Tectonic controls on sedimentary provenance and basin geography of the Mesoproterozoic Wilton package, McArthur Basin, northern Australia

The c. 1.5–1.3 Ga Wilton package, the upper succession of the greater McArthur Basin, preserves detailed tectono-sedimentary evidence for the Mesoproterozoic evolution of the North Australian Craton (NAC). In addition, it is a valuable global sedimentary repository for the poorly explored Mesoproter...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Geological magazine 2022-02, Vol.159 (2), p.179-198
Main Authors: Yang, Bo, Collins, Alan S., Blades, Morgan L., Munson, Tim J., Payne, Justin L., Glorie, Stijn, Farkaš, Juraj
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
absolute age
Age
Aileron Province
Australasia
Australia
Basins
Birrindudu Basin
Bullita Group
cathodoluminescence
Collara Subgroup
Convulsions
correlation
Cratons
Creeks & streams
Croydon Province
dates
detrital zircon
Detritus
Earth science
Evolution
Fault zones
Geography
Geological faults
hafnium
Hf-177/Hf-176
Inorunie Group
isotope ratios
Isotopes
Mass spectrometry
McArthur Basin
Mesoproterozoic
metals
Mount Isa Inlier
nesosilicates
North Australian Craton
Northern Territory Australia
Original Article
orthosilicates
paleogeography
Precambrian
Productivity
Proterozoic
Provenance
Queensland Australia
Radiometric dating
Rifting
Roper Group
Scientific imaging
Sediment
Sediment transport
sedimentary basins
sedimentary packages
Sedimentary rocks
sedimentation
silicates
South Nicholson Basin
South Nicholson Group
stable isotopes
Stratigraphy
structural controls
Structural geology
Subduction
Subduction (geology)
Tectonics
Temporal variations
Tijunna Group
U/Pb
Uplift
upper Precambrian
Wilton package
Zircon
zircon group
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Summary:The c. 1.5–1.3 Ga Wilton package, the upper succession of the greater McArthur Basin, preserves detailed tectono-sedimentary evidence for the Mesoproterozoic evolution of the North Australian Craton (NAC). In addition, it is a valuable global sedimentary repository for the poorly explored Mesoproterozoic. New detrital zircon U–Pb age and Lu–Hf isotope data, collected from multiple, geographically separated, basins that make up the Wilton package, are compiled with previously published data to illuminate the basin evolution. The spatial and temporal variation in sedimentary provenance illustrates two major geographic changes that correspond to continent-scale tectonic convulsions of the NAC during the Mesoproterozoic. The first is shown by the influx of sediment sourced from east and southeast terranes. This is linked to rifting between Proterozoic Australia and Laurentia at c. 1.45 Ga, resulting in the uplift of the eastern margin of the NAC–SAC (South Australian Craton). The second basin geographic change is illustrated by a flux of southerly-sourced detritus that is interpreted to be tectonically driven by the uplift of the southern NAC, during the subduction/closure of the Mirning Ocean at c. 1.32 Ga. Spatially, sediment in the Wilton package is separated into two depositional systems: sedimentary rocks within the Birrindudu Basin, the western component of the Wilton package, have different detrital signatures relative to other Wilton package successions found east of the Daly Waters Fault Zone, in the Beetaloo Sub-basin, the McArthur Basin and the South Nicholson Basin. The Daly Waters Fault Zone is interpreted as an ancient bathymetric high, blocking sediment transport. Although they differ in sources, rocks in both the Birrindudu Basin and the eastern Wilton package record coeval shifts of basin provenance to southern sources. The coherent evolution of basin provenance indicates a consistent tectono-sedimentation history, and links the Birrindudu Basin and the other Wilton successions in a tectonic framework.
ISSN:0016-7568
1469-5081
DOI:10.1017/S0016756820001223