Updated:
12 February 2008
Proterozoic Synthesis Project
Project description
The Proterozoic Synthesis project aims to provide greater understanding of Proterozoic (2000-1000 Ma) regions across Australia.
Regional compilations
The first part of this project examines the principal regions for the Proterozoic time period:
- Tanami, Arunta, Davenport, Tennant Creek (Northern Territory, Western Australia);
- Mount Isa, McArthur, Murphy (north west Queensland, Northern Territory) and Georgetown, Coen (north east Queensland);
- Curnamona (South Australia, New South Wales);
- Gawler (South Australia);
- Pine Creek, Halls Creek (Northern Territory, Western Australia);
- Capricorn, Rudall, Albany-Fraser, King Leopold (Western Australia); and
- Musgrave (South Australia, Western Australia, Northern Territory).
Initially this project will create geochronology terrane time-space data plots and evaluate confidence levels for all readily available geochronology data. This information will then be assembles and compiled in order to characterise the event types for each terrane as:
- Magmatism;
- Deformation;
- Metamorphism;
- Sedimentation; and
- Mineralisation.
The appropriate available datasets (including geochemistry, isotopic signature, sedimentary facies and sequences, metamorphic grade, structural grain, fluid inclusion chemistry and alteration assemblage) will be evaluated so that each event can be characterised and the geodynamic setting made clear in selected areas. For one event name there may be more than one event type and character described. For example, the Stafford event will have magmatic, metamorphic and deformation events.
The next step is to summarise the critical attributes and components for each of these event types. The events can then be given spatial attributes with each column on the time-space plot coinciding with a map region.
The reports for this stage of the project will contain:
- Excel data plots - geochronology;
- T-S-E plots and descriptions of events from the database;
- annotated cartoon maps describing regional crustal-scale features (eg. platform margin, extent of magmatic event, greenschist facies); and
- text describing the critical elements of each event type and how they have been used to interpret geodynamic setting.
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Regional and continental correlations
This stage of the project will correlate events at the national scale to provide extra information on geodynamic interpretations.
The reports for this stage of the project will contain:
- Charts of T-S-E columns for terranes across Australia showing correlations of events between provinces;
- reports describing reasons for the correlations and predictions for metallogeny;
- annotated maps showing geodynamic interpretations; and
- annotated maps overlain on geodynamic interpretations showing predictions of an area's potential for known mineralisation styles and the potential for previously unknown mineral systems.
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Project outcome
Promote opportunities for investment in mineral exploration through new precompetitive geoscience information from synthesis of Australia's Proterozoic era geological provinces across the entire continent.
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Reports
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Project outputs
- Reports on geodynamic synthesis of the Proterozoic (2000-1000 Ma) interval for provinces and regions across Australia, delivered in a time-space framework;
- reports providing integrated knowledge and understanding of the geodynamics and metallogeny across selected regions;
- reports and maps which provide predictions of an area’s potential for known mineralisation styles within Australian Proterozoic provinces and regions as well as the potential for previously unknown mineral systems within these provinces and regions;
- reports on gaps in data and knowledge defined for the Proterozoic provinces with regions and results contributed towards defining the future work program;
- a scoped plan to deliver web based reports summarising Australia’s mineral potential; and
- revision of the Tanami 3D map to incorporate results of the Tanami deep seismic survey.
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Related links
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