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Chert can be found in several locations in Australia, including Western Australia, South Australia, and the Sydney Basin. In Western Australia, chert can be found in Spargoville, the Dragon Stone prospect in the East Pilbara Shire, and Port Noarlunga South in the City of Onkaparinga. In South Australia, chert is also present in Port Noarlunga South. The Sydney Basin is known for its Permo-Triassic sandstones rich in detrital chert, which has been the subject of studies investigating its provenance and oxygen isotopic composition. These studies suggest that the source of the chert in these sandstones may not be the marine bedded chert in the New England Fold Belt (NEFB) but could be from an alternative source, such as chemically weathered volcanic rock.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Chert found in Australia | Spargoville, Coolgardie Shire, Western Australia |
| Dragon Stone prospect, East Pilbara Shire, Western Australia | |
| Port Noarlunga South, City of Onkaparinga, South Australia | |
| Permo-Triassic Sydney Basin | |
| Paraná Basin (Sakmarian/Artinskian of Brazil) | |
| Karoo Basin (Artinskian of South Africa) | |
| Damodar Basin (Lopingian of India) | |
| Dead Sea area (Changhsingian of Jordan) | |
| Petrographic and mesofossil analysis | Late Permian, Lower Whybrow coal, New South Wales |
| Oxygen isotopic composition | δ18O values range between 12.7 and 20.8%c (SMOW) |
| Marine bedded chert in the NEFB ranges between 23.0 and 25.2% |
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What You'll Learn
Chert in the Permo-Triassic Sydney Basin
The Permo-Triassic Sydney Basin is a significant geological feature on Australia's central eastern coast in New South Wales. Covering an area of 64,000 square kilometres, the basin is home to a rich coal deposit associated with natural gas and minor oil occurrences. The basin is characterised by its rock sequences, which have undergone minor folding and faulting, with the exception of the large-scale folds of the Lapstone Monocline and the Tomah Monocline.
The Sydney Basin was initiated by crustal rifting in the Early Permian and has a complex geological history spanning millions of years. Initially, the basin consisted of dominantly marine sediments, which transitioned to non-marine coal measures towards the end of the Early Permian. During the Permian, the basin experienced a significant fire event, as evidenced by the presence of charcoal and seed-like bodies in the Lower Whybrow coal of New South Wales. This fire event also corresponded to changes in the megaspore content of the coal, indicating a dynamic ecosystem response.
In the Triassic period, the basin underwent uplift, becoming dry land, and has been subject to erosion since. This uplift resulted in the reworking of Permian sediments in fluvial environments, and the deposition of up to 600 metres of sediment on the continental shelf north of Sydney. The minor deformation during the Permian and Triassic periods is evident in some parts of the basin, with the best-preserved Permian sequences found in the Hunter Valley, known for their abundance of marine fossils.
The chert found in the Permo-Triassic Sydney Basin is of particular interest. Detrital chert, a type of chert found in chert-rich sandstones, was once thought to have originated from marine bedded chert in the New England Fold Belt (NEFB). However, the rarity of sedimentary and metasedimentary rock fragments in these sandstones has led to questions about its true source. Isotopic analysis of chert grains has provided insights into their origin, suggesting that the primary source may be chemically weathered volcanic rock rather than the NEFB.
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Chert in Spargoville, Coolgardie Shire
Chert can be found in Spargoville, Coolgardie Shire, Western Australia. Spargoville is a small settlement from the 1890s gold rush, and nothing remains of the town today. The area is known for its gold mines and mineral deposits, including nickel, copper, and chert.
The Spargoville Group, discovered in the late 1960s by Selcast Exploration Ltd, comprises a number of nickel prospects (with minor copper) and small mines located a few kilometres west of the Coolgardie-Norseman Highway. The Wattle Dam mine is also within the immediate area. Chert can be found in the structurally complex Widgiemooltha Greenstone Belt, on the southeast flank of Depot Dome, where the Spargoville Group is located.
Chert is a type of rock that is often associated with volcanic, sedimentary, and metasedimentary rocks. It has a distinctive isotopic signature, with characteristic δ18O values that can be used to differentiate it from other types of rocks. The oxygen isotopic composition of chert grains can provide insights into their origin and formation.
In addition to chert, Spargoville is also known for its rose quartz deposits and pegmatites, which are mineral formations that often contain valuable gemstones. The Mount Marion pegmatites and the South Spargoville Columbite pegmatite are two notable examples in the area.
The presence of chert in Spargoville, Coolgardie Shire, is indicative of the area's geological history and mineral wealth. It is important to study and understand the occurrence of chert to gain insights into the region's mineralogy and geology.
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Chert in Port Noarlunga South, South Australia
Port Noarlunga South, a suburb in the Australian state of South Australia, is located on the coastline of Gulf St Vincent, about 30 kilometres (19 miles) south of Adelaide. Port Noarlunga South started as a private subdivision in 1923 with portions gazetted with the names Paringa and Port Onkaparinga. Chert can be found in Port Noarlunga South, City of Onkaparinga, South Australia.
Port Noarlunga Reef, located in Port Noarlunga, is regarded as one of South Australia's best snorkelling sites and is popular with underwater photographers. It is a narrow reef about 400 metres (1,300 feet) offshore and about 1.6 kilometres (0.99 miles) long. The reef is also a popular scuba diving and snorkelling location, with 83 marine plant species and 132 ray-finned fish species identified. The Port Noarlunga Reef is part of the Encounter Marine Park, a divers' and snorkelers' paradise, and is also viewable from the end of the jetty.
The suburb is bounded to the south by the Onkaparinga River, including a tidal estuary. It is bounded to the west by the coastline with Gulf St Vincent, by Christies Beach to the north, and by Noarlunga Centre and Noarlunga Downs to the east. In the early 20th century, Port Noarlunga was a popular coastal holiday destination, with its natural beauty attracting tourists. The beach features red sandstone cliffs, a long jetty, and a reef, making it one of the iconic diving destinations in the state.
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Chert in the Dragon Stone prospect, East Pilbara Shire
Chert is a type of microcrystalline quartz found in several locations in Australia. One notable location is the Dragon Stone prospect in the East Pilbara Shire of Western Australia. The Dragon Stone prospect is known for its large boulders of chrome-rich fuchsite chert, which are marketed as "dragon stone" or "dragon's blood stone". These boulders are characterised by their mid-green colour, with occasional red ferruginous bands and blebs. The chert at this location is hosted in an area of Archean schist and quartzite adjacent to an intrusion of metamorphosed ultramafic rock.
The Dragon Stone prospect is located approximately 35 kilometres east-southeast of the Wodgina mining centre in the East Pilbara Shire. The specific mineral assemblage of the Dragon Stone prospect includes microcrystalline quartz as chert, with minor muscovite and fuchsite. The mid-green cherty matrix of the chert at this location is unique and distinct from other chert deposits in Australia.
The presence of chert in the Dragon Stone prospect has geological significance. Chert is a rock that forms through the process of chemical precipitation and/or organic activity, often in marine environments. The study of chert and its isotopic composition can provide valuable information about the geological history and past environmental conditions of an area. For example, the presence of volcanic relicts in chert can indicate a volcanic origin, while the presence of sedimentary and metasedimentary rock fragments may suggest a different source.
The Dragon Stone prospect in the East Pilbara Shire is an important site for understanding the geological history of the region. The unique composition of the chert at this location offers insights into the mineralogy and petrogenesis of chert in Western Australia. Further geological studies and investigations of this site can contribute to our understanding of chert formation and mineralogy, as well as the geological processes that shaped the East Pilbara Shire.
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Chert's oxygen isotopic composition
Chert is a rock that can be found in various locations in Australia, including Western Australia, South Australia, and New South Wales. The oxygen isotopic composition of cherts provides important information about the Earth's thermal evolution and the environmental conditions of the Precambrian period.
The oxygen isotopic composition of chert can vary depending on its geological and environmental context. For example, the oxygen isotopic composition of chert grains in Permo-Triassic sandstones in the Sydney Basin has been measured, with δ18O values ranging between 12.7 and 20.8%c (SMOW). In contrast, the isotopic composition of metamorphosed marine chert in the New England Fold Belt (NEFB) has a higher δ18O value, ranging between 23.0 and 25.2%. These differences in oxygen isotopic composition suggest that the chert in the Sydney Basin may have originated from an alternative source, such as chemically weathered volcanic rock, rather than the marine bedded chert in the NEFB.
The stable oxygen isotope ratio of 18O/16O in Archean cherts is lower than that of modern cherts, indicating possible variations in seawater composition or temperature through time. Studies have suggested that Archean oceans may have had temperatures as high as 80 °C, which would impact the fractionation of 18O/16O between water and silica. Additionally, the triple oxygen isotope composition of cherts, including δ18O and Δ′17O values, can provide further insights into the secular trend of oxygen isotope ratios and the possible influence of factors such as diagenesis and freshwater origin.
The oxygen isotopic composition of cherts has been used as a proxy for paleo-oceanic temperatures and environmental conditions. For example, cherts from the Onverwacht Group in South Africa have been studied to understand the oxygen isotope composition and its relationship with fluid circulations and silica diagenesis. The oxygen and silicon isotopic compositions of these cherts provide valuable information about the Precambrian oceanic and environmental conditions. Furthermore, the oxygen isotope ratios of cherts can also offer insights into the Earth's thermal evolution and the alteration of samples over time.
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Frequently asked questions
Chert can be found in the Permo-Triassic Sydney Basin, Australia.
The composition of chert grains in the Sydney Basin has characteristic δ18O values ranging between 12.7 and 20.8%c (SMOW).
The origin of the chert in the Sydney Basin is debated. It was previously thought to be derived from marine bedded chert in the New England Fold Belt (NEFB). However, the rarity of sedimentary and metasedimentary rock fragments in the chert-rich sandstones has raised questions about this interpretation.
An alternative source of the chert is chemically weathered volcanic rock, as indicated by the oxygen isotopic composition and textural evidence.
Chert can also be found in Western Australia, specifically in Spargoville, Coolgardie Shire, and Dragon Stone prospect in the East Pilbara Shire. Additionally, it is present in Port Noarlunga South, in the City of Onkaparinga, South Australia.
