Significance of monazite EPMA ages from the Quamby Conglomerate, Queensland

Abstract

Th – U – Pb electron microprobe (EPMA) dating of mainly detrital monazite from the Quamby Conglomerate in the Eastern Succession of the Mt Isa inlier reveals three distinct monazite growth/recrystallisation events at around 1640, 1580 and 1490 Ma. These ages are particularly significant with respect to the timing of deposition, iron and gold mineralisation, and deformation in the Mt Isa inlier. The oldest age probably represents provenance from igneous rocks. In the sample, the majority of monazite growth occurred at 1580 Ma, coeval with peak metamorphism in the Eastern Succession. The low metamorphic grade of the conglomerate and wide compositional range of monazite bearing this age indicates that the monazite grew elsewhere and was later deposited in the conglomerate. Purple bands in the rock are composed mainly of coarse specular hematite with recrystallised margins that contribute to high (up to 20%) Fe₂O₃ contents in the conglomerate. Gold is also present in some of the samples. Some of the monazite grains contain small, younger (ca 1490 Ma) domains that may have grown/recrystallised in situ during a lower grade syn- or post-diagenetic metamorphic/hydrothermal event that may have been related to hematite (re)crystallisation. Together, these ages bracket deposition of the Quamby Conglomerate to between ca 1580 and 1490 Ma, the latter age most likely representing diagenesis. This depositional age also represents a maximum age for north – south-striking, upright folds of the Quamby Conglomerate and implies that significant ductile deformation has affected parts of the Mt Isa inlier after 1580 Ma and probably after 1490 Ma.

Key words:

• electron microprobe microanalysis
• geochronology
• gold
• monazite
• Mt Isa
• Quamby Conglomerate

Acknowledgements

Thorough and thoughtful reviews by L. Hutton and G. M. Derrick helped improve the clarity of this contribution. The authors acknowledge the funding of the pmd∗CRC and of Xstrata Copper which helped make this study possible.