A deep subaqueous fan depositional model for the Paleoarchaean (3.46 Ga) Marble Bar Cherts, Warrawoona Group, Western Australia

Authors

Nicolas Olivier, Universite de Lyon
Gilles Dromart, Universite de Lyon
Nicolas Coltice, Institut Universitaire de France
Nicolas Flament, Universite de LyonFollow
Patrice F. Rey, University of Sydney
Remi Sauvestre, Ecole Normale Superieure De Lyon

RIS ID

111721

Publication Details

Olivier, N., Dromart, G., Coltice, N., Flament, N., Rey, P. & Sauvestre, R. (2012). A deep subaqueous fan depositional model for the Paleoarchaean (3.46 Ga) Marble Bar Cherts, Warrawoona Group, Western Australia. Geological Magazine, 149 (4), 743-749.

Abstract

The 3.46 Ga Marble Bar Chert Member of the East Pilbara Craton, Western Australia, is one of the earliest and best-preserved sedimentary successions on Earth. Here, we interpret the finely laminated thin-bedded cherts, mixed conglomeratic beds, chert breccia beds and chert folded beds of the Marble Bar Chert Member as the product of low-density turbidity currents, high-density turbidity currents, mass transport complexes and slumps, respectively. Integrated into a channel-levee depositional model, the Marble Bar Chert Member constitutes the oldest documented deep-sea fan on Earth, with thin-bedded cherts, breccia beds and slumps composing the outer levee facies tracts, and scours and conglomeratic beds representing the channel systems.