Deep crustal reflection results from the central Eromanga Basin, Australia

Abstract

From 1980 to 1982 deep seismic reflection profiles were recorded across the central Eromanga Basin in eastern Australia to study the regional structure, stratigraphy and geological history of the Eromanga Basin and infra-basins. The reflection data were recorded to 20 s to obtain additional information on the nature and structure of the crust below the sediments and their relationship to the development of the basins. The seismic sections show good quality reflections from the deep crust as well as from the sedimentary layers. Based on the character, strength, coherence, continuity and spatial distribution of the reflections, the sections can be divided into four zones. The tope zone between 0 and 2.5 s shows fairly uniform, coherent and continuous events which correlate with the Mesozoic and Late Palaeozoic sediments. The zone from 2.5 to 8 s (4 to 22 km) does not show any primary reflections and is interpreted as the highly-deformed metasedimentary and metavolcanic rocks of the Early Palaeozoic Thomson Orogen underlying the sediments. Without any recognisable reflection or diffraction patterns in this zone, it is difficult to say whether the faulting and folding observed in the sediments extend into the upper crustal basement. The deeper zone of numerous reflection segments between 8 and 12.5 s (22 to 36 km) is interpreted as thin laminae of alternating low and high velocity (intermediate and basic) rocks, and correlates with the lower crust bounded by refraction velocity discontinuities. The lowest zone of no reflections below 12.5 s corresponds with the upper mantle. The reflection character and thickness as well as the refraction velocity structure of the crust under the central Eromanga Basin area are significantly different from those of the Precambrian crust under the Georgina Basin to the northwest. It is proposed that the crust under the Eromanga Basin is extensionally attenuated crust which had been intruded by sills of basaltic melt from the underlying asthenosphere.