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Geochemistry of Early–Middle Palaeozoic basalts in the Hodgkinson Province: a key to tectono-magmatic evolution of the Tasman Fold Belt System in northeastern Queensland, Australia

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Abstract

The Palaeozoic Hodgkinson Province in northeastern Queensland, Australia, is host to Late Ordovician to Devonian rock assemblages that contain tholeiitic to calc-alkaline basalts. These basalts occur as massive fault-bounded units interspersed with marine sedimentary rocks and limestones that are metamorphosed to lower greenschist facies in the Ordovician Mulgrave, Silurian Chillagoe and Devonian Hodgkinson formations, respectively. The petrogenetic and Sm–Nd isotope characteristics of these mafic volcanic rocks were investigated to constrain the tectonic setting in which they erupted. Major, trace and rare earth element analyses were carried out on samples from these formations and intrusive dolerites. The mafic rocks can be classified as basalts and basaltic andesites with distinct MORB characteristics. Furthermore, the basalts are characterized by a slight to moderate enrichment in Th and concomitant depletion in Nb, both of which become less pronounced with basalt evolution through time. These features are consistent with decreasing volcanic arc affinity of Silurian and Devonian MORB-type basalts in the Hodgkinson Province. Sm–Nd isotope characteristics of these basalts indicate a change in source region from dominantly sub-continental lithospheric mantle in the Silurian to asthenospheric input in the Devonian. Collectively, the geochemical and isotopic characteristics of the Hodgkinson Province basalts are interpreted to reflect deposition in an evolving back-arc basin setting. The onset of basin extension was initiated in the Silurian. Accelerated basin subsidence occurred throughout the Devonian and was halted by basin inversion in the Late Devonian. Basin evolution was controlled by an eastward stepping subduction zone outboard of the Australian Craton.

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Acknowledgements

The study reported herein was conducted as part of the predictive mineral discovery Cooperative Research Centre (pmd*CRC) and this paper is published with the permission of the CEO, pmd*CRC. Analytical work was in part supported by a grant from the Australian Institute of Nuclear Science and Engineering to FPB and IMAV (AINGRA04008). David Garnett (AINSE) is thanked for his support with project set-up and analytical work. P. Donchak and J. Domagala (QLD NRM) are thanked for the provision of relevant samples and thin sections, valuable discussions and review of the manuscript. The manuscript has benefited from discussions with and input from P. Betts, B. Schaefer, G. Mark (all Monash University) and B. Davis (RSG Global). R. Maas is thanked for assistance with Sm–Nd analyses. Kagara Zinc Pty Ltd (C. Georgees, I. Morrison) is acknowledged for providing sample material. J. Nethery (Nedex Pty Ltd) is thanked for his generous help with logistics in the study area and the provision of maps. We would also like to thank R. Price (University of Waikato) for discussions on the initial dataset. In particular, we were honoured by and thankful for insightful revisions by P. Floyd and J. Winchester.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. pmd*CRC/ACRC School of Geosciences, Monash University, 3800, Melbourne, VIC, Australia

    I. M. A. Vos & F. P. Bierlein

  2. TSRC, School of Earth and Geographical Sciences, University of Western Australia, 6009, Crawley, WA, Australia

    F. P. Bierlein

  3. Department of Earth Sciences, LaTrobe University, 3086, Bundoora, VIC, Australia

    J. Webb

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  1. I. M. A. Vos
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Correspondence to I. M. A. Vos.

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Vos, I., Bierlein, F. & Webb, J. Geochemistry of Early–Middle Palaeozoic basalts in the Hodgkinson Province: a key to tectono-magmatic evolution of the Tasman Fold Belt System in northeastern Queensland, Australia. Int J Earth Sci (Geol Rundsch) 95, 569–585 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00531-005-0053-7

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