Regional thermal history of the Lennard shelf, Canning Basin, from apatite fission track analysis: Implications for the formation of Pb‐Zn ore deposits

Zinc mineralization in Devonian carbonates of the Lennard Shelf, northern Canning Basin is similar in many respects to that of the Mississippi Valley‐type including estimated minimum temperatures of sulphide precipitation between 70 and 110°C. Apparent apatite fission track ages for Precambrian granitic basement and for detrital apatites in Devonian carbonates in and near Pb‐Zn mineralization generally range between 260 and 340 Ma, with Precambrian samples tending to have slightly older apatite fission track ages than the Devonian carbonates. These apparent ages are younger than the stratigraphic age of the material analysed, indicating that appreciable annealing of fission tracks in apatite has occurred in post‐Devonian times. Mean horizontal confined track lengths are 12–13 μm for most samples and preclude attaching any ‘event’ significance to the fission track ages. Studies of well sequences (Grevillea 1 and Kennedia 1) indicate a period of rapid uplift in the area during the Late Triassic/Early Jurass...

[1]  Paul F. Green,et al.  Thermal annealing of fission tracks in apatite 4. Quantitative modelling techniques and extension to geological timescales , 1989 .

[2]  P. Green.  The relationship between track shortening and fission track age reduction in apatite: combined influences of inherent instability, annealing anisotropy, length bias and system calibration , 1988 .

[3]  A. Gleadow,et al.  Uplift history and structure of the Transantarctic Mountains: new evidence from fission track dating of basement apatites in the Dry Valleys area, southern Victoria Land , 1987 .

[4]  Paul F. Green,et al.  Confined fission track lengths in apatite: a diagnostic tool for thermal history analysis , 1986 .

[5]  P. Green.  On the thermo-tectonic evolution of Northern England: evidence from fission track analysis , 1986, Geological Magazine.

[6]  Grant Garven,et al.  The role of regional fluid flow in the genesis of the Pine Point Deposit, Western Canada sedimentary basin , 1985 .

[7]  L. Cathles,et al.  Thermal constraints on the formation of mississippi valley-type lead-zinc deposits and their implications for episodic basin dewatering and deposit genesis , 1983 .

[8]  A. Hurford,et al.  A users' guide to fission track dating calibration , 1982 .

[9]  George E. McGill,et al.  Geology and geophysics , 1982, Nature.

[10]  Paul F. Green,et al.  A new look at statistics in fission-track dating , 1981 .

[11]  P. Playford.  Devonian Great Barrier Reef of Canning basin, Western Australia , 1980 .

[12]  J. Sharp.  Energy and momentum transport model of the Ouachita Basin and its possible impact on formation of economic mineral deposits , 1978 .

[13]  A. Gleadow,et al.  Apatite Fission-Track Analysis as a Paleotemperature Indicator for Hydrocarbon Exploration , 1989 .

[14]  Paul F. Green,et al.  Thermal annealing of fission tracks in apatite: 1. A qualitative description , 1986 .

[15]  R. Nicoll,et al.  CONODONT COLOUR ALTERATION, THERMAL MATURATION AND THE GEOTHERMAL HISTORY OF THE CANNING BASIN, WESTERN AUSTRALIA , 1984 .

[16]  A. Gleadow,et al.  FISSION TRACK ANALYSIS: A NEW TOOL FOR THE EVALUATION OF THERMAL HISTORIES AND HYDROCARBON POTENTIAL , 1983 .

[17]  Paul F. Green,et al.  The zeta age calibration of fission-track dating , 1983 .

[18]  G. Smith,et al.  LATERAL AND VERTICAL RANK VARIATION: IMPLICATIONS FOR HYDROCARBON EXPLORATION , 1978 .

[19]  E. Roedder.  Chapter 4 – FLUID-INCLUSION EVIDENCE ON THE GENESIS OF ORES IN SEDIMENTARY AND VOLCANIC ROCKS , 1976 .

[20]  G. Playford.  Devonian reef complexes of the Canning Basin, Western Australia: Review of Devonian palynology, Canning Basin , 1972 .