Lithofacies and biofacies of mid-Paleozoic thermal spring deposits in the Drummond Basin, Queensland, Australia

The Devonian to Carboniferous sinters of the Drummond Basin, Australia, are among the oldest well established examples of fossil subaerial hot springs. Numerous subaerial and subaqueous spring deposits are known from the geological record as a result of the occurrence of economic mineral deposits in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Palaios 1996-12, Vol.11 (6), p.497-518
Main Authors: Walter, Malcolm R, Desmarais, David, Farmer, Jack D, Hinman, Nancy W
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
algae
Australasia
Australia
bacteria
Bedding
biofacies
biogenic structures
biostratigraphy
Breccia
Carboniferous
chemically precipitated rocks
Conway hydrothermal system
cyanobacteria
Devonian
Drummond Basin
Exobiology
Fossils
Fresh Water
Geologic Sediments - analysis
Geologic Sediments - microbiology
Geological Phenomena
Geology
Geosciences (General)
geyserite
Geysers
Hot springs
Hot Temperature
hydrothermal conditions
Hydrothermal systems
life origin
lithofacies
lithostratigraphy
microfacies
microfossils
middle Paleozoic
National parks
Outcrops
paleoecology
Paleontology
Paleozoic
Plantae
Plants
Quartz
Queensland Australia
Research Reports
sedimentary rocks
sedimentary structures
siliceous sinter
Space life sciences
springs
Stratigraphy
stromatolites
subaerial environment
terrestrial environment
thallophytes
thermophilic taxa
Verbena hydrothermal system
Water Microbiology
Wobegong hydrothermal system
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Summary:The Devonian to Carboniferous sinters of the Drummond Basin, Australia, are among the oldest well established examples of fossil subaerial hot springs. Numerous subaerial and subaqueous spring deposits are known from the geological record as a result of the occurrence of economic mineral deposits in many of them. Some are reported to contain fossils, but very few have been studied by paleobiologists; they represent an untapped source of paleobiological information on the history of hydrothermal ecosystems. Such systems are of special interest, given the molecular biological evidence that thermophilic bacteria lie near the root of the tree of extant life. The Drummond Basin sinters are very closely comparable with modern examples in Yellowstone National Park and elsewhere. Thirteen microfacies are recognisable in the field, ranging from high temperature apparently abiotic geyserite through various forms of stromatolitic sinter probably of cyanobacterial origin to ambient temperature marsh deposits. Microfossils in the stromatolites are interpreted as cyanobacterial sheaths. Herbaceous lycopsids occur in the lower temperature deposits.
ISSN:0883-1351
1938-5323
DOI:10.2307/3515187