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The Amadeus Basin in Western Australia: a Forgotten Corner of the Centralian Superbasin

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The Amadeus Basin in Western Australia: a Forgotten Corner of the Centralian Superbasin New geoscience The Amadeus Basin in Western Australia: a forgotten corner of the Centralian Superbasin by PW Haines, HJ Allen, and K Grey Abstract Recent fieldwork by the Geological Survey of Western Australia The Amadeus Basin (Wells et al., 1970; Korsch indicates the need for substantial revision of the stratigraphy and Kennard, 1991) is a thick package of of the Amadeus Basin in Western Australia. This is because Neoproterozoic to Paleozoic sedimentary rocks a more complete Neoproterozoic succession, with closer 2 exposed over about 170 000 km in central similarities to the established stratigraphy within the Northern Australia (Fig. 1), mainly within the Northern Territory than previously realised, appears to be present. The Territory (NT), although a significant portion thick Boord Formation, previously interpreted as a correlative extends across the border into Western Australia of only the glacigene Areyonga Formation of the Northern (WA). The present Amadeus Basin is interpreted as Territory Amadeus Basin, actually contains two discrete glacial a relic of the former Centralian Superbasin (Walter successions, and greater thicknesses of non-glacial strata. This et al., 1995), which was fragmented during the late succession contains several disconformities and closely resembles Neoproterozoic to earliest Paleozoic Petermann the entire interval between the Bitter Springs Formation and Orogeny, and mid-late Paleozoic Alice Springs the Arumbera Sandstone of the northeastern Amadeus Basin. Orogeny (Haines et al., 2001). The northern The lithostratigraphic similarities are strongly supported by and southern boundaries of the present Amadeus stromatolite biostratigraphy, which can also be used to subdivide Basin are thus mainly of tectonic origin, produced the underlying Bitter Springs Formation into correlatives by uplift and erosion of basin strata to expose of existing members in the Northern Territory. There is no Paleo–Mesoproterozoic metasedimentary and compelling evidence of the previously postulated interdigitation igneous rocks of the Arunta Orogen and Musgrave of the entire Boord and Carnegie Formations. Instead, the thick Province, respectively. The basin continues siliciclastic package comprising the Carnegie Formation, Sir westward and eastward beneath younger basins, Frederick Conglomerate, Ellis Sandstone, and Maurice Formation such as the Canning Basin to the west. are probably synorogenic (Petermann Orogeny) and thus are likely correlatives of the Neoproterozoic to Early Cambrian Arumbera Basin tectonics are complex, being the result of Sandstone – Mount Currie Conglomerate package of the eastern halotectonics (Dyson and Marshall, 2007) and the Amadeus Basin. The recognition in Western Australia of the same superimposed effects of the two orogenies. The stratigraphic intervals that have demonstrated or possible source latter were accompanied by deposition of coarse potential in the Northern Territory, increases the petroleum clastic foreland deposits, thickest near tectonically prospectivity of the Amadeus Basin in Western Australia. controlled basin margins (Wells et al., 1970; Haines et al., 2001). The basin is extensively folded KEYWORDS: Amadeus Basin, Centralian Superbasin, Neoproterozoic, and faulted, but generally unmetamorphosed, lithostratigraphy, stromatolite biostratigraphy, petroleum with local exceptions associated with basin margin tectonism. Compared with the Amadeus Basin in the NT, where the Neoproterozoic succession is at reconnaissance level. The main area of outcrop overlain by thick Paleozoic successions, the WA (MACDONALD* and RAWLINSON) was mapped by component appears to be mainly of Neoproterozoic the Bureau of Mineral Resources (BMR, now to possibly Cambrian age, with only small local Geoscience Australia) in 1960 (Wells et al., 1961, outliers of confirmed later Paleozoic rocks. 1964, 1970). Peripheral areas were mapped by joint Superficial Permian deposits are considered part of BMR and Geological Survey of Western Australia the overlying Canning Basin, and are not discussed (GSWA) parties in the early 1970s. A review of further. the stratigraphy, based on comparisons with the stratigraphy of the eastern Amadeus Basin, was published by Grey (1990). However, most areas Previous work have not been re-visited by Government geologists since first-pass mapping, with the exception of In contrast to the NT portion of the Amadeus recent and current GSWA programs, and there Basin, which has undergone multiple phases of has been limited exploration for petroleum or study by Government organizations, universities, mineral resources. Reasons for this lack of activity and exploration companies, the WA part of the have included poor access due to remoteness and a basin is poorly known and has only been mapped perception of low prospectivity. * Capitalized names refer to standard 1:250 000 map sheets Annual Review 2008–09 49 Yuendumu Georgina Basin Ngalia Basin Kiwirrkurra Pollock Hills Kintore (Walangkura) Papunya Arunta Orogen Boord Ridges Alice Canning Bonython Range Springs Mu Hills Mt Winter 1 Hermannsburg Basin Ooraminna 1 24° Sir Frederick Range Mereenie Oil and Gas Field Palm Valley Finke 1 Santa Teresa Gas Field Amadeus Basin Dingo Kaltukatjara Gas Field Giles (Docker River) Yulara Wallara 1 Meteorological Station Tourist Magee 1 Village Kata Tjuta/Mt Olga WESTERNAUSTRALIA NORTHERN TERITORY Kulgera Warburton Basin 26° Warburton Musgrave Province Officer Basin SOUTH 128° USTRALIA 130° 132° 134° 136° A PWH89 29.01.10 Eromanga Basin Major road Town/community 100 km Minor road Localities (cited in text) Pedirka Basin Track Railway Figure 1. Locality map showing Amadeus Basin and adjacent tectonic units, and localities referred to in the text. 48 GeologicalGeoloogicaal SurveySurvey of WesternWeestern AustraliaAustralia The western extremities of the Amadeus Basin are nomenclature and correlation scheme of Wells et al. largely covered by surficial deposits. Consequently (1970) has undergone significant modification in there is little continuity of outcrop and, coupled the NT (Weste, 1989; Korsch and Kennard, 1991), with the perception of significant facies changes particularly in the better exposed northeastern from east to west (now seen as largely an artefact part of the basin, but correlations between far of miscorrelation), a mostly separate stratigraphic west and east have not been reassessed through nomenclature was set up for the portion of the field examination until now. Only the Heavitree basin near and west of the WA state border (Fig. 2). 1UARTZITEANDITSEQUIVALENTTHE$EAN1UARTZITE The basin-wide Neoproterozoic stratigraphic and the overlying Bitter Springs Formation were previously recognized in both areas. Under revision Modified after Weste (1989) and Marshall et al. (2007) GSWA (2009) AGE NORTHERN TERRITORY WESTERN AUSTRALIAN WESTERN AUSTRALIAN STRATIGRAPHY STRATIGRAPHY STRATIGRAPHY SW NE S N S N L. GOYDER FM L. GOYDER LATE FM PETER- JAY CREEK MANN LST SST ? SHANNON DECEPTION FM SST HUGH RIVER CLELAND SHALE MIDDLE SST ILLARA GILES SST CREEK DOL SUPERSEQUENCE CAMBRIAN TEMPE FM ? CHANDLER FM TODD PETERMANN OROGENY RIVER MAURICE FM IV DOL EARLY MOUNT ? III SIR PERTAOORRTA GROUP PERTAOORRTA CURRIE ELLIS CGL ARUMBERA FREDERICK 4 CGL SST II SST NAMATJIRA FM I CARNEGIE FM ARUMBERA SST JULIE FM MAURICE FM JULIE correlative WINNALL BEDS PERTATATAKA FM SIR EDIACARAN ELLIS PERTATATAKA FREDERICK 3 ? CGL SST correlative SOUTHS RANGE MOVEMENT ?? PIONEER SST OLYMPIC/ PIONEER OLYMPIC FM correlative ININDIA BEDS CARNEGIE FM ARALKA FM ARALKA ‘BOORD FORMATION’ correlative 2 ?? BOORD AREYONGA AREYONGA FM FM correlative NEOPROTEROZOIC AREYONGA MOVEMENT unnamed JOHNNYS CK MEMBER LOVES CREEK CRYOGENIAN BITTER MEMBER BITTER LOVES CREEK MEMBER PINYINNA SPRINGS BITTER 1 SPRINGS FM SPRINGS BEDS FM GILLEN GILLEN MEMBER FM MEMBER PINYINNA PINYINNA DEAN QUARTZITE HEAVITREE QUARTZITE DEAN HEAVITREE DEAN HEAVITREE KULAIL SST KULAIL SST KIWIRRKURRA FM MUSGRAVE PROVINCE ARUNTA OROGEN MUSGRAVE ARUNTA MUSGRAVE ARUNTA PWH88 Source potential 29.01.10 Figure 2. Stratigraphy of the Northern Territory and Western Australian Amadeus Basin, comparing the most commonly used current scheme on left with our revisions in progress at right. The supersequence scheme of Walter et al. (1995) is shown at far right. 50 Geological Survey of Western Australia New geoscience Progress towards revised because the members have distinct stromatolite assemblages (Walter, 1972). Most stromatolite stratigraphy and correlations localities thus far identified in the Bitter Springs Formation in WA contain elements of the Acaciella australica Stromatolite Assemblage (Stevens and Basal clastic units Grey, 1995; Fig. 3c), implying correlation with the The basal unit of the Amadeus Basin along almost Loves Creek Member and with similar successions the full length of the northern margin is the in other Australian Neoproterozoic Basins. (EAVITREE1UARTZITE&IGA )N7!THISUNIT However, Tungussia erecta (Fig. 3b) has been found is typically thinner, less heavily silicified, and its at a lower stratigraphic position, just above the lower part more conglomeratic than in the NT. In TOPOFTHE(EAVITREE1UARTZITEINTHE0OLLOCK(ILLS THE0OLLOCK(ILLSAREA THE(EAVITREE1UARTZITEIS area, confirming the presence of a correlative of underlain by a unit of coarse red-brown lithic and the Gillen Member in WA. Complexly folded pebbly sandstone that was previously mapped as outcrops of Bitter Springs Formation, particularly part of the Paleoproterozoic Pollock Hills Forma- in the Bonython
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