Potential applications of palaeomagnetism in mineral exploration in Northern Australia

Abstract

The recently determined apparent polar wander path (APWP) from the McArthur Basin, which covers the period between 1700 to 1500 Ma, offers a relative time scale of great potential to the minerals exploration industry in the Proterozoic of Northern Australia. It may be used to correlate metallogenically important, volcanic-poor sedimentary packages, which host many significant deposits: it may also be used to track the alteration or plumbing systems associated with known mineralising events. In determining the APWP, several distinct, regional magnetic overprints were recognised in the McArthur Basin. The overprints are believed to be related to regional-scale alteration events associated with significant Proterozoic metallogenic episodes. To be useful to the minerals industry the APWP does not necessarily need to be calibrated in terms of an absolute time scale. In effect, the APWP is a relative time scale, similar to biostratigraphic zonations widely used by the oil industry in exploration in Phanerozoic terranes.