West Australian Basins Symposium 2013 Hosted by The Western Australian Branch of the Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia (PESA)

Post-symposium excursion: Southern Carnarvon Basin 22�28 August 2013

Sandstone

Shale

Carbonate

Carbonate�shale,marlEvaporite

Sandstone

Shale

Conglomerate

Diamictite

Dominant lithology

Secondary lithology

Unconformity

Yindagindy Fm.

Williambury Fm.

Moogooree Lst.

Munabia Ss.

WilllaraddieFm.

Dirk

Har

tog

Gro

up

TumblagoodaSs.

Gneudna Fm.

LyonsGroup

KennedyGp

ByroGroup

Callytharra Formation

Guad.

252

299

Lop.

Cis.

Penn.

Serp

Per

mia

n

Vis.

Tou.

Fam.

Fra.

M

L

Lland.

Wen.Lud.Prid.

Mis

siss

ippi

anU

pper

Car

boni

fero

us359

419

444

Dev

onia

nS

iluria

n

UpperOrdovician

Nannyarra Ss.

SweeneyMia Fm.

Kopke Ss.Faure Fm.

CockburnFm.

Ajana Fm.Yaringa Fm.

Wooramel Gp

Stratigraphy

Birdrong SS.

Win

ning

Gro

up

WindaliaRadiolarite

MuderongShale

66

145

U

L

Cre

tace

ous

Epoch

Per

iod

Age(Ma)

GearleSiltstone

ToolongaCalcilutite

Nanutarra Fm.

Guides: and (GSWA)Arthur Mory Roger Hocking

Geology: The excurs ion w i l l v is i t Lower Carboniferous to Holocene sections, with highlights including Kungurian clastic–carbonate shallow-water cycles, proximal facies of Lower Cretaceous reservoir facies, and the renowned modern stromatolites at Shark Bay.

In this region Lower Carboniferous shallow-water clastic carbonate facies have received relatively little attention in the Southern Carnarvon Basin. Permian strata, by comparison, have been the focus of numerous studies, mostly palaeontological and stratigraphic. The Permian suuession (Asselian to Roadian) is dominantly siliciclastic, but contains the most marine Permian facies of the Australian mainland. In this part of the basin there is no Triassic or Jurassic, so the Lower Cretaceous rests unconformably on older rocks.

Numbers: Minimum 16, maximum 32; to reserve places contact arthur.mory@dmp.wa.gov.au or roger.hocking@dmp.wa.gov.au. Final confirmation of a place depends on payment in full to the conference manager (ICE).

Cost: In the vicinity of Aus$3200 per participant, covering Geraldton to Exmouth (does not include flights).

Pay by: 11 June 2013

Logistics: This 7-day (6 nights) excursion starts at Geraldton (370 km NNW of Perth) and ends at

Exmouth (1125 km north of Perth). Travel to and from these towns, and any costs incurred in them (apart from

ththe evening of the 28 ), will be at the participants’ own expense. During the excursion travel will cover about 1500 km in total mostly by coach with transfers to more difficult outcrops by 4WD (SUV) troop carriers. Apart from

st ththe 1 and 6 nights in hotels, the rest of the trip will involve camping out in remote locations with no laundry facilities. Camping equipment will be provided as will all meals, apart from snacks at roadhouses.

Fault drag in Winning Group, northern Kennedy Range

Day Travel Geology AgeDistance

(km)

Provisional itinerary

WABS2013 Flyer Carnarvon

50 km

114°

22°

24°

26°

1

Exmouth

Carnarvon

Learmonth

SHARK BAY

INDIAN OCEAN

NO

RTH

WE

STC

OA

STA

L

HIG

HW

AY

Excursion route

HamelinPool

1 Overnight stay

5

4

6

2�3

1

from

Geraldton

2 hrs (1125 km)to PERTH by air

LakeMacleod

ndThu 22 Aug Fly Perth–Geraldton, Geraldton–Carnarvon

Hamelin Pool stromatolites Holocene 515

rdFri 23 Aug Carnarvon–Middalya Byro Group shallow marine facies Early Permian (Kungurian) 240thSat 24 Aug Middalya area Winning and Kennedy Groups shallow marine

facies, fault dragEarly Cretaceous (Barremenian– Albian), Early Permian (Roadian)

85

thSun 25 Aug Middalya – Emu Creek Wooramel Group, Callytharra Formation, Harris Sandstone, Moogooree Limestone; shallow marine and ?glaciofluvial facies

Early Permian (Artinskian) to Early Carboniferous (Tournaisian)

160

thMon 26 Aug Emu Creek – Pyramid Hill

Nanutarra Formation, Barrow Group, equivalent,fluvial – shallow marine on basement

Early Cretaceous (Barremian) 150

thTue 27 Aug Pyramid Hill – Exmouth upper Winning Group and overlying carbonates Early–Late Cretaceous, Cenozoic 270thWed 28 Aug Fly Exmouth – Perth Cape Range Group, neotectonics Cenozoic (Miocene) – Pleistocene 80

Total (road only) 1500

Recommended reading: GSWA Records 2000/10, 2011/14 and GSWA Report 86 (PDFs can be downloaded free of charge from: http://www.dmp.wa.gov.au/7119.aspx).

Route of excursion

Nanutarra Formation disconformably overlying basement,Nanutarra area

Bring along: Boots that provide ankle protection, broad brimmed hat, 30+ sun screen, clothes for 6 moderately warm days, pullover for evenings, towel and toiletries, camera with spare battery and memory cards, day pack, large water bottle, snorkelling gear for Shark Bay (water temperature ~18°C), and a sleeping bag with pillow if you prefer your own.

Notes: The excursion has been designed to allow participants to fly from Perth to Geraldton on the early morning flight (QF1926)

nd on the 22 and return from Exmouth on the afternoon flight th(QF2429) of the 28 . There are ~6 direct flights/day to Geraldton

(Qantas, Skywest and Virgin Australia, taking ~1 hr), but flights from Exmouth are less frequent. It is advisable to book flights as soon as the excursion is confirmed, especially for the return from Exmouth. For suggestions if you wish to stay on in Exmouth visit: http://www.exmouthwa.com.au.

There will only be limited opportunities to replenish personal items, and mobile phone coverage is poor outside major towns north of Geraldton (Telstra’s 850 Mhz NextG network provides the best coverage). Facilities to recharge personal electronic items and for laundry will be limited apart from the first and last evenings. Hammers can be provided for international and interstate participants. Collection of macrofossils is possible at some localities, but they have to be assessed before they can be exported from Australia under the Federal government’s Protection of Movable Cultural Heritage Act 1986 (www.deh.gov.au/heritage/movable).