This Guide is designed to assist
mineral explorers working in the
regolith-dominated terrains of the
central region of the Gawler Craton
in South Australia: in particular
those areas of weathered bedrock
where dominantly terrestrial
deposits form a patchy and
comparatively thin (< 100 m)
cover. From a mineral
industry perspective, the Gawler
Craton is renowned as host to the
world-class Olympic Dam Cu–Au–U deposit. For exploration, the
fertility of the Craton is confirmed by the recent discovery of a cluster of
deposits and occurrences of Fe-oxide–Cu–Au (IOCG)-style mineralisation:
mostly below thick sediment cover along the Craton’s eastern margin. The
central region of the Craton is largely under-explored. Before the 1990s, the
only substantial metal production was 2.4 tonnes of Au from the Tarcoola
Goldfield – discovered in 1900 – and from smaller workings at Glenloth
and Earea Dam. Exploration over the past 20 years has identified significant
resources of hypogene and intrusion-related Au, heavy mineral sands and
Fe ore, and established the region as prospective for Pb–Zn, Cu–Au, Ni
and sandstone-hosted U deposits. This Guide provides an introduction to
the regolith and landscape history of the region, together with advice on
strategies and methods that can assist with exploration for mineral deposits
within, or beneath, the regolith.
CRC LEME is established
and supported under the Australian Government's Cooperative Research
Centres Program. The CRC Program is an Australian Government initiative
which brings together research groups with common interests.
This Guide is designed to assist
mineral explorers working in the
regolith-dominated terrains of the
central region of the Gawler Craton
in South Australia: in particular
those areas of weathered bedrock
where dominantly terrestrial
deposits form a patchy and
comparatively thin (< 100 m)
cover. From a mineral
industry perspective, the Gawler
Craton is renowned as host to the
world-class Olympic Dam Cu–Au–U deposit. For exploration, the
fertility of the Craton is confirmed by the recent discovery of a cluster of
deposits and occurrences of Fe-oxide–Cu–Au (IOCG)-style mineralisation:
mostly below thick sediment cover along the Craton’s eastern margin. The
central region of the Craton is largely under-explored. Before the 1990s, the
only substantial metal production was 2.4 tonnes of Au from the Tarcoola
Goldfield – discovered in 1900 – and from smaller workings at Glenloth
and Earea Dam. Exploration over the past 20 years has identified significant
resources of hypogene and intrusion-related Au, heavy mineral sands and
Fe ore, and established the region as prospective for Pb–Zn, Cu–Au, Ni
and sandstone-hosted U deposits. This Guide provides an introduction to
the regolith and landscape history of the region, together with advice on
strategies and methods that can assist with exploration for mineral deposits
within, or beneath, the regolith.
