July 2019

A monthly online newsletter with product news, data releases and project highlights relating to the minerals and energy exploration industries.

1. New Australian Resource Reviews – Lithium by David Champion and Graphite by Daisy Summerfield
2. New geochronology and isotopic data published
3. Gigayear stability of cratonic edges controls global distribution of sediment-hosted metals
4. A new scientific article published in the journal Lithosphere
5. Update on geophysical data release
6. About Minerals Alert

1. New Australian Resource Reviews – Lithium by David Champion and Graphite by Daisy Summerfield

These reports present Australia’s inventories of lithium and graphite, comparisons with world resources and production and provide an overview of industry developments. The lithium and graphite industries in Australia have grown rapidly in recent years, with both minerals regarded as ‘critical commodities’ by many of Australia’s trading partners.

For further information, email Allison.Britt@ga.gov.au or phone +61 2 6249 9647

2. New geochronology and isotopic data published

Northern Territory Geological Survey Record 2019-002 by Kositcin and Munson presents new detrital zircon U-Pb results from sedimentary rocks of the greater McArthur Basin, Northern Territory, allowing for improved correlation of stratigraphy across the basin. This work was undertaken collaboratively between the Northern Territory Geological Survey and Geoscience Australia under a National Collaboration Framework Project Agreement. Geoscience Australia’s contribution to this work represents part of the Exploring for the Future program.

GA Record 2019-005 by Waltenberg et al. presents new SHRIMP U-Pb zircon and titanate ages from twelve samples of plutonic and volcanic rocks from the Lachlan Orogen and New England Orogen, and two samples of hydrothermal quartz veins from the Cobar region, NSW. The results improve contraints on the timing of mineralisation in New South Wales. The work was undertaken collaboratively between the Geological Survey of New South Wales and Geoscience Australia under a National Collaboration Framework Project Agreement.

GA Record 2019-001 by Huston et al. presents a compilation of Pb isotope data from ore-minerals from across Australia, and displays the variation in isotopic signatures as a series of maps. These maps provide the first continental-scale view of Pb isotopic variation across Australia, and reflect spatial variations in the chemistry of the upper crust with which ore fluids have interacted. This work represents part of Geoscience Australia’s Exploring for the Future program.

For further information on geochronology at Geoscience Australia, please email: geochronology@ga.gov.au.

3. Gigayear stability of cratonic edges controls global distribution of sediment-hosted metals

A draft manuscript titled Gigayear stability of cratonic edges controls global distribution of sediment-hosted metals is available through EarthArXiv. This work reveals 85% of sediment-hosted base metal deposits, including all giant deposits (> 10 megatonnes of metal), occurs within 200 km of the edges of thick lithosphere derived from surface wave tomography. Included is the highest resolution map of lithospheric thickness available across Australia. This work was undertaken in collaboration with Mark Haggard and Fred Richards from Harvard University and Lynton Jaques from the Australian National University as part of the Exploring for the Future Program.

For further information, email Karol.Czarnota@ga.gov.au phone + 61 6249 9284 or David.Huston@ga.gov.au + 61 6249 9577

4. A new scientific article published in the journal Lithosphere

A new scientific article published in the journal Lithosphere [https://pubs.geoscienceworld.org/lithosphere/early-publication] explores mid-Proterozoic plate reconstructions and links between the Australian margin as it then was (Mount Isa-Georgetown-Curnamona regions) and Laurentia. The paper raises the possibility that some terranes in Laurentia may ultimately have their origin in the Australian-Antarctic plate. The work was undertaken as part of a collaboration between George Gibson from the Australian National University

For further information, email David.Champion@ga.gov.au Phone + 61 6249 9215

5. Update on geophysical data release

Geoscience Australia is managing the geophysical data acquisition programs in Western Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, Tasmania and the Northern Territory on behalf of the state/territory geological surveys.

The current status of Geoscience Australia's geophysical survey data acquisition is available in a comprehensive table.

For further information, email clientservices@ga.gov.au or phone 1800 800 173.

6. About Minerals Alert

For more information, please email clientservices@ga.gov.au; or phone 1800 800 173.