Geology of the Sau River Region, Western Highlands of New Guinea

Geoscience Australia Data provides a geological map covering an area of approximately 800 square miles in the Western Highlands of New Guinea. The data originates from a reconnaissance geological survey conducted in 1959, describing rock formations from the Jurassic to the Pleistocene periods. The survey notes a large basic pluton as a source of gold, platinum, and minor copper mineralisation.

Use Cases

• Map regional geological structures based on described fault lines and fold axes.
• Identify potential mineral exploration targets based on described gold, platinum, and copper mineralisation.
• Study the stratigraphic sequence based on described Jurassic to Pliocene marine sediments and volcanics.
• Analyze the relationship between intrusive bodies and mineralisation based on the described basic pluton.

Strengths

• Covers a defined area of approximately 800 square miles.
• Describes a specific sequence of rock formations and major geological structures.
• Identifies a potential source of mineralisation (gold, platinum, copper).

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 temporal bias inherent to a single survey from 1959.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Reconnaissance geological survey

Time Range

Survey conducted in 1959.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-14 04:26:53.769165; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Sau River and environs, Western Highlands of New Guinea.