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Multi-stage evolution of the South Australian Craton: Petrological constraints on lithospheric architecture, lithology, and geochemistry of the lithospheric mantle

Created 19/11/2025

Updated 19/11/2025

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To improve the understanding of the formation and evolution of the sub-continental lithospheric mantle (SCLM) underlying the South Australian Craton we have conducted a detailed petrological study on >3000 mantle xenocrysts from 13 kimberlites emplaced across the craton. Pressure (P) and temperature (T) estimates on diopside and garnet have been coupled with their chemical concentrations to constrain lithospheric thickness and chemo-lithostratigraphy. We show that lithospheric thickness is greatest beneath the Gawler Craton, whereas thinner lithosphere occurs beneath the Adelaide Fold Belt. Mineral compositions highlight two litho-chemical domains within the shallow and deep SCLM that are separated by a mid-lithosphere discontinuity. The shallow SCLM (60–130 km) comprises low Cr2O3 lherzolite and wehrlite. Xenocrysts record depleted and refertilized compositions enriched in LREE related to metasomatism by kimberlite melts. The mid-lithosphere (130–160 km) is depleted in garnet and diopside which may relate to a layer of pargasite lherzolite. The deep SCLM (>160 km) comprises high Cr2O3 lherzolite with elevated TiO2 and FeO. We interpret the litho-chemical stratification of the SCLM 45 to reflect a multi-stage top-down growth. The shallow SCLM reflects an amalgamation of Precambrian cratonic nuclei characterized by heterogeneity in their degree of geochemical enrichment and depletion. Interaction of the shallow SCLM with mantle plumes accreted melts along the paleo-LAB, which now occurs as a MLD. The deep SCLM represents depleted mantle residue formed during mantle plume impingement and thickened during orogenesis. This domain has been metasomatized and refertilized by high-T melts from the asthenosphere. Citation: Sudholz, Z. J., Yaxley, G. M., Jaques, A. L., Cooper, S. A., Czarnota, K.,Taylor, W. R., et al. (2022). Multi-stage evolution of the South Australian Craton: Petrological constraints on the architecture, lithology, and geochemistry of the lithospheric mantle. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems, 23, e2022GC010558. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GC010558

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Title Multi-stage evolution of the South Australian Craton: Petrological constraints on lithospheric architecture, lithology, and geochemistry of the lithospheric mantle
Language eng
Licence Not Specified
Landing Page https://data.gov.au/data/dataset/7bb836ed-401d-4df8-932c-aa0a9e32af57
Contact Point
Geoscience Australia Data
clientservices@ga.gov.au
Reference Period
Geospatial Coverage
Map data © OpenStreetMap contributors
{
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      ],
      [
        143.0,
        -37.0
      ],
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      ],
      [
        135.0,
        -30.0
      ],
      [
        135.0,
        -37.0
      ]
    ]
  ],
  "type": "Polygon"
}
Data Portal Geoscience Australia

Data Source

This dataset was originally found on Geoscience Australia "Multi-stage evolution of the South Australian Craton: Petrological constraints on lithospheric architecture, lithology, and geochemistry of the lithospheric mantle". Please visit the source to access the original metadata of the dataset:
https://ecat.ga.gov.au/geonetwork/srv/eng/csw/dataset/multi-stage-evolution-of-the-south-australian-craton-petrological-constraints-on-lithospheric-a