Lithospheric Evolution in the Transition from Plate Margin to Intraplate Basin, Northwestern Australia

The Challenge

Intracontinental basin formation reflects diverse tectonic and isostatic processes, posing challenges to extensional models and playing a pivotal role in understanding continental lithosphere evolution and optimising basin-hosted resource exploration. By utilising a holistic approach that integrates geophysical, petrological, geochemical, and petrophysical data, this research elucidates lithospheric architecture, basin formation, and subsidence evolution in Western Australia’s Canning Basin region.

Key Findings

The Canning Basin exhibits heterogeneous lithospheric structure, with variable crust and mantle composition and origins.

Basin subsidence is primarily driven by sediment loading, rather than extensional tectonics.

Large Igneous Province (LIP)-related processes play a secondary but measurable role in subsidence evolution.

The need for extensional subsidence mechanisms is significantly reduced, challenging conventional basin formation models.

A holistic, multi-disciplinary approach successfully improves understanding of lithospheric architecture and basin evolution.

Benefits to WA

Polyanna’s research was directed at supporting new mineral exploration concepts for the Canning Basin and Paterson Orogen in Western Australia’s north. She worked on new technological solutions for integrating geophysical, petrological, geochemical, and petrophysical data to improve the efficiency of mineral exploration across these frontier regions and help support the discovery of the next generation of mineral deposits in Western Australia.

Thesis

Lithospheric Evolution in the Transition from Plate Margin to Intraplate Basin, Northwestern Australia