Petermann Orogeny

Angie Pua
Natalya Taylor
 Contents

 Location
 Define Orogen Margins
 Age
 Timeline of major tectonic events
 Cratons
 Basins
 Petermann Orogeny Tectonic Model
 Major structures
 Peak Metamorphic Conditions
 Geology
 Cross-Sections
 Petermann Orogen - Location
 Central Australia
 Musgrave Block and south-western Amadeus Basin
 Petermann Ranges & Mann Terrane in Musgrave Block

Scrimgeour & Close 1999

 Petermann Orogeny - Age

 Intracratonic orogenesis
 During the break-up Rodinia
 Deep crustal deformation (Mann Terrane)
 Uplift of Musgrave Block
 Formation of Petermann Range

 Late Neoproterozoic (Ediacaran) to Cambrian

 c. 600–530 Ma
 Timeline

 Three main cratons West, North and South Australian cratons.

 1830 – 1300 Ma main cratons formed from smaller fragments

 1300 – 1000 Ma assembly of Rodinia by suturing of cratons
 1000 – 750 Ma Centralian Superbasin formation
 750 – 540 Ma Break-up of Rodinia

 600 – 530 Ma Petermann Orogeny

1300-1100 Ma

• Suture of Rodinia as it affected Australia

1000-750 Ma

Intracratonic Centralian Superbasin formed over suture terranes

750-540Ma

Break-up of Rodinia
• Laurentia
• Tasman Line
• Paleopacific Ocean
Sutures in black are
1300-1100 Ma

600-530 Ma

Petermann Orogeny
Officer
Petermann Orogeny Tectonic Model
for uplift of the Musgrave Block
 Mesoproterozoic rocks
 Intracratonic deformation

Scrimgeour & Close

1999
Crustal deformation model of

convergent lithospheric mantle

Tectonic model of Musgrave Block

during Petermann Orogeny

1. Pre-orogenic 5k bar at 800Ma

2. Pre-exhumation 12 kbar 600-550Ma
3. End-orogenic 5 kbar at 530Ma
4. Development to current surface
1. Pre-orogenic 5 kbar at 800Ma

Rock layer distribution prior to Petermann Orogeny

Amadeus Basin: Upper Proterozoic shallow marine sediment 800-850Ma

Mulga Park Subdomain: amphibolite, gneiss facies 1600Ma

Fregon Subdomain: transitional amphibolite, granulite, gneiss facies 1880Ma

2. Pre-exhumation 12kbar 600-550Ma “Burial”

East-West striking dextral strike-slip faults penetrate lithospheric mantle

Formation of north verging thrusts by oblique compression

 Peak metamorphosis

 Peak metamorphosis 570Ma

 Peak pressure 10 – 14 Kbar
 Peak temperature 700 – 800 °C
 Corresponds to granulite facies

 18km mylonitic deformation of Mesoproterozoic granites and gneisses

at deep crustal level
 Evidence from SHRIMP and LA-ICPMS dating of zircon U-Th-Pb

 (SHRIMP) Sensitive High Resolution Ion Microprobe 

 (LA-ICPMS) Laser Ablation Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry  
3. End-orogenic 5kbar at 530Ma
Exhumation at northward verging thrusts

Early shear zones lock, and stresses partition to new shear zones

New thrust and strike-slip faults form

Molasse sediments (Mt Currie Conglomerate) deposited on Amadeus Basin

Exposure of older gneisses and eclogites

Orogen cools
4. Development to current surface
Northward shortening by thrust faults (Woodroffe Thrust)
East-west shear zones (Davenport Shear Zone)
East-west strike-slip faults (Mann Fault)
Development of:
 Nappes (overturned folds) – basal Amadeus sediments - quartzite
 ‘Flower’ structure

Petermann Orogeny ended circa 530 Ma.

South Amadeus Basin exhumation during Alice Springs Orogeny 360 Ma.
Musgrave Block Geology
• Neoproterozoic metamorphic ranges
• Amphibolite, granulite and gneiss
• Ultramafic igneous complexes
AB, Amadeus Basin BBZ, Bloods Back Thrust Zone CL, Caroline Lineament HF, Hinckley Fault
LL, Lindsay Lineament MAF, Mount Aloysius Fault MF, Mann Fault OB, Officer Basin
PDZ, Piltardi Detachment Zone WDZ, Wankari Detachment Zone WHL, Wintiginna‐Hinckley Lineament
WL, Wintiginna Lineament WT, Woodroffe Thrust
 Summary
The Petermann orogeny occurred during the break-up of Rodinia by
deformation that uplifted the Musgrave Block.

 LocationCentral Australia, Musgrave Block

 Age 600-530 Ma (Ediacaran – Cambrian)
 Cratons West/North/South Australian Cratons,
Central Australian Terranes, Centralian Superbasin and Musgrave Block

 Timeline1830 – 1300 Ma assembly of cratons from fragments

1300 – 1000 Ma assembly of Rodinia by suturing of cratons
1000 – 750 Ma Centralian Superbasin formation
750 – 540 Ma Break-up of Rodinia

 Orogen Margins = Musgrave Block margins

 North Amadeus Basin
 South Officer Basin
 East Tasman Line
 West Musgrave Block western margin (west of Mann Terrane & Petermann Ranges)
 Petermann Orogeny
 Pre-orogenic 800 Ma

 Proterozoic metamorphic terrane

 Pre-exhumation 600 – 550 Ma

 Burial

 Oblique compression
Peak metamorphosis 570Ma
 Deep crustal deformation Peak pressure 10 – 14 Kbar
 North vergent fold thrust belt
Peak temperature 700 – 800 °C
 E-W dextral strike-slip faults
Corresponds to granulite facies
 End-orogenic 530 Ma

 Exhumation and cooling

 Stress partitioning to new shear zones and faults

 Molasse deposits on Amadeus Basin

 Development to current surface

 Petermann Nappes

 ‘Flower’ structure
 References
 Camacho A, McDougall I (2000) Intracratonic, strike-slip partitioned transpression and
the formation and exhumation of eclogite facies rocks: An example from the Musgrave
Block, central Australia. Tectonics 19 (5), 978-996.
 Gregory C, Buick I, Rubatto H, Rubatto D (2009) Mineral-scaleTrace Element and
U^Th^Pb Age Constraints on Metamorphism and Melting during the Petermann Orogeny
(Central Australia) Journal of Petrology 50 (2), 251-287.
 Myers J, Shaw R, Tyler I (1996) Tectonic evolution of Proterozoic Australia. Tectonics 15
(6), 1431-1446.
 Raimondo T, Collins A, Hand M, Walker‐Hallam A, Smithies R, Evins P, Howard H
(2010) The anatomy of a deep intracontinental orogen. Tectonics 29, TC4024.
 Scrimgeour I, Close D (1999) Regional high-pressure metamorphism during intracratonic
deformation: the Petermann Orogeny, central Australia. Journal of Metamorphic Geology
17, 557–572.
 Wade B, Hand M, Barovich K (2005) Nd isotopic and geochemical constraints on
provenance of sedimentary rocks in the eastern Officer Basin, Australia: implications for
the duration of the intracratonic Petermann Orogeny. Journal of the Geological Society
162, 513-530.
 The Sensitive High Resolution Ion Microprobe (SHRIMP) is a large-
diameter, double-focusing secondary ion mass spectrometer (SIMS) 
sector instrument produced by Australian Scientific Instruments in 
Canberra, Australia. The SHRIMP microprobe focuses a primary beam of ions on
a sample sputtering secondary ions which are focussed, filtered and measured
according to their energy and mass.
 The SHRIMP is primarily used for geological and geochemical applications. It
can rapidly measure the isotopic and elemental abundances in minerals at a
micrometre-scale and is therefore well-suited for the analysis of complex
minerals, as often found in metamorphic terrains, some igneous rocks, and for
relatively rapid analysis of statistical valid sets of detrital minerals from
sedimentary rocks. The most common application of the instrument is in 
uranium-thorium-lead geochronology, although the SHRIMP can be used to
measure other isotopic and elemental abundances.

 Laser Ablation Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA -

ICPMS) is a type of mass spectrometry which is capable of detecting metals
 and several non-metals at concentrations as low as one part in 10 12 (part per
trillion). This is achieved by ionizing the sample with inductively coupled plasma
 and then using a mass spectrometer to separate and quantify those ions.
 Compared to atomic absorption techniques, ICP-MS has greater speed,
precision, and sensitivity. However, analysis by ICP-MS is also more susceptible
to trace contaminants from glassware and reagents. In addition, the presence
of some ions can interfere with the detection of other ions.