Cooling and exhumation history of the northeastern Gawler Craton, South Australia

We present biotite 40Ar/39Ar ages and from the Palaeo- to Mesoproterozoic Mount Woods Inlier in the northeastern Gawler Craton, South Australia. In combination with garnet–biotite Fe–Mg exchange modelling using the THERMAL HISTORY program, these data are used to constrain a post-peak metamorphic P–T...

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Main Authors: Forbes, C., Giles, D., Jourdan, Fred, Sato, K., Omori, S., Bunch, M.
Format: Journal Article
Published: Elsevier BV 2012
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/30535
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author Forbes, C.
Giles, D.
Jourdan, Fred
Sato, K.
Omori, S.
Bunch, M.
author_facet Forbes, C.
Giles, D.
Jourdan, Fred
Sato, K.
Omori, S.
Bunch, M.
author_sort Forbes, C.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description We present biotite 40Ar/39Ar ages and from the Palaeo- to Mesoproterozoic Mount Woods Inlier in the northeastern Gawler Craton, South Australia. In combination with garnet–biotite Fe–Mg exchange modelling using the THERMAL HISTORY program, these data are used to constrain a post-peak metamorphic P–T path, cooling rates and a temperature–time path for the inlier. Consistently well-defined plateaus at ~1.53 Ga of biotite 40Ar/39Ar age spectra indicate that the rocks cooled through ~300 °C at this time. Cooling rates within the inlier are ~3–9 °C/Ma from peak high-temperature/low-pressure metamorphism at ~1.59 Ga to ~1.53 Ga. Cooling rates subsequently decreased to ~4 °C/Ma. Cooling is suggested to be a function of cessation of voluminous magmatism and mantle heat input in conjunction with exhumation initiated along the southwestern margin of the inlier ca. 1.592–1.582 Ga. The temperature–time path of the inlier has a concave shape. The peak metamorphic and ensuing cooling history of the Mount Woods Inlier are akin to the nearby Curnamona Province, Coober Pedy Ridge and Mabel Creek Ridge within the South Australian Craton. Deformation during high-grade metamorphism within these terranes was accommodated at mid-crustal levels, and large-scale exhumation did not occur until the terranes cooled and were able to be exhumed as coherent, rigid blocks along discrete shear zones and faults.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-305352017-09-13T16:07:33Z Cooling and exhumation history of the northeastern Gawler Craton, South Australia Forbes, C. Giles, D. Jourdan, Fred Sato, K. Omori, S. Bunch, M. Northeastern Gawler Craton Biotite Ar thermochronology Metamorphism Proterozoic Australia Temperature–time Cooling rates We present biotite 40Ar/39Ar ages and from the Palaeo- to Mesoproterozoic Mount Woods Inlier in the northeastern Gawler Craton, South Australia. In combination with garnet–biotite Fe–Mg exchange modelling using the THERMAL HISTORY program, these data are used to constrain a post-peak metamorphic P–T path, cooling rates and a temperature–time path for the inlier. Consistently well-defined plateaus at ~1.53 Ga of biotite 40Ar/39Ar age spectra indicate that the rocks cooled through ~300 °C at this time. Cooling rates within the inlier are ~3–9 °C/Ma from peak high-temperature/low-pressure metamorphism at ~1.59 Ga to ~1.53 Ga. Cooling rates subsequently decreased to ~4 °C/Ma. Cooling is suggested to be a function of cessation of voluminous magmatism and mantle heat input in conjunction with exhumation initiated along the southwestern margin of the inlier ca. 1.592–1.582 Ga. The temperature–time path of the inlier has a concave shape. The peak metamorphic and ensuing cooling history of the Mount Woods Inlier are akin to the nearby Curnamona Province, Coober Pedy Ridge and Mabel Creek Ridge within the South Australian Craton. Deformation during high-grade metamorphism within these terranes was accommodated at mid-crustal levels, and large-scale exhumation did not occur until the terranes cooled and were able to be exhumed as coherent, rigid blocks along discrete shear zones and faults. 2012 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/30535 10.1016/j.precamres.2011.11.003 Elsevier BV restricted
spellingShingle Northeastern Gawler Craton
Biotite Ar thermochronology
Metamorphism
Proterozoic Australia
Temperature–time
Cooling rates
Forbes, C.
Giles, D.
Jourdan, Fred
Sato, K.
Omori, S.
Bunch, M.
Cooling and exhumation history of the northeastern Gawler Craton, South Australia
title Cooling and exhumation history of the northeastern Gawler Craton, South Australia
title_full Cooling and exhumation history of the northeastern Gawler Craton, South Australia
title_fullStr Cooling and exhumation history of the northeastern Gawler Craton, South Australia
title_full_unstemmed Cooling and exhumation history of the northeastern Gawler Craton, South Australia
title_short Cooling and exhumation history of the northeastern Gawler Craton, South Australia
title_sort cooling and exhumation history of the northeastern gawler craton, south australia
topic Northeastern Gawler Craton
Biotite Ar thermochronology
Metamorphism
Proterozoic Australia
Temperature–time
Cooling rates
url http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/30535