Carbonate Sedimentology, Reef History and MVT Deposits, Canning Basin, WA

Carbonate Sedimentology, Reef History and MVT Deposits, Canning Basin, WA

SupervisorA/Prof Annette George

Research AffiliationsCentre for Exploration Targeting

Degree Type/Name Ph.D, M.Sc or Honours - Geology, Earth Science, Minerals Geoscience, Petroleum Geoscience

Pre-requisites Degree in Geology or other kind Geoscience degree.

Student Support

The student undertaking an Honours research project related to mineral or petroleum resources is eligible for financial support provided by the UWA Geoscience Foundation.

CollaborationThis project is a collaboration with Teck Cominco Pty Ltd.

Skills

These projects are aimed at strengthening sedimentological skills particularly facies analysis and environmental interpretation, development of depositional and paleogeographic models and the integration of sedimentological data with other data sets such as structural, biostratigraphic and chemostratigraphic. Skills gained are highly relevant basin-hosted mineral deposits, petroleum exploration of carbonate reservoirs, and hydrogeological problems related to roundwater.

Project Description

Carbonate reef complexes of Late Devonian age are spectacularly exposed in a number of limestone ranges in the western Kimberley region of northwestwern Australia (Fig. 1). They are among the best preserved late Paleozoic reef complexes anywhere in the world. The exhumed reef complexes represent the shallow northern flank (Lennard Shelf) of the Fitzroy Trough where mixed carbonatesiliciclastic deposition took place during active rifting. In addition, mineral exploration has generated considerable diamond drillcore which can be used to examine facies relationships in the subsurface.

Fig.1 Windjana Gorge, Napier Range (view to NW) showing spectacular exposure of Devonian reef carbonates, Canning Basin, WA.

Various projects are possible depending on student preference and company interests but are generally aimed at elucidating aspects such as reef evolution in what was a tectonically active basin, or the significance of facies relationships and stacking patterns for MVT (lead-zinc) mineralisation. Facies analysis and biostratigraphy structure are typically combined in these projects. Industry projects are typically based on analysis of diamond drillcore but may also include fieldwork depending on location of the project. In addition, projects which focus on the Late Devonian extinction events are also possible and may include aspects of vertebrate paleontology as appropriate.

Recommended Reading

George, A.D., Chow, N. & Trinajstic, K.M., 2002. Integrated approach to platform-basin correlation and deciphering the evolution of Devonian reefs, northern Canning Basin, Western Australia. Proceedings of the West Australian Basins Symposium 3, Perth, October, 817-835.

George, A.D. & Chow, N. 2002. The depositional record of the Frasnian-Famennian boundary interval in a fore-reef succession (Napier Formation), Canning Basin, northwestern Australia. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology Special Issue: Late Devonian Biotic Crisis: Ecological, Depositional and Geochemical records, 181, 347-374.

Tucker, M. & George, A. 2005. Western Australia's Great Barrier Reef: the Devonian of the Canning Basin. Geoscientist, v. 15, no. 12, 4-7.