The thermal history of the eastern Officer Basin (South Australia): evidence from apatite fission track analysis and organic maturity data

The eastern Officer Basin in South Australia contains a Neoproterozoic to Devonian succession overlain by relatively thin (<500 m) Permian, Mesozoic and Tertiary deposits. Within the basin fill, there are several major unconformities representing uncertain amounts of erosion. Three of these surfaces are associated with regional deformational events. Regional unconformities formed between 560 and 540 Ma (Petermann Ranges Orogeny), approximately 510–490 Ma (Delamerian Orogeny), 370–300 Ma (Alice Springs Orogeny), 260–150 Ma; and 95–40 Ma. AFTA® results from 13 samples of Neoproterozoic, Cambrian and Permian sedimentary rocks in five wells (Giles-1, Manya-2, -5 and -6 and Lake Maurice West-1) show clear evidence for a number of distinct thermal episodes. Results from all samples are consistent with cooling from the most recent thermal episode beginning at some time between 70 and 20 Ma (Maastrichtian–Miocene). AFTA results from Giles-1 indicate at least two pre-Cretaceous thermal episodes with cooling beginning between 350 and 250 Ma (Carboniferous–Permian) and between 210 and 110 Ma (Late Triassic–Albian). Results from Manya-2, -5 and -6 and Lake Maurice West-1 show evidence for at least one earlier higher temperature event, with cooling from elevated paleotemperatures beginning between 270 and 200 Ma (Late Permian to Late Triassic). These episodes can be correlated with other cooling/erosional events outside the study area, and the AFTA-derived paleotemperatures are consistent with kilometre-scale erosion for each of the episodes identified. Integration of the AFTA data with organic thermal maturation indicators (MPI) in the Manya and Giles-1 wells suggests that the Cambrian and Neoproterozoic successions in the northern part of the study area reached peak maturation prior to the Permian, while limited data from Lake Maurice West-1 allows peak maturation to have occurred as young as the Late Permian to Late Triassic thermal episode revealed by AFTA. The approach outlined in this study is relevant to all ancient basins as it emphasises the importance of understanding events associated with neighbouring regions. The thermal history of the Officer Basin, as with most other ancient basins, has been strongly affected by significant tectonic events throughout its history, even though younger deposits are not preserved in the basin itself. The recognition of these younger events, and the implications of these events for the depositional history, is important as it allows identification of the best regions for preservation of early generated hydrocarbons, and in some cases, suggests areas where generation of hydrocarbons could have occurred more recently than previously thought.     

Morphometric analysis of sediment conduits on a bathymetric high: Implications for palaeoenvironment and hydrocarbon prospectivity

Canyons and other sediment conduits are important components of the deep‐water environment and are the main pathways for sediment transport from the shelf to the basin floor. Using 3‐D and 2‐D seismic reflection data, seismic facies and statistical morphometric analyses, this study showed the architectural evolution of five canyons, two slide scars and four gullies on the southern part of the Loppa High, Barents Sea. Morphometric parameters such as thalweg depth (lowest point on a conduit's base), wall depth (middle point), height, width and base width, sinuosity, thalweg gradient, aspect ratio (width/height) and cross‐sectional area of the conduits were measured at intervals of 250‐m perpendicular to the conduits’ pathways. Our results show that the canyons and slide scars in the study area widen down slope, whereas the gullies are narrow and short with uniform widths. The sediment conduits in the study area evolved in three stages. The first stage is correlated with a time when erosion and bypass were dominant in the conduits, and sediment transferred to the basin in the south. The second stage occurred when basin subsidence was prevalent, and a widespread fine‐grained sequence was deposited as a drape blanketing the canyons and other conduits. A final stage occurred when uplift and glacial erosion configured the entire southern Loppa High into an area of denudation. Our work demonstrates that the morphometric parameters of the canyons, slide scars and gullies generally have increasing linear trends with down‐slope distance, irrespective of their geometries. The morphometric analysis of the sediment conduits in the study area has wider applications for understanding depositional processes, reservoir distribution and petroleum prospectivity in frontier basins.     

A general framework of TOPSIS method for integration of airborne geophysics,satellite imagery,geochemical and geological data

This work presents the promising application of three variants of TOPSIS method (namely the conventional, adjusted and modified versions) as a straightforward knowledge-driven technique in multi criteria decision making processes for data fusion of a broad exploratory geo-dataset in mineral potential/prospectivity mapping. The method is implemented to airborne geophysical data (e.g. potassium radiometry, aeromagnetic and frequency domain electromagnetic data), surface geological layers (fault and host rock zones), extracted alteration layers from remote sensing satellite imagery data, and five evidential attributes from stream sediment geochemical data. The central Iranian volcanic-sedimentary belt in Kerman province at the SE of Iran that is embedded in the Urumieh–Dokhtar Magmatic Assemblage arc (UDMA) is chosen to integrate broad evidential layers in the region of prospect. The studied area has high potential of ore mineral occurrences especially porphyry copper/molybdenum and the generated mineral potential maps aim to outline new prospect zones for further investigation in future. Two evidential layers of the downward continued aeromagnetic data and its analytic signal filter are prepared to be incorporated in fusion process as geophysical plausible footprints of the porphyry type mineralization. The low values of the apparent resistivity layer calculated from the airborne frequency domain electromagnetic data are also used as an electrical criterion in this investigation. Four remote sensing evidential layers of argillic, phyllic, propylitic and hydroxyl alterations were extracted from ASTER images in order to map the altered areas associated with porphyry type deposits, whilst the ETM+ satellite imagery data were used as well to map iron oxide layer. Since potassium alteration is generally the mainstay of porphyry ore mineralization, the airborne potassium radiometry data was used. The geochemical layers of Cu/B/Pb/Zn elements and the first component of PCA analysis were considered as powerful traces to prepare final maps. The conventional, adjusted and modified variants of the TOPSIS method produced three mineral potential maps, in which the outputs indicate adequately matching of high potential zones with previous working and active mines in the region.     

西藏羌塘盆地中侏罗世布曲期及夏里期岩相古地理与油气远景

在露头剖面地层学及沉积学研究的基础上,采用单因素分析多因素综合作图法,编制了西藏羌塘盆地中侏罗世布曲期和夏里期的单因素图和岩相古地理图。布曲期以碳酸盐岩沉积为主,自北而南依次发育局限台地（潮坪、泻湖）、开阔台地（台盆、浅滩/点礁）、台缘礁/浅滩、台缘斜坡、盆地等沉积（亚）相;夏里期以陆源碎屑沉积为主,发育泻湖、潮坪、滨岸、陆棚等沉积（亚）相。布曲组台盆和泻湖相泥灰岩和泥晶灰岩是良好的烃源岩,台缘礁和浅滩相碳酸盐岩是良好的储集岩,而上覆的夏里组泻湖和潮坪相泥岩和膏盐层是良好的区域性盖层,共同构成良好的生、储、盖组合。该生储盖组合大都被上覆的上侏罗统、白垩系、第三系覆盖。因此,布曲组是盆地内最好的油气勘探目的层,沿中央隆起带两侧以及北羌塘地区的琵琶湖－半岛湖凸起一带应是油气勘探的有利区带。     

基于空间数据挖掘的三维成矿预测定量指标体系建立方法研究——以宁芜盆地钟姑矿田为例

大数据思维是直接从数据入手的一种新的思维方式,其本质是减少甚至完全屏蔽人为因素干扰,让数据说话。以往三维成矿预测中指标体系的建立多采用经验分析法,以地质模型和先验知识指导控矿特征变量取值,其准确性易受到人为影响。本文基于大数据思维,使用数据驱动方法对三维成矿预测中的找矿指标体系进行探索性研究,在钟姑矿田选择4 个大中型典型矿床,直接采用三维空间分析方法对地层和岩体的控矿地质体进行特征分析,通过计算z 轴方向三维距离场、分析岩体顶面隆起凹陷程度形态因素,确定各控矿要素与矿体之间的相关关系,获取定量指标。本研究改变了以往主观经验指导找矿的思路,尝试采用空间数据挖掘方法进行客观数据分析提出找矿指标,提高了找矿指标体系建立的科学性,此方法得到的定量指标体系可直接参与三维找矿预测模型的计算。     

Controls on mineral deposit occurrence inferred from analysis of their spatial pattern and spatial association with geological features

In this paper, point pattern analysis, fractal analysis and Fry analysis were employed to study the spatial pattern of known occurrences of mineral deposits of the type sought, whereas distance distribution method was applied to study the spatial associations between various geological features and known occurrences of mineral deposits of the type sought. In the Aroroy district (Philippines), the results of the applications of these spatial analytical techniques support a conceptual model of district-scale mechanism of geologic controls on low-sulphidation epithermal Au mineralization, which involves a more-or-less regular mesh of interlinked zones of extension faults/fractures at and/or around intersections of NNW- and NW-trending strike-slip faults/fractures. Integration of spatial evidential data layers representing these structural controls and surficial geochemical anomalies, via knowledge-guided application of data-driven evidential belief functions, results in delineation of prospective areas occupying about 25% of the district, in which there is about 70% likelihood of undiscovered occurrences of low-sulphidation epithermal Au deposits.     

A comparative predictive analysis of weighted overlay,weighted sum and fuzzy logic for mineral prospectivity mapping of precious and base metal mineralizations at north-east of Gümüşhane city,NE Turkey

The study area located south of the Eastern Pontide metallogenic belt (NE Turkey) has an important potential for valuable and base metallic minerals. Geological, tectonic, geochemical, hydrothermal alteration, mineralogical and fluid inclusion characteristics of ore formations in the region have been studied in detail. The purpose of this study is to combine and analyse the acquired spatial data layers in a geographic information system (GIS) environment using knowledge-driven approaches and to identify prospective areas in terms of mineralization. Moreover, evaluating the performance of different knowledge-driven mineral probability modelling results comparatively and quantitatively constitutes the other goal of the study. As a result, in addition to the known mineralization locations, a number of new prospective and favourable areas have been identified for future detailed studies. In addition, it has been found that the mineral predictive map generated using fuzzy logic-OR method produces the best and successful results compared to others.     

New Zealand’s deepwater frontier

The islands of New Zealand cover an area of approximately 250,000 km², but the New Zealand Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) extends to around 4 million km² and recent confirmation of New Zealand’s Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) has added a further 1.7 million km² to the country’s marine estate. Within the 5.7 million km² of New Zealand’s marine territory, approximately 1.2 million km² are underlain by sedimentary accumulations which may be thick enough to expel petroleum.     

三维成矿预测研究进展

随着深部隐伏矿床找矿预测研究的逐渐深入,三维成矿预测已成为当前的研究热点之一,相关理论及方法已并在国内外多个地区开展深部找矿预测实践。本文系统归纳和整理了当前国内外三维成矿预测的研究进展,对未来三维成矿预测研究的发展趋势进行展望,并总结出"四步式"的三维成矿预测方法流程,以期为进一步推进三维成矿预测研究提供支持和帮助。