Tectonic and Metallogenic Framework of the Cambrian Stansbury Basin, South Australia

The Early to Middle Cambrian Stansbury Basin preserves a palaeogeographic zonation from shallow shelf carbonates to extensional rift facies. Sedimentation occurred from about 540 Ma to at least 510 Ma, with a distinctive phase of thick rift sedimentation in the Kanmantoo Trough from 526 Ma. This dataset, provided by the Australian Ocean Data Network, describes the basin's tectonic framework and its potential for various types of mineralisation.

Use Cases

• Modeling paleogeographic zonation based on described facies transitions from shelf carbonates to rift siliciclastics.
• Identifying potential areas for Mississippi Valley-type mineralisation based on described unconformities, karst, and porous carbonates.
• Analyzing structural controls on mineralisation based on described shear zones, thrusts, and reactivated faults.
• Prospecting for stratabound copper mineralisation based on described redbed-to-marine stratigraphic transitions.
• Investigating volcanogenic massive sulphide potential based on analogies to the Mt Read Volcanics mentioned for the Murray Basin basement.

Strengths

• Description provides specific geological time ranges (540 Ma to at least 510 Ma, with a phase from 526 Ma).
• Identifies specific geological structures and zones (e.g., Padthaway Ridge, Kangaroo Island shear zone).
• Lists multiple specific mineralisation types and prospects (e.g., MVT, stratabound Cu, Angas and Mt Torrens prospects).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to data_gov_au, focusing solely on South Australia.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Geological synthesis and analysis, likely from field studies and existing literature.

Time Range

Early to Middle Cambrian, approximately 540 to 510 million years ago.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-10 22:15:01.463483; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Stansbury Basin - Kanmantoo Trough, South Australia, including Spencer and Ardrossan Shelves, Murray Basin basement, and Fleurieu Peninsula.