Journal article
Thermotectonic evolution of the western margin of the Yilgarn craton, Western Australia: New insights from Ar-40/Ar-39 analysis of muscovite and biotite
S Lu, D Phillips, BP Kohn, AJW Gleadow, EL Matchan
Precambrian Research | ELSEVIER | Published : 2015
Abstract
The post-cratonisation history of the Yilgarn craton is somewhat fragmentary due to incomplete or absent stratigraphic records for overlying sediments. However, the exposed Archean crystalline rocks can provide important constraints on the 'missing' thermotectonic history if appropriate thermochronological methods are used. Previous thermochronology studies from the southwestern Yilgarn craton suggest that it was subjected to late 'Pan-African' tectonism and east-west compression, resulting in tectonic loading (thrusting) of sediments onto basement rocks along its western margin. However, this proposed tectonic model is based largely on bulk Rb-Sr biotite analyses with minimal petrological a..
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Funding Acknowledgements
The authors thank the Geological Survey of Western Australia for providing samples and logistical help, and Steve Boger for sharing his invaluable knowledge of Gondwana tectonics. We also thank Roland Mass and Graham Hutchinson for performing Rb-Sr and electron microprobe analyses, respectively. We acknowledge Stan Szczepanski for technical assistance with <SUP>40</SUP>Ar/<SUP>39</SUP>Ar analyses. The University of Melbourne Noble Gas Laboratory receives infrastructure support from the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy Au Scope program and the Education Investment Fund AGOS program. This study was supported by MIRS and MIFR scholarships from the University of Melbourne. Reviews by F. Jourdan, an anonymous reviewer and Randall Parrish (editor) have improved the manuscript.