic to Late Cretaceous basins probably rested unconformably on Palaeozoic to Triassic rocks of the New England Fold Belt. Rift volcanism was common on the northern plateau and was probably of Early Cretaceous age. Late Cretaceous extension and breakup were followed by Paleocene drifting, and the Kenn Plateau moved to the northeast, rotated 30° anticlockwise and left space that was filled by Tasman Basin oceanic basalts. During these events, siliciclastic sediments poured into the basins from the continental mainland and from locally eroding highs. After a regional Late Paleocene to Early Eocene unconformity, siliciclastic sedimentation resumed in proximal areas. In deep water, radiolarian chalks were widely deposited until biosiliceous sediment accumulation ended at the regional Late Eocene to Early Oligocene unconformity, and warming surface waters led to accumulation of pure biogenic carbonates. Calcarenite formed in shallow water on the margins of the subsiding plateau from the Middle Eocene onward. Some seismic profiles show Middle to Late Eocene compression related to New Caledonian obduction to the east. Hotspots formed parts of two volcanic chains on or near the plateau as it moved northward: Late Eocene and younger volcanics of the Tasmantid chain in the west, and Late Oligocene and younger volcanics of the Lord Howe chain in the east. As the volcanoes subsided, they were fringed by reefs, some of which have persisted until the present day. Other reefs have not kept up with subsidence, so guyots formed. The plateau has subsided 2000 m or more since breakup and is now subject solely to pelagic carbonate sedimentation.     

Pleistocene stratigraphy of the Boco Plain,western Tasmania

The Late Devonian‐Early Carboniferous Mansfield Basin is the northernmost structural sub‐basin of the Mt Howitt Province of east‐central Victoria. It is comprised predominantly of continental clastic sedimentary rocks, and is superimposed upon deformed Cambrian to Early Devonian marine sequences of the Palaeozoic Lachlan Fold Belt. This paper documents evidence for synsedimentary deformation during the early history of the Mansfield Basin, via sedimentological, structural and stratigraphic investigations. Repeating episodes of folding, erosion and sedimentation are demonstrated along the preserved western margins of Mansfield Basin, where fold structures within the lower sequences are truncated by intrabasinal syntectonic unconformities. A convergent successor basin setting (an intermontane setting adjacent to, or between major fault zones) is suggested for initial phases of basin deposition, with synsedimentary reverse faulting being responsible for source uplift and subsequent basin deformation. Palaeocurrents within conglomerate units indicate derivation from the west and are consistent with episodic thrusting along basin margin faults providing elevated source regions. Periods of tectonic quiescence are represented by finer grained meandering fluvial facies (indicative of lower regional topographic gradients) which display drainage patterns that appear not to have been influenced by bounding faults to the west. An up‐sequence increase in the textural and compositional maturity of basin sandstones and conglomerates is proposed to be a result of the incorporation of basin fill into ongoing basin deformation, with unstable metapelitic rocks being progressively winnowed from clast populations. Rather than resulting from Carboniferous (Kanimblan) reactivation of extensional structures, as is generally assumed, the deformation observed within the lower units of the Mansfield Basin is suggested here to be essentially syndepositional and at least Late Devonian in age.     

Metallogeny and tectonic development of the tasman fold belt system in tasmania

In western Tasmania, Precambrian sedimentary sequences form the basement for narrow trough accumulations of Eocambrian and younger sequences. The main trough, the meridional Dundas Trough, is flanked to the west by the Rocky Cape region of Precambrian rocks within which major, apparently stratiform, exhalative magnetite-pyrite deposits are intercalated with metabasaltic volcanics and ultramafic bodies.The Eocambrian-Cambrian troughs apparently developed during extension of Precambrian continental crust. Early shallow-water deposition includes thick dolomite units in some troughs. Deepening of the troughs was accompanied by turbidite sedimentation, with minor limestone, and submarine basaltic volcanism with associated minor disseminated native copper. Ultramafic and related igneous rocks were tectonically emplaced in some troughs during a mild compressional phase. They contain only minor platinoids, copper-nickel sulphides and asbestos, but are source rocks for Tertiary secondary deposits of platinoids, chromite and lateritic nickel.In the Dundas Trough, Eocambrian-Early Cambrian rocks are separated by an inferred erosional surface from structurally conformable overlying Middle to Late Cambrian fossiliferous turbidite sequences. The structural conformity continues through overlying Ordovician to Early Devonian terrestrial and shallow-marine stable shelf deposits.A considerable pile of probable Middle Cambrian felsic volcanics accumulated between the sedimentary deposits of the Dundas Trough and the Tyennan region of Precambrian rocks to the east. A lava-dominated belt within the volcanics hosts major volcanogenic massive sulphide deposits, including those of the exhalative type, which in the south are enriched in copper, gold and silver, whereas in the north they are rich in zine, lead, copper, gold and silver. Cambrian movements along faults near the margin of the Tyennan region resulted in erosion of the mineralized volcanics, locally exposing sub-volcanic granitoids. Above the local unconformities occur unmineralized volcaniclastic sequences that pass conformably into Ordovician to Early Devonian shelf deposits. Ordovician limestone locally hosts stratabound disseminated and veined base metal sulphide deposits.Pre-Middle Devonian rocks of western Tasmania differ, for most part, from those in the northeast where deeper marine turbidite quartz-wacke sequences were deposited during the Ordovician and Early Devonian.The Eocambrian to Early Devonian rocks of Tasmania were extensively deformed in the mid-Devonian. The Precambrian regions of western Tasmania behaved as relatively competent blocks controlling early fold patterns. In northeastern Tasmania, folding is of similar age but resulted from movements inconsistent with those affecting rocks of equivalent age in western Tasmania.The final metallogenic event is associated with high-level granitoid masses emplaced throughout Tasmania during the Middle to Late Devonian. In northeastern Tasmania, extensive I-type granodiorite and S-type granite, with alkali-feldspar granites, are associated with mainly endogranitic stanniferous grelsens and wolframite ± cassiterite vein deposits. In contrast, scheelite-bearing skarns and cassiterite stannite pyrrhotite carbonate replacement deposits are dominant in western Tasmania, associated mainly with S-type granites. Several argentiferous lead-zinc vein deposits occur in haloes around tin-tungsten deposits. A number of gold deposits are apparently associated with I-type granodiorite, but some have uncertain genesis.The contrasting regions of western and northeastern Tasmania have probably been brought together by lateral movement along an inferred fracture. Flat-lying, Late Carboniferous and younger deposits rest on the older rocks, and the only known post-Devonian primary mineralization is gold associated with Creta ceous syenite.     

West Pacific-type convergent boundaries and their role in the formation of the Central Asian Fold Belt

The type of convergent boundaries forming in the area of mantle plumes is considered. These convergent boundaries (West Pacific type) are characteristic of the western margin of the Pacific. West Pacific-type boundaries are a regular succession of structures from ocean to continent: island arcs, marginal basins, rift basins, and associated OIB-type volcanics at the continental edge. The convergence zones are up to a thousand kilometers wide.Studies of the history of the part of the Central Asian Fold Belt forming the folded periphery of the Siberian continent have shown that the continent drifted above the African plume or corresponding low-velocity mantle province for most of the Phanerozoic (up to the Early Mesozoic inclusive). This fact determined the West Pacific type of convergent boundaries for the accretionary structures of the Central Asian Fold Belt. The drift of Siberia from African to Pacific province in the Late Cenozoic determined the structure and development of the convergent boundary in the western Pacific, including extensive intraplate magmatism in continental Asia in the Late Mesozoic and Cenozoic.     

Geochemical features,depositional settings,and provenances of Lower Paleozoic rocks in the Mamyn terrane,Central Asian Fold Belt

New data on geochemical features of the Lower Paleozoic terrigenous rocks in the Mamyn terrane (eastern Central Asian Fold Belt) and U–Pb geochronological studies of the detrital zircon from these rocks are presented. The obtained results suggest the following conclusions. 1. At present, the Kosmataya sequence includes different age Lower Cambrian terrigenous–carbonate and Lower Ordovician terrigenous rocks or represents Lower Ordovician olistostromes including limestone blocks with the Lower Cambrian fauna. Lower Ordovician terrigenous rocks were formed in an island arc or active continental margin, mainly, owing to the erosion of Cambrian–Early Ordovician plutons and volcanics that are widespread in structures of the Mamyn terrane and weakly reworked by the chemical weathering. 2. The Silurian Mamyn Formation was developed at a passive continental margin. The main sources of clastic material for this formation were the same Cambrian–Early Ordovician igneous rocks as for the Cambrian sequence, with the participation of Early Silurian and Vendian igneous complexes. The obtained data significantly refine concepts about the geological structure of the Mamyn terrane, which is a member of the Argun Superterrane, one of the largest tectonic structures in the eastern Central Asian Fold Belt.