Amadeus Basin
Encyclopedia
The Amadeus Basin is a large (ca. 170,000 km²) intracratonic
sedimentary basin
in central Australia
, lying mostly within the southern Northern Territory
, but extending into the state of Western Australia
. It is named after Lake Amadeus
which lies within the basin. Deposition of locally up to 14 km of marine and non-marine sedimentary rock
s took place from the Neoproterozoic
to the late Paleozoic
. Along with other nearby sedimentary basins of similar age (Officer Basin
, Georgina Basin
, Ngalia Basin
), the Amadeus Basin is believed to have once been part of the hypothetical Centralian Superbasin
. The basin was locally deformed during the Petermann Orogeny
(late Neoproterozoic — Cambrian
), and more extensively during the Paleozoic Alice Springs Orogeny
, events that fragmented the former Centralian Superbasin.
, which supply most of the energy resources to the Northern Territory. Most of the gas flows along a pipeline to Darwin
, while the oil is pumped to Alice Springs and then transported to Adelaide from refining.
Craton
A craton is an old and stable part of the continental lithosphere. Having often survived cycles of merging and rifting of continents, cratons are generally found in the interiors of tectonic plates. They are characteristically composed of ancient crystalline basement rock, which may be covered by...
sedimentary basin
Sedimentary basin
The term sedimentary basin is used to refer to any geographical feature exhibiting subsidence and consequent infilling by sedimentation. As the sediments are buried, they are subjected to increasing pressure and begin the process of lithification...
in central Australia
Central Australia
Central Australia/Alice Springs Region is one of the five regions in the Northern Territory. The term Central Australia is used to describe an area centred on Alice Springs in Australia. It is sometimes referred to as Centralia; likewise the people of the area are sometimes called Centralians...
, lying mostly within the southern Northern Territory
Northern Territory
The Northern Territory is a federal territory of Australia, occupying much of the centre of the mainland continent, as well as the central northern regions...
, but extending into the state of Western Australia
Western Australia
Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...
. It is named after Lake Amadeus
Lake Amadeus
Lake Amadeus is a huge salt lake in the southwest corner of Australia's Northern Territory, about 50 km north of .-Physical features and nearby landmarks:...
which lies within the basin. Deposition of locally up to 14 km of marine and non-marine sedimentary rock
Sedimentary rock
Sedimentary rock are types of rock that are formed by the deposition of material at the Earth's surface and within bodies of water. Sedimentation is the collective name for processes that cause mineral and/or organic particles to settle and accumulate or minerals to precipitate from a solution....
s took place from the Neoproterozoic
Neoproterozoic
The Neoproterozoic Era is the unit of geologic time from 1,000 to 542.0 ± 1.0 million years ago. The terminal Era of the formal Proterozoic Eon , it is further subdivided into the Tonian, Cryogenian, and Ediacaran Periods...
to the late Paleozoic
Paleozoic
The Paleozoic era is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic eon, spanning from roughly...
. Along with other nearby sedimentary basins of similar age (Officer Basin
Officer Basin
The Officer Basin is a large intracratonic sedimentary basin in Australia, lying across the states of South Australia and Western Australia. It is named after Officer Creek which is a watercourse that drains a small part of the basin. Deposition of up to 10 km of marine and non-marine sedimentary...
, Georgina Basin
Georgina Basin
The Georgina Basin is a large intracratonic sedimentary basin in central and northern Australia, lying mostly within the Northern Territory and partly within Queensland. It is named after the Georgina River which drains part of the basin. Deposition of locally up to ca...
, Ngalia Basin
Ngalia Basin
The Ngalia Basin is a small intracratonic sedimentary basin in central Australia, lying within the southern Northern Territory. Deposition of locally up to about six km of marine and non-marine sedimentary rocks took place from the Neoproterozoic to the late Paleozoic...
), the Amadeus Basin is believed to have once been part of the hypothetical Centralian Superbasin
Centralian Superbasin
The Centralian Superbasin is a term for a large intracratonic sedimentary basin which is interpreted to have occupied a large area of central, southern and western Australia during much of the Neoproterozoic...
. The basin was locally deformed during the Petermann Orogeny
Petermann Orogeny
The Petermann Orogeny was an intracontinental event that affected basement rocks of the northern Musgrave Province and Proterozoic sediments of the southern Amadeus Basin between ~550-535 Ma....
(late Neoproterozoic — Cambrian
Cambrian
The Cambrian is the first geological period of the Paleozoic Era, lasting from Mya ; it is succeeded by the Ordovician. Its subdivisions, and indeed its base, are somewhat in flux. The period was established by Adam Sedgwick, who named it after Cambria, the Latin name for Wales, where Britain's...
), and more extensively during the Paleozoic Alice Springs Orogeny
Alice Springs Orogeny
The Alice Springs Orogeny was a major tectonic episode in central Australia responsible for the formation of a series of large mountain ranges. The episode started at about 450 million years ago and concluded about 300 million years ago...
, events that fragmented the former Centralian Superbasin.
Resources
The Amadeus Basin contains the producing Mereenie Oilfield at Mereeni and Palm Valley Gasfield at HermannsburgHermannsburg, Northern Territory
Hermannsburg is an Aboriginal community in the Northern Territory of Australia, 131 km southwest of Alice Springs. It is known in the local Western Arrernte language as Ntaria....
, which supply most of the energy resources to the Northern Territory. Most of the gas flows along a pipeline to Darwin
Darwin, Northern Territory
Darwin is the capital city of the Northern Territory, Australia. Situated on the Timor Sea, Darwin has a population of 127,500, making it by far the largest and most populated city in the sparsely populated Northern Territory, but the least populous of all Australia's capital cities...
, while the oil is pumped to Alice Springs and then transported to Adelaide from refining.
See also
- Alice Springs OrogenyAlice Springs OrogenyThe Alice Springs Orogeny was a major tectonic episode in central Australia responsible for the formation of a series of large mountain ranges. The episode started at about 450 million years ago and concluded about 300 million years ago...
- Georgina BasinGeorgina BasinThe Georgina Basin is a large intracratonic sedimentary basin in central and northern Australia, lying mostly within the Northern Territory and partly within Queensland. It is named after the Georgina River which drains part of the basin. Deposition of locally up to ca...
- Ngalia BasinNgalia BasinThe Ngalia Basin is a small intracratonic sedimentary basin in central Australia, lying within the southern Northern Territory. Deposition of locally up to about six km of marine and non-marine sedimentary rocks took place from the Neoproterozoic to the late Paleozoic...
- Officer BasinOfficer BasinThe Officer Basin is a large intracratonic sedimentary basin in Australia, lying across the states of South Australia and Western Australia. It is named after Officer Creek which is a watercourse that drains a small part of the basin. Deposition of up to 10 km of marine and non-marine sedimentary...
- Petermann OrogenyPetermann OrogenyThe Petermann Orogeny was an intracontinental event that affected basement rocks of the northern Musgrave Province and Proterozoic sediments of the southern Amadeus Basin between ~550-535 Ma....