Relationships between palaeogeography and opal occurrence in Australia: A data-mining approach

Autor: Adriana Dutkiewicz, R.D. Müller, Andrew Merdith, T.C.W. Landgrebe
Rok vydání: 2013
Předmět:
Zdroj: Computers & Geosciences. 56:76-82
ISSN: 0098-3004
DOI: 10.1016/j.cageo.2013.02.002
Popis: Age-coded multi-layered geological datasets are becoming increasingly prevalent with the surge in open-access geodata, yet there are few methodologies for extracting geological information and knowledge from these data. We present a novel methodology, based on the open-source GPlates software in which age-coded digital palaeogeographic maps are used to "data-mine" spatio-temporal patterns related to the occurrence of Australian opal. Our aim is to test the concept that only a particular sequence of depositional/erosional environments may lead to conditions suitable for the formation of gem quality sedimentary opal. Time-varying geographic environment properties are extracted from a digital palaeogeographic dataset of the eastern Australian Great Artesian Basin (GAB) at 1036 opal localities. We obtain a total of 52 independent ordinal sequences sampling 19 time slices from the Early Cretaceous to the present-day. We find that 95% of the known opal deposits are tied to only 27 sequences all comprising fluvial and shallow marine depositional sequences followed by a prolonged phase of erosion. We then map the total area of the GAB that matches these 27 opal-specific sequences, resulting in an opal-prospective region of only about 10% of the total area of the basin. The key patterns underlying this association involve only a small number of key environmental transitions. We demonstrate that these key associations are generally absent at arbitrary locations in the basin. This new methodology allows for the simplification of a complex time-varying geological dataset into a single map view, enabling straightforward application for opal exploration and for future co-assessment with other datasets/geological criteria. This approach may help unravel the poorly understood opal formation process using an empirical spatio-temporal data-mining methodology and readily available datasets to aid hypothesis testing. Highlights? Palaeogeography was found to be a strong indicator of Australian precious opal. ? A data-mining methodology was used to quantitatively extract key time sequences. ? Only 11% of the entire Great Artesian Basin undergoes favourable palaeogeography. ? Important environmental transitions were extracted using data-mining approaches. ? The methodology was used to construct a map indicating favourable regions.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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