Paleomagnetic dating of ironstone nodules (‘nuts’) from the Yowah opal field, central southern Queensland

Abstract

ABSTRACTTo constrain the age of Australian opal formation, we have undertaken a paleomagnetic study of oxidised ironstone ‘nuts’ from Yowah, Queensland. Following standard methods, we have calculated a mean direction of declination D = 191.4°, inclination I = 61.7° (α95 = 4.0°), indicating a paleomagnetic pole position at latitude λp = 71.3°S, longitude ϕp = 119.4°E (A95 = 5.3°). The direction comprises both normal and reverse polarities that fail a reversal test most probably owing to contamination by small recent/present-day components. The mean direction should not be significantly affected. A chi-square comparison with paleomagnetic poles for dated Cenozoic rocks in eastern Australia, poles derived from the Global Moving Hotspot Reference Frame and the Cenozoic pole path for North America, appropriately transferred to Australian coordinates, yields a mean age estimate of 35 ± 7 Ma, i.e. late Eocene to early Oligocene. This is interpreted as the age of the ironstone formation, which places a maximum age for the formation of precious Yowah opal. This result confirms and tightens the age for the nearby Canaway weathered profile.