Boudinage control on the emplacement of lodes of the Kalgoorlie goldfield

Literature on the Kalgoorlie goldfield is reviewed and boudinage is shown to be an important aspect of the structure of the field, the lode distribution to be coincident with the principal necks, and the configuration of the lodes to match the characteristic fracture patterns of classical boudin necks. Boudinage is therefore interpreted to be an important control on the emplacement of the mineralization. Boudinage and the concomitant introduction of mineralization is related to flattening of the Boomerang Anticline, which is consistent with the general consensus that mineralization is emplaced as hydrothermal veins during late‐stage deformation. This interpretation is proposed as a simpler alternative to other more complex shear‐related models and may be useful in exploration for deposits of similar type.