Abstract
This paper presents the first, detailed sedimentological analysis of the Paleoproterozoic Kungarra Formation, the lowermost of three formations comprising the Turee Creek Group in Western Australia, which was deposited across the rise in atmospheric oxygen (the Great Oxidation Event, or GOE) and the transition from early to modern Earth. The data show that the Kungarra Formation has a gradational, conformable lower contact with underlying banded iron-formation of the Hamersley Group and predominantly comprises an upward-shallowing succession from deepwater shales and siltstones, through rippled fine-grained sandstones and stromatolitic carbonates, to tidal flat deposits that immediately underlie coastal-fluvial deposits of the overlying Koolbye Formation. At the base of the Kungarra Formation is a gradual transition from alternating units of magnetic green shale and thin units of banded iron-formation that pass upsection to units of non-magnetic shale and ferruginous chert and grey chert, reflecting a gradual loss of iron from the world's oceans accompanying the rise of atmospheric oxygen. A falling stage system. s tract is recognised above this transition in the Hardey Syncline area, capped by stromatolitic carbonates and a period of exposure marked by an erosional unconformity and carbonate beachrock. Two glacio-eustatic cycles are recognised within the middle to upper parts of the Kungarra Formation, each of which is marked by the rapid onset of falling systems tracts and characterised by falling systems tracts during and following diamictite deposition.Stratigraphic data are used to infer a depobasin filled by a sediment wedge prograding from southeast to northwest, in contrast to previous models of a north-northeastward deepening foreland basin. The lack of seismites or internal unconformities within the formation precludes a foredeep setting. Rather, deposition is interpreted as having occurred within an intracratonic basin, with detritus sourced from erosion of uplifted bedrock to the southeast.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 314-343 |
| Number of pages | 30 |
| Journal | Precambrian Research |
| Volume | 256 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - Jan 1 2015 |
| Externally published | Yes |
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Keywords
- Glacio-marine succession
- Paleoproterozoic
- Sedimentology
- Turee creek group
- Western Australia
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Geology
- Geochemistry and Petrology
Cite this
Sedimentology of the Paleoproterozoic Kungarra Formation, Turee Creek Group, Western Australia : A conformable record of the transition from early to modern Earth. / Van Kranendonk, Martin; Mazumder, Rajat; Yamaguchi, Kosei E.; Yamada, Koji; Ikehara, Minoru.
In: Precambrian Research, Vol. 256, 01.01.2015, p. 314-343.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Sedimentology of the Paleoproterozoic Kungarra Formation, Turee Creek Group, Western Australia
T2 - A conformable record of the transition from early to modern Earth
AU - Van Kranendonk, Martin
AU - Mazumder, Rajat
AU - Yamaguchi, Kosei E.
AU - Yamada, Koji
AU - Ikehara, Minoru
PY - 2015/1/1
Y1 - 2015/1/1
N2 - This paper presents the first, detailed sedimentological analysis of the Paleoproterozoic Kungarra Formation, the lowermost of three formations comprising the Turee Creek Group in Western Australia, which was deposited across the rise in atmospheric oxygen (the Great Oxidation Event, or GOE) and the transition from early to modern Earth. The data show that the Kungarra Formation has a gradational, conformable lower contact with underlying banded iron-formation of the Hamersley Group and predominantly comprises an upward-shallowing succession from deepwater shales and siltstones, through rippled fine-grained sandstones and stromatolitic carbonates, to tidal flat deposits that immediately underlie coastal-fluvial deposits of the overlying Koolbye Formation. At the base of the Kungarra Formation is a gradual transition from alternating units of magnetic green shale and thin units of banded iron-formation that pass upsection to units of non-magnetic shale and ferruginous chert and grey chert, reflecting a gradual loss of iron from the world's oceans accompanying the rise of atmospheric oxygen. A falling stage system. s tract is recognised above this transition in the Hardey Syncline area, capped by stromatolitic carbonates and a period of exposure marked by an erosional unconformity and carbonate beachrock. Two glacio-eustatic cycles are recognised within the middle to upper parts of the Kungarra Formation, each of which is marked by the rapid onset of falling systems tracts and characterised by falling systems tracts during and following diamictite deposition.Stratigraphic data are used to infer a depobasin filled by a sediment wedge prograding from southeast to northwest, in contrast to previous models of a north-northeastward deepening foreland basin. The lack of seismites or internal unconformities within the formation precludes a foredeep setting. Rather, deposition is interpreted as having occurred within an intracratonic basin, with detritus sourced from erosion of uplifted bedrock to the southeast.
AB - This paper presents the first, detailed sedimentological analysis of the Paleoproterozoic Kungarra Formation, the lowermost of three formations comprising the Turee Creek Group in Western Australia, which was deposited across the rise in atmospheric oxygen (the Great Oxidation Event, or GOE) and the transition from early to modern Earth. The data show that the Kungarra Formation has a gradational, conformable lower contact with underlying banded iron-formation of the Hamersley Group and predominantly comprises an upward-shallowing succession from deepwater shales and siltstones, through rippled fine-grained sandstones and stromatolitic carbonates, to tidal flat deposits that immediately underlie coastal-fluvial deposits of the overlying Koolbye Formation. At the base of the Kungarra Formation is a gradual transition from alternating units of magnetic green shale and thin units of banded iron-formation that pass upsection to units of non-magnetic shale and ferruginous chert and grey chert, reflecting a gradual loss of iron from the world's oceans accompanying the rise of atmospheric oxygen. A falling stage system. s tract is recognised above this transition in the Hardey Syncline area, capped by stromatolitic carbonates and a period of exposure marked by an erosional unconformity and carbonate beachrock. Two glacio-eustatic cycles are recognised within the middle to upper parts of the Kungarra Formation, each of which is marked by the rapid onset of falling systems tracts and characterised by falling systems tracts during and following diamictite deposition.Stratigraphic data are used to infer a depobasin filled by a sediment wedge prograding from southeast to northwest, in contrast to previous models of a north-northeastward deepening foreland basin. The lack of seismites or internal unconformities within the formation precludes a foredeep setting. Rather, deposition is interpreted as having occurred within an intracratonic basin, with detritus sourced from erosion of uplifted bedrock to the southeast.
KW - Glacio-marine succession
KW - Paleoproterozoic
KW - Sedimentology
KW - Turee creek group
KW - Western Australia
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84917709372&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84917709372&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.precamres.2014.09.015
DO - 10.1016/j.precamres.2014.09.015
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84917709372
VL - 256
SP - 314
EP - 343
JO - Precambrian Research
JF - Precambrian Research
SN - 0301-9268
ER -