Curtin University Homepage
  • Library
  • Help
    • Admin

    espace - Curtin’s institutional repository

    JavaScript is disabled for your browser. Some features of this site may not work without it.
    View Item 
    • espace Home
    • espace
    • Curtin Research Publications
    • View Item
    • espace Home
    • espace
    • Curtin Research Publications
    • View Item

    Yallalie: a Buried Structure of Possible Impact Origin in the Perth Basin, Western Australia

    146448_4852_Dentith_etal1999.pdf (2.052Mb)
    Access Status
    Open access
    Authors
    Dentith, M.
    Backhouse, J.
    Featherstone, Will
    Koeberl, C.
    Bevan, A.
    Date
    1999
    Type
    Journal Article
    
    Metadata
    Show full item record
    Citation
    Dentith, M.C. and Bevan, A.W.R and Backhouse, J. and Featherstone, W.E. and Koeberl, C. 1999. Yallalie: a Buried Structure of Possible Impact Origin in the Perth Basin, Western Australia. Geological Magazine 136 (6): pp. 619-632.
    Source Title
    Geological Magazine
    DOI
    10.1017/S0016756899003386
    ISSN
    00167568
    Faculty
    Department of Exploration Geophysics
    Faculty of Science and Engineering
    WA School of Mines
    Remarks

    Copyright © 1999 Cambridge University Press - Research Article

    URI
    http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/10289
    Collection
    • Curtin Research Publications
    Abstract

    An enigmatic buried structure, located in Mesozoic sedimentary rocks in the Perth Basin, Western Australia, was discovered in 1990 by Ampol Exploration. The basin-like Yallalie structure (centred on 30 26' 40.3'' S, 115 46' 16.4'' E) is circular in plan view and about 12 km in diameter. High resolution,seismic-reflection profiles across the structure show a basin-shaped area of chaotic reflections that extend to a depth of approximately 2 km below the surface. The structure has sharp boundaries with surrounding faulted, but otherwise relatively undisturbed, rocks. In the centre of the structure there is an uplifted area approximately 3?4 km across, similar to those described from complex meteorite impact structures. The seismically defined structure coincides with a circular topographic depression, and image processing of digital elevation data has allowed recognition of concentric and radial structures extending as far as 40 km from the centre of the depression. Gravity surveys show the structure to be associated with a positive gravity anomaly of about 30 gu. Aeromagnetic surveys have defined annular anomalies associated with the central uplifted section, and possibly margins, of the structure. A search for siderophile element enrichments (by neutron activation analysis) in the rocks of the structure, which would indicate the presence of a meteorite component, proved negative. Quartz grains in cores that penetrate the structure show the development of prismatic cleavage fractures and irregular, slightly curved planes formed by brittle fracture. An allochthonous breccia of Late Cretaceous rocks occurs a few kilometres west of the western margin of the structure. Quartz grains from a thin veneer of Tertiary sediments that drape the structure are essentially undeformed. However, multiple sets of closely spaced planar deformation features in quartz, characteristic of highly shocked rocks, have yet to be observed in the rocks of the Yallalie structure and the allochthonous breccia. The morphology of the Yallalie structure determined from topographic and geophysical data suggests strongly that it is of impact origin. Geological and geochemical evidence is equivocal, but is not inconsistent with this interpretation.

    Related items

    Showing items related by title, author, creator and subject.

    • Evaluating the source, age, thermal history and palaeoenvironments of deposition of Australian and Western Canadian petroleum systems: compound specific stable isotopes coupled with inorganic trace elements
      Maslen, Ercin (2010)
      Petroleum geochemistry is an important scientific discipline used in the exploration and production of hydrocarbons. Petroleum geochemistry involves the applications of organic geochemistry to the study of origin, formation, ...
    • Tectono-morphological evolution of the Cauvery, Vaigai, and Thamirabarani River basins: Implications on timing, stratigraphic markers, relative roles of intrinsic and extrinsic factors, and transience of Southern Indian landscape
      Ramkumar, M.; Santosh, M.; Rahaman, S.M.A.; Balasundareshwaran, A.; Balasubramani, K.; Mathew, M.J.; Sautter, B.; Siddiqui, N.; Usha, K.P.; Sreerhishya, K.; Prithiviraj, G.; Ramasamy, Nagarajan ; Thirukumaran, V.; Menier, D.; Kumaraswamy, K. (2019)
      © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Peninsular India is an amalgam of transient landscapes evolved from the interactions between tectonic and climatic forcings. In order to appraise the tectono-geomorphic evolution of South ...
    • Thermal History and Deep Overpressure Modelling in the Northern Carnarvon Basin, North West Shelf, Australia
      He, Sheng (2002)
      The Northern Carnarvon Basin is the richest petroleum province in Australia. About 50 gas/condensate and oil fields, associated mainly with Jurassic source rocks, have been discovered in the sub-basins and on the Rankin ...
    Advanced search

    Browse

    Communities & CollectionsIssue DateAuthorTitleSubjectDocument TypeThis CollectionIssue DateAuthorTitleSubjectDocument Type

    My Account

    Admin

    Statistics

    Most Popular ItemsStatistics by CountryMost Popular Authors

    Follow Curtin

    • 
    • 
    • 
    • 
    • 

    CRICOS Provider Code: 00301JABN: 99 143 842 569TEQSA: PRV12158

    Copyright | Disclaimer | Privacy statement | Accessibility

    Curtin would like to pay respect to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members of our community by acknowledging the traditional owners of the land on which the Perth campus is located, the Whadjuk people of the Nyungar Nation; and on our Kalgoorlie campus, the Wongutha people of the North-Eastern Goldfields.