PAPERS Department of Geology

PAPERS ■ - ' ■ -Z^-- Department of Geology

University of Queensland

olume 12 Number 2

PAPERS

Department of Geology • University of Queensland

VOLUME 12 NUMBER 2

Editor: S.H. HALL

Division of the bivalved mollusca described by James Dwight Dana 1847-1849 from the Permian of eastern Australia J.B. WATERHOUSE P. 165-227

Geology of the Inglis Dome, Denison Trough, central Queensland s. McLoughlin P.229-263

Date of publication: March 1988 GEOLOGY OF THE INGLIS DOME, DENISON TROUGH, CENTRAL QUEENSLAND

by s. McLoughlin

(with 8 Text-figures, 3 Tables and 4 Plates) ABSTRACT. The Inglis Dome is an anticlinal structure located in the Denison Trough on the western side of the Bowen Basin, east central Queensland. Approximately 4000 m of Permian sediments accumulated in this area during several transgressive and regressive phases. In ascending order, the exposed Permian units comprise: the upper conglomerate member of the Aldebaran Sandstone, Freitag Formation, Ingelara Formation, Catherine Sandstone, Peawaddy Formation, Black Alley Shale and Bandanna Formation. Subsurface units include the Reids Dome beds. Cattle Creek Formation and the lower sandstone member of the Aldebaran Sandstone. Sediments are inferred to be largely derived from the Devonian-Carboniferous Drummond Basin and Cambrian-Ordovician Anakie Inlier to the west and northwest. The Inglis Dome, initiated during Late Triassic regional deformation, developed by up-arching of sediments through reactivation and reversal of movement along normal dip-slip basement faults that dated from Early Permian times. Palynological investigation of part of the Middle Permian sequence reveals that previous correlations of the Denison Trough formations with the Permian Upper 5b and Upper 5c palynostratigraphic interval zones require revision. Megafloral and palynofloral investigations reveal that a Glossopteris-xxch, cool temperate flora existed in the vicinity of the project area during the Middle Permian.

INTRODUCTION

The study area is located ca 50 km southwest of Rolleston, east central Queensland, and is bounded by long. 148°14'30"E and 148°21'42"E and lat. 24°35'58"S and 24°44'7"S (Text-fig. 1). The area covers about 190 km^ taking in portions of ‘Consuelo’ and ‘Aldinga Park’ stations. The study aims to summarise the stratigraphy and structure of the area and to examine the palynology of part of the Middle Permian sequence. Since the initial surveys by Jensen (1926) and Reid (1930), numerous detailed geological investigations have been undertaken of the Permian-Triassic stratigraphy and palaeontology of the Denison Trough. Notable publications include Crespin (1945a,b), Campbell (1953), Molían et al. (1964, 1969), Power (1966, 1967), Evans (1969), Jensen (1968), Dickins & Malone (1973), Price (1976, 1983), Rigby & Hekel (1977), de Jersey (1979), Paten et al. (1979), Jackson et al. (1980), Palmieri (1983), and Wood (1984). Grid references cited herein refer to the Consuelo sheet, 1982 National Series 1: 100 000 topographic map (no. 8548). All lithogical and palaeontological specimens are housed in the collections of the Department of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Queensland. Megafossils are prefixed by the letter ‘F’ and palynological specimens by ‘Y’. Individual palynomorphs are located by the accompanying ‘England Finder’ coordinates.

Pap. Dep. Geol. Univ. Qd., 12(2): pp. 35 Pls 1-4, March 1988. 230

LIMIT OF PERMIAN OUTCROP

\ \ PROJECT \ AREA \ \ \ 0 10km \ I I ....\ \ \ \ \

/ I I I +,I -1- \ \ \ Text-fig. I: Location map. 231

149° J___ Text-fig. 2: Well locations: Denison Trough (after Randal 1984; Draper and Beeston 1985a). 232

REGIONAL GEOLOGY

The Denison Trough is an elongate downwarp along the western side of the Bowen Basin and embodies over 3850 m of Permian and Triassic sediments (Paten et al. 1979). The trough is bounded by the Comet Platform to the east and the Springsure Shelf to the west. Sediments of the Denison Trough are deformed into a series of roughly meridional en echelon folds. The Inglis Dome (Molían et al. 1969), a small anticlinal feature, is located in the central western part of the Denison Trough (Text-fig. 2). Seismic profiling indicates that the major folds in this region are situated on the downthrown side of deep basement faults (Bauer & Nelson 1980; Nelson & Bauer 1981; Dixon & Bauer 1982).

STRATIGRAPHY

The Permian sequence from the upper Aldebaran Sandstone to the Bandanna Formation is exposed within the study area (Text-fig. 3). Stratigraphically lower units are not exposed but are known from many stratigraphic and petroleum exploration wells in the Denison Trough (Gray 1980; Draper & Beeston 1985a) and hence they will be only briefly considered in this paper. The general pattern of sedimentation within the Denison Trough reflects a series of transgressive and regressive cycles of shallow marine, paralic and fluvial sediments embodying a diverse suite of interfingering sedimentary facies (Text-fig. 4).

Basement

A lithologically varied basement underlies the Permian sediments. SQD 1 Morelia and PEC Warrinilla 3 (Text-fig. 2) penetrated andesitic to rhyolitic volcanic rocks probably correlative with the Combarngo Volcanics of Late Carboniferous to Early Permian age (Gray 1980; Murray 1983). In the north, the Permian sequence overlies Devonian to Early Carboniferous metasediments and metavolcanics of the Drummond Basin and the Cambrian to Ordovician Anakie Metamorphics (Power 1967; Green 1982).

Reids Dome Beds

The name ‘Reids Dome beds’ (Molían et al. 1969) was adopted for the G/o^iopterzs-bearing shales, siltstones, coals, and sandstones encountered in AOE 1 Reids Dome well, and originally described by Webb (1956) as undivided freshwater sediments and lower shales and mudstones. This Early Permian unit marks the beginning of clastic sedimentation in the Denison Trough. The Orion Formation (Webb 1956) represents the upper part of the Reids Dome beds exposed within the Springsure Anticline to the north of the Inglis Dome. Depositional aspects, hydrocarbon potential and coal resources of the Reids Dome beds have been discussed by Fleming (1982) and Draper & Beeston (1985a,b). Several gas flows have been recorded from the Reids Dome beds in wells in the southern part of the Denison Trough (Draper & Beeston 1985b) although no commercial exploitation is currently underway. 233

Text-fig. 3: Geological map: Inglis Dome. 234

Text-fig. 4; Permian stratigraphy of the Inglis Dome. For stratigraphic nomenclature adopted, see text. 235

These beds have a maximum known thickness of 2760 m in AAO Westgrove 3 (Text-fig. 2) where the base of the unit was not reached (Dickins & Malone 1973). The Reids Dome beds unconformably overlie basement rocks and are conformably or unconformably overlain by the Cattle Creek Formation (Power 1967). Cattle Creek Formation This unit, named by Hill (1957), was subsequently divided into several members (Text-fig. 4) by Power (1967) and Balfe (1982). The Cattle Creek Formation is dominated by sandstone, siltstone, and shale with very minor limestone and coal deposited in environments ranging from neritic marine to fluvial (Power 1967). The maximum recorded thickness for this unit is 930 m (composite thickness) intersected in GSQ Springsure 15, 16, and 17 (Balfe 1982) located ca 20 km northeast of Springsure. The formation probably approaches 500 m in thickness within the project area (Paten et al. 1979). Aldebaran Sandstone 236

Freitag Formation

This unit, named by Power (1966) for the transitional series of sandstones and siltstones separating the Aldebaran Sandstone and the Ingelara Formation, constitutes the prime reservoir rock in the Rolleston Gas Field. The unit corresponds to the transitional member of the Aldebaran Sandstone as defined by Molían et al. (1969). The type section is located in the south branch of Aldebaran Creek on the Springsure Anticline, 8.4 km southeast of Freitag Homestead. Distribution. Within the study area, the Freitag Formation crops out around the flanks of Reids Dome and Inglis Dome. Elsewhere the unit is exposed along the flanks of the Serocold, Springsure, and Consuelo Anticlines and is recognised from boreholes over most of the Denison Trough and on the Comet Platform. The unit thins southward and is absent south of the Serocold Anticline according to Paten et 237 238 239

Text-fig. 6: Rose diagram of palaeocurrent directions in the Freitag Formation. 240

Catherine Sandstone

The Catherine Sandstone, named by Reid (1930) for the predominantly quartzose sandstone unit succeeding the Ingelara Formation, forms a minor gas reservoir in the Arcturus field east of Springsure. Some later workers included stratigraphically higher feldspathic sandstones within the unit but Molían et al. (1964) reverted to the original definition and proposed the name Peawaddy Formation for the feldspathic sandstones. The type section of the Catherine Sandstone as defined by Reid (1930), is about 7 km southeast of Mount Catherine. Distribution. Within the project area, this formation is exposed in two bands flanking Inglis and Reids Domes and is represented by mudstones in the eastern part of the Denison Trough (Power 1967). Lithology. Multicoloured quartzose to sublithic sandstones constitute the bulk of the unit. The sandstones are fine- to coarse-grained, thin- to thick-bedded, and slightly micaceous. Horizontal laminae, cross-laminae and low angle cross-bedding are common. Siltstones, more common at the base of the unit, are often carbonaceous and possess abundant and varied worm burrows. Conglomerates constitute only a small proportion of the Catherine sequence; they are more common towards the top of the formation and include quartz, chert and quartzite clasts. The Catherine Sandstone is well-exposed, as cuestas, in the southern portion of the thesis area. Thickness. This formation attains a thickness of 62 m in the study area compared to 90 m in the type section and a maximum of 160 m elsewhere (Paten et al. 1969). Relationships. The Catherine Sandstone transitionally overlies the Ingelara Formation. It is overlain apparently conformably by the Peawaddy Formation but the marked lithological change may indicate some depositional break. Molían et al. (1969) considered that the absence of the Catherine Sandstone from the southern part 241 of the Serocold Anticline was due to erosion whereas Power (1966) suggested that the absence is a depositional feature associated with the development of the Catherine Sandstone as a barrier sand. Fossils and age. Casts and moulds of various brachiopods, bivalves, and bryozoans were found within the lower part of the unit together with numerous animal burrows. Palynological investigations (Wood 1984; present study) now assign this unit to the Permian Upper 5c palynostratigraphic stage. Invertebrate fossils indicate a Middle Permian (Kungurian) age (Waterhouse 1976). Environment of deposition. Invertebrate fossils, acritarchs, and animal burrows in the lower part of the Catherine Sandstone, imply marine conditions. Repetition of thin bioturbated sandstone and siltstone wedges in the lower part of the unit probably indicate cyclic sedimentation of delta-front sands and pro-delta muds (Wilkinson 1982; McLoughlin 1986). Conglomerates and coarse sandstones in the upper part may indicate limited fluvial conditions.

Peawaddy Formation 242 243 lacustrine or paludal environment. Fish scales, acritarchs, and foraminiferids have been found in the lower part of the unit (Reid 1930; Evans 1962; Palmieri 1983) indicating probable marine conditions. Bandanna Formation The Bandanna Formation is used here in the sense of Power (1967) and Molían et al. (1969) to represent the entire sequence of the Blackwater Group in the Denison Trough and is thus equivalent to the Upper Bandanna of earlier workers. The type area is located in Home Creek, 4 km west of Rewan Homestead in the Serocold Anticline. Significant coal reserves occur within this unit and its correlatives throughout the Bowen Basin. No coal was found in the formation during the present study. Distribution. The Bandanna Formation occurs throughout the Denison Trough, on the Springsure shelf and in the eastern part of the contiguous Galilee Basin. Equivalent units are distributed throughout the Bowen Basin. The unit is exposed along the eastern and western margins of the project area. Lithology. The Bandanna Formation consists of vari-coloured siltstones and fine- to coarse-grained lithic sandstones together with minor claystones and mudstones. The unit is rather poorly exposed and the lower boundary is often marked by a change of soil types from the black clay soils of the Black Alley Shale to the light brown sandy to clayey soils developed on the Bandanna Formation. Well preserved tabular cross bedded sandstones and ripple-marked sandstones constitute the middle part of the unit. Ripple types are well developed, including symmetrical sinuous ripples, ladder ripples and crescentic ripples. Mudstones stained red by haematite are occasionally exposed in incised creek channels. Thickness. Approximately 75 m of a total thickness of ca 100 m of this unit are exposed within the project area. The unit reaches a maximum thickness of 368 m in GSQ Taroom 10 (Brown 1977) in the southern Denison Trough (Text-fig. 2). Relationships. The Bandanna Formation conformably or disconformably overlies the Black Alley Shale. The top of the Bandanna Formation is not encountered within the area mapped, but the overlying Rewan Group is probably disconformable or slightly unconformable. Fossils and age. No fossils were recovered from this unit during the present study. Previous workers have reported leaf beds and silicified wood in the lower part (Molían et al. 1969). Various species of Glossopteris, Vertebrarla, Paracalamites, and Neomariopteris have been recognised (Rigby «& Hekel 1977). Investigations of the palynoflora (Foster 1982; Price 1983; Wood 1984) indicate a correlation of the Bandanna with the Permian Upper 5c to Playfordiaspora crenulata palynostratigraphic zones. This implies a probable Middle Permian age (Foster 1982, 1983). Environment of deposition. A fluvio-lacustrine environment probably persisted during deposition of the Bandanna Formation, as indicated by a variety of wave and current ripples and coarse grained cross-stratified sandstones. POST-PERMIAN GEOLOGY Late Permian and Triassic sedimentary rocks are not exposed within the project 244 area but do occur immediately to the east and west; viz., as the Rewan Group, Clematis Group, and Moolayember Formation (see Jensen 1975). Silcrete occurs as scattered boulders up to 2.5 m in diameter, capping hilltops and is often associated with basalt scree. It does not occur as a discrete mappable horizon. In hand specimen and thin section, the silcrete often appears brecciated. Individual fragments are subrounded and re-cemented by amorphous silica. Component grains consist of quartz with very minor chert and opaque oxides. The stratigraphic position of the silcrete suggests a period of deep weathering and mobilization of silica between the Late Triassic and Oligocène Periods. An Eocene to Oligocène age for the silcrete was indicated by Grimes (1980) on the basis of its regional relationships. Basalt occurs as small isolated sheets capping ridges throughout the project area. In the western part, a basaltic sequence of up to 160 m is exposed along a series of spectacular escarpments. Minor scarps and terraces within this sequence probably represent individual basalt flows. These rocks vary in composition and texture from red and black flow-banded, finely-vesicular scoria, through olivine-andesine tachylites to zeolitic and sparsely vesicular basalts. Xenoliths of dunite are common and nodules of chalcedony and opaline silica occur within cavities and along joint surfaces within the basalts. The basalts form part of the Buckland Volcanic Province (Sutherland 1981) which is centred on the Buckland Tableland and Great Divide approximately 35 km southwest of the study area. Several trachyte plugs on the Great Divide have been equated in age and intrusive style with the Minerva Hills Volcanics near Springsure (Molían et al. 1969). A 26.5 Ma (Late Oligocène) age was determined for an alkali- olivine basalt collected 10 km north of the study area (Elliott 1973), using the K-Ar dating technique. Unconsolidated surficial sediments occur as thin sheets flanking the major streams and as talus deposits around hills and escarpments. Clasts within these sediments are chiefly derived from local sources and consist of basalt, quartz, silcrete, and sandstone with lesser quartzite, microgranite, porphyritic trachyte and hornfels presumably originating from the Drummond Basin and Anakie Inlier to the northwest. The sediments are ascribed a Pliocene to Holocene age following Grimes’ (1980) regional appraisal.

STRUCTURE

Joints. More than 500 measurements of high angle joints from the Permian sequence are plotted as a rose diagram (Text-fig. 7). Low angle joints are common but tend to be irregularly orientated. High angle joint measurements are clustered in two principal orientations about 60° to 90° to each other. The northwest-southeast orientation conforms with previous measurements taken from the eastern side of the Serocold Anticline and to air photo linears taken from various well localities in the Denison Trough (Wilkinson 1982). The other conspicuous cluster of joint orientations lies in a north-northeast to south-southwest direction. The prominent joint orientations occur at 30° to 45° to the meridional fold axis, forming the {Okl} joints of Hobbs et al. (1976). Faults. Only minor faults were located in outcrop, all having a vertical displacement 245

Text-fig. 7: R^se diagram of high angle joint orientations: Inglis Dome. 246 of less than 50 cm. Slickensides on blocks of tuffaceous shale are common within the Black Alley Shale (at 2847 7628 and 2857 6831). These probably resulted from either minor syndepositional growth faulting or from brittle fracture during Late Triassic deformation. Two faults were portrayed on the southern terminus of the Springsure Anticline by Molían et al. (1969), but no evidence could be found to support these ‘faults’ at the surface. Their position appears to correspond in part to the boundary of the Cainozoic alluvium and may have been defined on the basis of a tonal change in the air photo pattern. Large-scale basement faults extending through the Permian sequence as far as the base of the Aldebaran Sandstone have been located by seismic profiling (Dixon & Bauer 1982). These faults have not produced displacement of surface rocks. Folds. The Inglis Dome is a low domal feature between the northern limit of the Serocold Anticline and the southern tip of the Springsure Anticline. The structure has an axial length of 10.5 km, a width of about 12 km and is slightly asymmetrical. The western flank has an average dip of 14° while the eastern flank averages 10°. Dips of 5° to 10° are typical of the northern and southern closures of the dome. The Inglis Dome is separated from the Consuelo Anticline to the east by a narrow northern extension of the Rewan Syncline. Small-scale discontinuous folds occur sporadically over the Inglis Dome but are inconsistent in their orientation and vary in wavelength from 15 cm to 5 m, with occasional overfolding. Some minor folds may be parasitic upon the major structures as related to Late Triassic folding but their frequency within the fine-grained paludal sediments of the Black Alley Shale suggest that their origin may be due to local sediment instability rather than regional tectonism. Various dynamic structural models have been proposed to account for the generation of the long sinuous anticlines of the Denison Trough including sediment diapirism and gravity tectonics (Elliott 1973), wrench fault tectonics (Evans & Roberts 1980), and tensional-compressional tectonics (Bauer & Nelson 1980; Ziolkowski & Taylor 1985). Although gravity-related movement and sediment diapirism may have been important for deformation of sediments on a small scale, it is considered that insufficient mobility could have been generated within the relatively thin shaley units to deform the sediments into such large structures. Evans & Roberts (1980) suggested that sinistral convergent wrenching along basement faults led to the regional deformation pattern. Ziolkowski & Taylor (1985) however, found no direct evidence for strike-slip movement along basement faults. Their findings support the interpretations of Bauer & Nelson (1980) and Dixon & Bauer (1982) that the Denison Trough formed as a series of grabens and half-grabens in the Early Permian. Ziolkowski & Taylor {op. cit.} suggest further that mild compression in mid-Permian times and more intense compression in the Late Triassic caused a reversal of movement along the initial Early Permian, normal, dip-slip, basement faults, resulting in uparching of the thick sedimentary sequence adjacent to the faults. Early Permian structural features indicate an east-west or northeast southwest extensional component while most compressional features reflect compression directed from the northeast (Ziolkowski & Taylor op. cit.). 247

PALYNOLOGY

Twenty samples selected from GSQ Springsure 19 stratigraphic well (lat. 24°41'16"S long. 148°08'26"E) supplemented by two outcrop samples, proved to be palynologically productive. The sampled interval embraced the upper Aldebaran Sandstone to lowermost Peawaddy Formation (Text-fig. 8). Samples were processed according to the method of Phipps & Playford (1984). The material was studied using a Reichert palynological microscope with Olympus PM35 lOAD photographic attachment.

Palynostratigraphy

The distribution of selected numerically abundant and stratigraphically significant palynomorphs within the sampled intervals is shown in Table 1. The sampled intervals, as discussed below, are assignable to the Permian Upper 5a, Upper 5b, and Upper 5c palynostratigraphic stages as defined by Price (1983). The base of the Upper 5a stage was placed by Price (1983) at the lowest stratigraphic occurrence of Dulhuntyispora parvitholus (Balme & Hennelly) Potonie 1960. The stratigraphically lowest sample in this study at 843.94 m in GSQ Springsure 19, contains D. parvitholus. This is slightly below Wood’s (1984) determination of the initial occurrence of this species at 836.15 m within this well (Table 2). The Upper 5b stage (Price op. cit.} is recognised by the initial appearance of Dulhuntyispora stellata Price 1983. Price {pp. cit.) working on material from various Bowen, Cooper, and Galilee Basin wells, located the introduction of this species in the middle of the Ingelara Formation. Wood (1984) in an examination of the palynoflora from GSQ Springsure 19, noted the first occurrence of D. stellata in the mid-Catherine Sandstone. In the present investigation however, this species was found in the upper Freitag Formation (788.45 m in GSQ Springsure 19). Although this species is morphologically distinctive, it tends to be rare and sporadically distributed and may be facies-controlled. Its stratigraphic utility should be viewed cautiously. The base of the Upper 5c stage was defined by Price (1983) as the introduction of Microreticulatisporites bitriangularis Balme & Hennelly 1956. Price {op. cit.) indicated that the initial appearance of this species corresponded more or less to the “P3c” acritarch zone of Evans (1962). This ‘acritarch swarm’ occurs within the uppermost Peawaddy Formation to the lowermost Black Alley Shale (Evans 1962, Price 1983). McMinn (1985) recorded the initial appearance of M. bitriangularis from the upper Tomago Coal Measures of the Sydney Basin and on this basis correlated the Malabar Formation of the upper Hunter Valley with the Black Alley Shale. McMinn (1985) did not locate this species from the Camden area in the southern Sydney Basin, nor was it recorded from the Middle Permian sequence of the Stroud-Gloucester Trough (McMinn 1987). In 1984 however. Wood recorded M. bitriangularis in one sample each of the upper Ingelara Formation, upper Catherine Sandstone, and lower Peawaddy Formation from GSQ Springsure 19. M. bitriangularis has also been recorded in GSQ Taroom 11-11A (Foster 1977; Text-fig. 2) within an interval correlative, according to Heywood (1977) and McClung (1977), 248

Text-fig. 8: Palynological sample points: GSQ Springsure 19 (lithology after Green 1982). 249

, TABLE 1: Distribution of selected palynomorphs within the sampled intervals of Middle Permian sequence from GSQ Springsure 19. Samples WA2 and WA3 from Ingelara Formation outcrop, Inglis Dome (Grid refs 3168 6867, 3184 6871). For species authorities see Sargeant (1970), Foster (1975, 1979), Rigby & Hekel (1977), de Jersey (1979), and Price (1983).

Species marked by an asterisk (*) are figured herein.

Aldebaran Freitag Fm Ingelara Fm Catherine Peawaddy Species Sst Sst Fm

00 00 00 00 -4 •»4 '4 -4 4 -4 •4 4 4 4 4 4 OS OS OS OS 4^ LU O 00 OS LA LA 4^ 4^ LU LU bJ -Px b4 O LU K) oo LU LU •4 > > 14 4 OS 4 '««J k) LU bo bo 00 o Os O bJ 5 14 LA Os 4^ bJ O LU O L/» bj o N) SO LA UJ SO LA O 00 LU 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Dulhuntyispora dulhuntyi* + + + + + + + + Didecitriletes ericianiis + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Didecitriletes denfatus* + + + + + + + + + + Cycadoplles cymbatus* + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Granulatlsporites trisinus* + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Praecolpatites sinuosus* + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Acanthotriletes villosus + + + + + + + Leiotriletes directus* + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Leiotriletes badamensis* + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + yerrucosisporites trisecatus + + Phaselisporites cicatricosus* + + + + + Dulhuntyispora parvitholus + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Granulatlsporites quadruplex + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Protohaploxipinus bharadwajii + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Platysaccus leschikii* + Horriditriletes gondwanensis* + + + + + + + + + + + + + Striatoabieites multistriatus* + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Protohaploxipinus limpidus + + + Secarisporites bullatus* + + + Striatopodocarpites cancellatus + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Striatopodocarpites fusus* + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Micrhystridium sp. F * + + + + + + + + Lundbladispora sp. A + + + + + + Horriditriletes curvibaculosus* + + + + + + + + + 250

Aldebaran Freitag Fm Ingelara Fm Catherine Peawaddy

Species Sst Sst Fm

00 oo -J -«J •-J '»J •«J -«4 •>4 •«4 '«J «-J -«4 OS Os OS OS oo 00 LZi .u UJ o 'O 00 --J OS LZI LU LU N) Ju u. O hJ oo Lu LU > b4 -«4 LU OS -4 > bo bo Ö Os N) O S hJ LU OO bJ L/1 Os N) o LU o LZi N) — O K) O LU LZ, LO LZi o 00 LU 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Dictyotriletes aules* + + + + + + + Chordasporites sp. A * + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Horriditriletes ramosus* + + + + + + + + + + Lundbladispora springsurensis + PUcatipollenites densus* + + Dulhuntyispora stellata* + + + + + + Circulisporites parvus* + + Striatopodocarpites sp. cf. S. gondwanensis* + + + Dulhuntyispora omasi + Micrhystridium cf. A/, pakistanense + + + + + + + + + Micrhystridium kerat aides* + + + + + + + + + + + Micrhystridium sp. aff. M. circulum + + + + Micrhystridium microspinosum + + + + + + + + + + + + + + Micrhystridium sp. E * + + + + + + + + Micrhystridium sp. B + + Veryhachium irreguläre + + + Veryhachium valensii * + + Micrhystridium sp. C + + + Protohaploxipinus amplus + + + + + Acanthotriletes tereteangulatus * + + + + + Striatopodocarpites brevis + Verrucosisporites pseudoreticulatus + Rugaletes playfordii + Weylandites lucifer* + Microreticulatisporites bitriangularis * + + + + + Micrhystridium sp. D * + + + + + +

+ Indotriradites reidii* + + + Lundladispora willmottii + Protohaploxipinus microcorpus* + Striatopodocarpites rarus + 251 with the Ingelara Formation. The present study shows the initial appearance of M. bitriangularis in the middle Ingelara Formation (747.19 m, GSQ Springsure 19). Although the ‘P3c acritarch zone’ was not intersected in GSQ Springsure 19 (Wood 1984), it is clear that the earliest appearance of A/, bitriangularis in this well, is much lower stratigraphically and chronologically than the ‘P3c zone’ reported elsewhere in the Denison Trough and Springsure Shelf. The sporadic occurrence, infrequency and variable entrance levels of this species clearly indicate that its putative status as a useful Middle Permian index species must be reassessed (Table 2).

Table 2: First appearance of three Middle Permian palynostratigraphic index species according to previous authors and present study.

STRATIGRAPHY PRICE RIGBY & HEKEL WOOD THIS (1976, 1983) (1977) (1984) GTU J BLACK ALLEY SHALE PEAWADDY FORMATION CATHERINE SANDSTONE ***************** INGELARA ooooooooooooooo FORMATION ***************** oooooooooooooooo FREITAG ***************** FORMATION ALDEBARAN SANDSTONE

ooooooooooo First appearance of Microreiiculatisporiles bitriangularis First appearance of Dulhunlyispora stellata First appearance of Dulhunlyispora parvitholus

Table 3; Percentages of palynomorph groups represented in counts of 200 specimens per slide. Depths refer to sampled intervals in GSQ Springsure 19. Samples WA2 & WA3 are taken from outcrop (Ingelara Formation: 3170 6875 & 3162 6877).

Aldebaran Freitag Fm Ingelara Fm Catherine Peawaddy Sst Sst Fm

00 oo OO OO ««J -«J -J •«q •-q •*q •>q -~q OS Os OS Os 4^ LU O 00 LA LA LU LU bU bq o LU LU bo 00 LU LU -~q > > bq -q LU OS -q 4^ 00 O X OS k) O bJ LU bo N) LA Cb OS bo OS Bore depths N) o LU o LA bj o N) LA 5 LU LA SO LA O 00 LU 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

Number of species 24 23 36 31 29 33 32 41 39 40 34 24 31 38 33 30 35 24 36 23 36 28 Monosaccate pollen 1 12 3 2 2 4 2 2 5 1 1 5 1 2 1 3 1 1 Disaccate non- striate pollen 4 14 7 3 5 7 6 14 27 29 28 11 17 13 2 13 12 6 17 13 41 28 Disaccate striate pollen 10 14 21 9 9 9 20 22 21 20 21 33 30 10 8 19 12 38 21 18 13 15 Praecolpate & costate pollen 7 25 20 31 6 9 18 8 13 6 9 14 15 27 5 16 11 12 15 7 10 6 Monocolpate pollen 1 1 2 2 1 2 1 2 3 2 7 1 3 1 4 2 Acavate trilete spores 77 29 48 49 22, 62 50 19 31 20 51 29 33 33 11 33 40 35 41 61 32 30 Cavate trilete spores 1 3 2 1 1 1 Monolete spores 5 1 3 2 1 Acanthomorph acritarchs 35 7 8 2 8 2 6 69 18 19 7 1 1 3 18 Polygonomorph acritarchs 5 13 3 Circulisporites 1 1 252

Palaeoecology

A quantitative assessment of the palynoflora was carried out to determine the abundance of major palynomorph groups (Table 3). This assessment presupposes that there has been no selective loss of palynomorphs by preferential oxidation or physical attrition within the sediments or by chemical or physical destruction or wastage during processing of the samples. Examination of kerogen slides made during the early stages of processing suggests that there has been no selective loss of palynomorphs during this procedure. Striate and non-striate disaccate pollen grains are consistently abundant, each constituting 15-30% of the palynofloras. Trilete acavate spores represent a botanically heterogeneous group but make up between 11% and 77% of palynomorphs within the assemblages. Specimens of Leiotriletes (Naumova) Potonie & Kremp 1954, Horriditriletes Bharadwaj & Salujha 1964 and Didecitriletes Venkatachala & Kar 1965 represent the bulk of this grouping. Two principal phases of acritarch influx are evident. The first near the base of the Ingelara Formation is marked by an abundance of Micrhystridium keraloides Spode 1964. The second near the top of the Ingelara Formation is distinguished by the high proportion of Micrhystridium sp. D. The initial influx of acritarchs coincides with a change from fluvio-deltaic sedimentation in the upper Freitag Formation to shallow marine or quasi-marine conditions for the lower Ingelara Formation. Acritarchs occur in each of the sampled intervals from the base of the Ingelara Formation to the lower Peawaddy Formation. This supports field evidence, including the presence of marine megafossils and lithofacies interpretation (McLoughlin 1986), that much of the Catherine Sandstone was deposited within marine or at least brackish water environments. Only carbonaceous shale horizons within the Catherine Sandstone were sampled palynologically and intervening thick sand wedges might conceivably lack acritarchs and represent deltaic or strandline deposits. Wall (1965) and Williams & Sarjeant (1967) suggested that members of the Acanthomorphitae (notably Micrhystridium spp.) favoured an inshore partly enclosed environment whereas the Polygonomorphitae (notably Veryhachium spp.) favoured an open sea environment. The results of the present study indicate a dominance of Micrhystridium over Veryhachium in both individual and species numbers. On this basis it is proposed that the Ingelara to lower Peawaddy sequence was deposited in a shallow or restricted marine environment. Terrestrial palynomorphs reflect a mixed gymnosperm-pterophyte flora for the Aldebaran to lower Peawaddy sequence. In terms of group abundance, spores are approximately equivalent to, or more numerous than total pollen within the Aldebaran Sandstone and Freitag Formation. Within the Ingelara Formation, Catherine Sandstone and lower Peawaddy Formation, gymnospermous palynomorphs strongly outnumber cryptogam spores. Preferential atmospheric or aqueous transport of pollen into the marine environment may explain the change in group abundance at the Freitag-Ingelara boundary. 253

PLANT MEGAFOSSILS

Silicified wood is common in the middle Peawaddy Formation and upper Black Alley Shale. All the wood is gymnospermous in character with well-defined growth rings and is essentially uncompressed in its preservational state. Leaf and stem impressions are abundant and well-preserved in the upper Black Alley Shale but rare and poorly-preserved in the Aldebaran Sandstone and Peawaddy Formation. Leaf impressions tend to be preserved in a horizontal position. The leaves are sometimes split or broken but are rarely folded or ragged suggesting deposition in a similar environment to the fossil flora of the Kaloola Member of the Taroom Trough (Rigby 1972). Several plant species have been identified from Early and Middle Permian rocks of the Denison Trough by White (1969), Rigby & Hekel (1977), and Rigby (1983). The bulk of this material is identified with Indian-based species. A revision of the Black Alley Shale flora is being undertaken by the author in the light of suggestions that glossopterid leaf and fructification form species are distinct between the present Gondwana landmasses (Rigby 1981, Anderson & Anderson 1985). The megaflora of the Black Alley Shale is dominated by the genus Glossopteris Brongniart 1828 (PL i figs. 10-13). Equisetalean stems and leaf whorls (Pl. 1 figs. 7-8) are locally abundant, perhaps reflecting localised lacustrine-paludal environments (Draper & Beeston 1985a). Pterophytes such as Neomariopteris Maithy 1974 (PI. 1 fig. 9) are rare in the Black Alley Shale. This is also the case in the Early Permian Reids Dome beds (Draper & Beeston op. cit.}. This deficiency may not imply a genuine poverty of pterophytes but rather some environmental control or preservational constraint as pterophyte-related palynomorphs are common. A single Cordaites Unger 1850 specimen was recovered from the Aldebaran Sandstone (Pl. 1 fig. 6). Its occurrence in these fluvial sandstones and conglomerates, and those of the Reids Dome beds (Draper & Beeston op. cit.} and its absence from the Black Alley Shale may reflect a preference for upland (or fluvial) environments for this group. Embleton (1972) using palaeomagnetic data suggested that the Bowen Basin was located at a latitude of 60°-65° during the Permian. Modern terrestrial environments at these latitudes are dominated by extensive low-diversity coniferous forests. As wood and leaf types in the present study are dominated by gymnosperms (notably Glossopteris and Cordaites} a broadly equivalent (temperate) climate is proposed for this period. Rigby (1971a) also cited evidence for a cool temperate climate over the Bowen Basin during the latter part of the Middle Permian. Due to the paucity of studies, little has been determined with regard to the precise stratigraphic ranges of Permian Glossopteris species in Australia. The flora of the studied units corresponds to the Glossopteris Flora of Gould (1975) and to Rigby’s (1983) Permian Flora 3.

GEOLOGICAL HISTORY

Subsidence involving half-graben formation initiated the Denison Trough during the Late Carboniferous to Early Permian. The Early Permian Reids Dome beds were deposited in a variety of terrestrial, fluvial and lacustrine environments. The overlying Cattle Creek Formation reflects a transgressive period represented by 254 fossiliferous paralic and shallow marine sediments. The Aldebaran Sandstone, although consisting of shallow marine to paralic sandstones in the basal part, grades upwards into coarse fluvial sandstones and conglomerates. The Freitag and Ingelara Formations and the Catherine Sandstone were later deposited in a combination of deltaic, marine shelf and shoreface situations. A similarly mixed metamorphic/ volcanic source terrane existed for the Aldebaran to Catherine Sandstone sequence. Sediments were mostly derived from the northwest, presumably from sources in the Drummond Basin and Anakie Inlier. The fossil wood-bearing and invertebrate-bearing sediments of the Peawaddy Formation were deposited within paralic and shallow neritic environments. A regression during deposition of the Black Alley Shale saw the return of terrestrial and paludal conditions supporting a G/o^^oj^ZerA-dominated flora. An increase in regional volcanic activity during deposition of the Black Alley Shale is indicated by the presence of abundant tuffaceous horizons within this unit. The overlying Bandanna Formation was deposited within fluvial and lacustrine environments while volcanic activity subsided. Late Permian and Triassic fluvial and lacustrine sediments of the Rewan Group, Clematis Group and Moolayember Formation were probably deposited in the vicinity of the Inglis Dome but have since been removed by erosion. Regional deformation in the Late Triassic produced long sinuous anticlines within the Denison Trough of which the Inglis Dome is a minor closure. Folding probably developed in the style suggested by Bauer & Nelson (1980) and Ziolkowski & Taylor (1985) involving a reversal of movement along Early Permian basement faults causing up-arching of the thick Permo-Triassic sequence. A long period of weathering and erosion combined with remobilization of silica, forming silcrete, occurred between the Late Triassic and Oligocène. During the Oligocène and Miocene, thick sheets of basaltic lavas derived from the Buckland Province to the southwest, were emplaced over the eroded surface of the gently deformed Permo-Triassic sediments. Superficial, unconsolidated Late Tertiary and Quaternary terrestrial sediments were deposited in fluvial and scree-slope situations.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The work presented in this paper was undertaken as partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science with Honours in the Department of Geology and Mineralogy, University of Queensland. The author was in receipt of the A.B. Walkom Scholarship and Commonwealth Postgraduate Award; this financial assistance is gratefully acknowledged. The author acknowledges the helpful supervision of Dr G. Playford and valuable suggestions provided by J. Baker and Dr C.R. Fielding. The Geological Survey of Queensland kindly provided core material from GSQ Springsure 19 stratigraphic well. 255

REFERENCES

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5. McLoughlin Department of Geology and Mineralogy University of Queensland St. Lucia, Queensland. 4067 259 APPENDIX 1

New fossil localities from the Inglis Dome. Aldebaran Sandstone: P3222 7802. Freitag Formation: 3012 7820, 3073 7824, 3082 7525, 3217 7706. Ingelara Formation: 3355 6944, 3182 6971, 3080 7098. Catherine Sandstone: 3534 7424. Peawaddy Formation: 2838 6484, 2871 7664, 2875 7381, 2878 7480, 2881 7726, 2922 7114, 2967 7057, 3012 6985, 3014 6785, 3036 7059, P3558 7020, 3584 7036, 3600 7699, 3619 7661, 3679 7227. Black Alley Shale: P2764 6582, P2855 6840, P2865 6840, P3770 7018. Grid references prefixed by the letter ‘P’ indicate plant megafossil localities, all others represent invertebrate megafossil localities. 260

PLATE EXPLANATIONS

Megafossils are prefixed by the letter ‘F’. Bracketed numbers refer to the AMG grid coordinates of the locality of collection. Palynomorphs are prefixed by the letter ‘Y’. The second number refers to the slide preparation and the third refers to the “England Finder” coordinates of the illustrated speciments. Plate 1 (All figures x 1 unless otherwise stated) Fig. 1 Ingelarella undulosa Campbell 1961; F75036, internal mould, brachial valve; Freitag Formation (7820 3102). Fig. 2 Terrakea sp. A. F75055, internal mould, ventral valve; Freitag Formation (7824 3073). Fig. 3 Terrakea sp. B. F75056, internal mould, ventral valve; Freitag Formation (7824 3073). Fig. 4 Paraconularia sp. F75034, external mould; Freitag Formation (7824 3073). Fig. 5 Cladochonus sp. F75037, branching colony; lower Peawaddy Formation (2881 7726). Cordaites sp. F75033; Aldebaran Sandstone (3222 7802). Paracalamites sp. F75017; Black Alley Shale (1855 6840). Phyllotheca australis Brongniart 1828; F75O15; Black Alley Shale (1865 6840). Fig. 9 Neomariopteris lobifolia (Morris 1845) Maithy 1974; Black Alley Shale (3770 7108). Fig. 10 Glossopteris sp. A. F75021; Black Alley Shale (2865 6840). Fig. 11 Glossopteris sp. B. F75027; Black Alley Shale (2865 6840). Fig. 12 Glossopteris sp. C. F75014; Black Alley Shale (2855 6840). Fig. 13 Glossopteris sp. D. F75009; Black Alley Shale (2855 6840). PI ATF 1 261

Plate 2 (All figures x 750 unless otherwise stated) Fig. 1 Acanthotriletes tereteangulatus Balme & Hennelly 1956; Y5648, SMI6/1, U44/3, distal view. GSQ Springsure 19, 753.20 m. Fig. 2 Protohaploxipinus limpidus (Balme & Hennelly) Balme & Playford 1967; Y5589, SM9/3, E53/O, proximal view. GSQ Springsure 19, 714.69 m. Fig. 3 Secarisporites bullalus (Balme & Hennelly) Smith 1971; Y5616, SM22/2,G34/ 1, distal view. GSQ Springsure 19, 813.00 m. Fig. 4 Weylandites lucifer (Bharadwaj & Salujha) Foster 1975; Y5556, SM15/1, F18/2, lateral aspect. GSQ Springsure 19, 751.02 m. Fig. 5 Horriditriletes curvibaculosus Bharadwaj & Salujha 1964; Y5625, SM15/3, H33/2, distal view. GSQ Springsure 19, 751.02 m. Fig. 6 Horriditriletes gondwanensis (Tiwari & Moiz) Foster 1975; Y5627, SM14/1, M51/0, proximal view. GSQ Springsure 19, 747.19 m. Fig. 7 Indotriradites reidii Foster 1979; Y5614, SM5/2, E31/3, distal view. GSQ Springsure 19, 604.63 m. Fig. 8 Dulhuntyispora parvitholus (Balme & Hennelly) Potonie 1960; Y5617, SM15/ 3, D27/2, proximal view. GSQ Springsure 19, 751.02 m. Fig. 9 Phaselisporites cicatricosus (Balme & Hennelly) Price 1983; Y5602, SM22/1, 021/0, proximal view. GSQ Springsure 19, 813.00 m. Fig. 10 Didecitriletes dentatus (Balme & Hennelly) Venkatachala & Kar 1965; Y563O, SM14/2, C27/3, lateral aspect. GSQ Springsure 19, 747.19 m. Fig. 11 Dulhuntyispora dulhuntyi (Potonie) Price 1983; Y5560, SM24/3, S42/0, proximal view. GSQ Springsure 19, 843.94 m.

Fig. 12 Dulhuntyispora stellata Price 1983; Y5619, SMI 1/3, R47/4, proximal view. GSQ Springsure 19, 731.23 m. PLATE 2 262

Plate 3 (All figures x 750 unless otherwise stated) Fig. 1 Microreticulatisporites bitriangularis Balme & Hennelly 1956; Y5622, SMI4/ 3, H32/1, proximal view. GSQ Springsure 19, 747.19 m. Fig. 2 Leiotriletes directus Balme & Hennelly 1956; Y5659, SM24/1, N47/2, distal view. GSQ Springsure 19, 843.94 m. Fig. 3 Striatopodocarpites sp. cf. S. gondwanensis Lakhanpal, Sah & Dube 1960; Y5580, SMlO/3, E33/4, proximal view. GSQ Springsure 19, 721.55 m. Fig. 4. Striatopodocarpites fusus (Balme & Hennelly) Potonie 1958; Y5579, SM9/3, F38/3, proximal view. GSQ Springsure 19, 714.69 m. Fig. 5 Striatoabieites multistriatus (Balme & Hennelly) Hart 1964; Y5591, SM22/3, D32/0, proximal view. GSQ Springsure 19, 813.00 m. Fig. 6 Platysaccus leschikii Hart 1960; Y5599, SM23/2, K49/2, proximal view. GSQ Springsure 19, 834.82 m. Fig. 7 Verrucosisporites pseudoreticulatus Balme & Hennelly 1956; Y5641, SMl/3, S21/0, proximal view. Outcrop sample, Ingelara Formation, WA3 (3164 6871). Fig. 8 Granulatisporites trisinus Balme & Hennelly 1956; Y5654, SM24/2, M32/0, proximal view. GSQ Springsure 19, 843.94 m. Fig. 9 Dictyotriletes aules Rigby & Hekel 1977; Y5632, SMI8/2, W20/0, proximal view. GSQ Springsure 19, 779.62 m. PLATE 263

Plate 4 (All figures x 750 unless otherwise stated) Fig. 1 Veryhachium valensii (Valensi) Downie & Sarjeant 1964; Y5567, SM15/1, E19/4. X 1000. GSQ Springsure 19, 751.01 m. Fig. 2 Micrhystridium sp. E; Y5564, SM16/2, J41/2. x 1000. GSQ Springsure 19, 753.20 m. Fig. 3 Micrhystridium sp. D; Y5563, SM12/1, F54/2. x 1000. GSQ Springsure 19, 737.10 m. Fig. 4 Leiotriletes badamensis (Venkatachala & Kar) Foster 1975; Y5657, SM23/1, N27/3, proximal view. GSQ Springsure 19, 834.82 m. Fig. 5 Circulisporites parvus de Jersey 1962; Y5569, SM19/1, J34/3. GSQ Springsure 19, 788.45 m. Fig. 6 Praecolpatites sinuosus (Balme & Hennelly) Bharadwaj &. Srivastava 1969; Y5583, SMl/1, X54/0. Outcrop sample, Ingelara Formation, WA3 (3164 6871). Fig. 7 Horriditriletes ramosus (Balme & Hennelly) Bharadwaj & Salujha 1964; Y5633, SM15/1, E36/0, proximal view. GSQ Springsure 19, 751.02 m. Fig. 8 Micrhystridium keratoides Spode 1964; Y5574, SM17/1, F37/2. x 1000. GSQ Springsure 19, 763.61 m. Fig. 9 Plicatipollenites densus Srivastava 1970; Y5605, SM16/1, M53/0, proximal view X 500. GSQ Springsure 19, 753.20 m. Fig. 10 Micrhystridium sp. F; Y5565, SM22/2, P37/0. GSQ Springsure 19, 813.00 m. Fig. 11 Cycadopites cymbatus (Balme & Hennelly) Segroves 1970; Y5571, SM16/2, J47/4, proximal view. GSQ Springsure 19, 753.20 m. Fig. 12 Protohaploxipinus microcorpus (Schaarschmidt) Clarke 1965; Y559O, SM6/4, H39/4, proximal view. GSQ Springsure 19, 617.88 m. Fig. 13 Chordasporites sp. A; Y5600, SM15/1, E27/3, proximal view. GSQ Springsure 19, 751.02 m. PLATE 4