Structural Evolution of a 1.6 Ga Orogeny Related to the Final Assembly of the Supercontinent Nuna: Coupling of Episodic and Progressive Deformation

The poly-deformed Georgetown Inlier (GTI) in NE Australia has recently been suggested to record a 1.60 Ga orogenic event related to final Nuna assembly. However, the structural evolution of the inlier has remained poorly constrained at the regional scale, and major tectono-thermal events occurred at...

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Main Authors: Volante, S., Collins, Bill, Pourteau, Amaury, Li, Zheng-Xiang, Li, J., Nordsvan, A.R.
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION 2020
Subjects:
Online Access:http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FL150100133
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/90609
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author Volante, S.
Collins, Bill
Pourteau, Amaury
Li, Zheng-Xiang
Li, J.
Nordsvan, A.R.
author_facet Volante, S.
Collins, Bill
Pourteau, Amaury
Li, Zheng-Xiang
Li, J.
Nordsvan, A.R.
author_sort Volante, S.
building Curtin Institutional Repository
collection Online Access
description The poly-deformed Georgetown Inlier (GTI) in NE Australia has recently been suggested to record a 1.60 Ga orogenic event related to final Nuna assembly. However, the structural evolution of the inlier has remained poorly constrained at the regional scale, and major tectono-thermal events occurred at circa 1.55 Ga. The GTI is the type region for conceptualization of crenulation cleavage development and where the foliation intersection axes (FIAs) approach has been applied. We reevaluated both concepts by combining a multiscale petrostructural analysis with recent petrological and geochronological data. Three main deformation events (D1–D3) and associated composite fabrics (S1–S3) are identified in the GTI. The original NE orientation of 1.60 Ga D1 compressional structures is preserved in the low-grade western domain, and the associated composite S1 fabric is retained as microstructural relicts within circa 1.55 Ga D2 low-strain domains to the east. Extensional D2 structures, characterized by a pervasive, high-grade, composite S2 foliation throughout the central and eastern domains, are interpreted as the footwall of a regional N-S trending, W dipping crustal-scale detachment zone. Syn-D2 S-type granites formed at 1.55 Ga as the detachment evolved. D1 stage was associated with Nuna assembly, whereas D2 represents postcollisional extension. Progressive foliation development occurred twice in the GTI, at 1.60 (D1) and 1.55 Ga (D2), but the previous FIA analysis only records the 1.60 Ga event and cannot be easily reconciled with the regional structural analysis. This study highlights that a multiscale and multidisciplinary approach is required to unravel the structural history of orogenic belts.
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spelling curtin-20.500.11937-906092023-03-23T06:25:33Z Structural Evolution of a 1.6 Ga Orogeny Related to the Final Assembly of the Supercontinent Nuna: Coupling of Episodic and Progressive Deformation Volante, S. Collins, Bill Pourteau, Amaury Li, Zheng-Xiang Li, J. Nordsvan, A.R. Science & Technology Physical Sciences Geochemistry & Geophysics ROBERTSON RIVER METAMORPHICS CRENULATION CLEAVAGE DEVELOPMENT EASTERN FOLD BELT NORTH QUEENSLAND GEORGETOWN REGION FOLIATION DEVELOPMENT AGE CONSTRAINTS ETHERIDGE GROUP BROKEN-HILL ISA-INLIER The poly-deformed Georgetown Inlier (GTI) in NE Australia has recently been suggested to record a 1.60 Ga orogenic event related to final Nuna assembly. However, the structural evolution of the inlier has remained poorly constrained at the regional scale, and major tectono-thermal events occurred at circa 1.55 Ga. The GTI is the type region for conceptualization of crenulation cleavage development and where the foliation intersection axes (FIAs) approach has been applied. We reevaluated both concepts by combining a multiscale petrostructural analysis with recent petrological and geochronological data. Three main deformation events (D1–D3) and associated composite fabrics (S1–S3) are identified in the GTI. The original NE orientation of 1.60 Ga D1 compressional structures is preserved in the low-grade western domain, and the associated composite S1 fabric is retained as microstructural relicts within circa 1.55 Ga D2 low-strain domains to the east. Extensional D2 structures, characterized by a pervasive, high-grade, composite S2 foliation throughout the central and eastern domains, are interpreted as the footwall of a regional N-S trending, W dipping crustal-scale detachment zone. Syn-D2 S-type granites formed at 1.55 Ga as the detachment evolved. D1 stage was associated with Nuna assembly, whereas D2 represents postcollisional extension. Progressive foliation development occurred twice in the GTI, at 1.60 (D1) and 1.55 Ga (D2), but the previous FIA analysis only records the 1.60 Ga event and cannot be easily reconciled with the regional structural analysis. This study highlights that a multiscale and multidisciplinary approach is required to unravel the structural history of orogenic belts. 2020 Journal Article http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/90609 10.1029/2020TC006162 English http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FL150100133 AMER GEOPHYSICAL UNION fulltext
spellingShingle Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Geochemistry & Geophysics
ROBERTSON RIVER METAMORPHICS
CRENULATION CLEAVAGE DEVELOPMENT
EASTERN FOLD BELT
NORTH QUEENSLAND
GEORGETOWN REGION
FOLIATION DEVELOPMENT
AGE CONSTRAINTS
ETHERIDGE GROUP
BROKEN-HILL
ISA-INLIER
Volante, S.
Collins, Bill
Pourteau, Amaury
Li, Zheng-Xiang
Li, J.
Nordsvan, A.R.
Structural Evolution of a 1.6 Ga Orogeny Related to the Final Assembly of the Supercontinent Nuna: Coupling of Episodic and Progressive Deformation
title Structural Evolution of a 1.6 Ga Orogeny Related to the Final Assembly of the Supercontinent Nuna: Coupling of Episodic and Progressive Deformation
title_full Structural Evolution of a 1.6 Ga Orogeny Related to the Final Assembly of the Supercontinent Nuna: Coupling of Episodic and Progressive Deformation
title_fullStr Structural Evolution of a 1.6 Ga Orogeny Related to the Final Assembly of the Supercontinent Nuna: Coupling of Episodic and Progressive Deformation
title_full_unstemmed Structural Evolution of a 1.6 Ga Orogeny Related to the Final Assembly of the Supercontinent Nuna: Coupling of Episodic and Progressive Deformation
title_short Structural Evolution of a 1.6 Ga Orogeny Related to the Final Assembly of the Supercontinent Nuna: Coupling of Episodic and Progressive Deformation
title_sort structural evolution of a 1.6 ga orogeny related to the final assembly of the supercontinent nuna: coupling of episodic and progressive deformation
topic Science & Technology
Physical Sciences
Geochemistry & Geophysics
ROBERTSON RIVER METAMORPHICS
CRENULATION CLEAVAGE DEVELOPMENT
EASTERN FOLD BELT
NORTH QUEENSLAND
GEORGETOWN REGION
FOLIATION DEVELOPMENT
AGE CONSTRAINTS
ETHERIDGE GROUP
BROKEN-HILL
ISA-INLIER
url http://purl.org/au-research/grants/arc/FL150100133
http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/90609