Abstract
A tabular body of quartzite breccia at least 5 km2 in area and up to 20 m thick is preserved beneath the aeolian Whyalla Sandstone of late Precambrian age at the Cattle Grid copper mine on the Stuart Shelf W of the Adelaide Geosyncline. The breccia (Cattle Grid Breccia) exhibits numerous periglacial structures and is interpreted as a fossil block field formed through in situ frost shattering of silicified sandstone (Pandurra Formation) during the Marinoan Glaciation ca. 680 Ma ago. Periglacial structures displayed by the breccia include: primary sand‐wedge polygons; anticlines and tepee‐like structures, some cut by reverse faults, ascribed to frost heaving and frost thrusting; and truncated earth mounds. Sand wedges, drop involutions, periglacial injections, and frost‐heaved blocks also occur within the basal few metres of the Whyalla Sandstone, indicating that periglacial activity continued after burial of the block field. During formation of the breccia the mean annual air temperature probably was no hi...
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
