Australian terranes concealed beneath Mesozoic cover record complex Precambrian tectonic histories involving a successive development of several Proterozoic to Palaeozoic orogenic systems. This study presents an integrated approach combining K–Ar, ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar, and Rb–Sr geochronologies of Precambrian authigenic illites from the recently discovered Millungera Basin in north-central Australia. Brittle deformation and repeated fault activity are evident from the sampled cores and their microstructures, probably associated with the large-scale faults inferred from interpretations of seismic surveys. Rb–Sr isochron, ⁴⁰Ar–³⁹Ar total gas, and K–Ar ages are largely consistent in indicating late Mesoproterozoic and early Proterozoic episodes ($\sim \mathrm{1115}\pm \mathrm{26}$, ∼ 1070±25, $\sim \mathrm{1040}\pm \mathrm{24}$, $\sim \mathrm{1000}\pm \mathrm{23}$, and $\sim \mathrm{905}\pm \mathrm{21}$ Ma) of active tectonics in north-central Australia. K–Ar results show that illites from fault gouges and authigenic matrix illites in undeformed adjacent sandstones precipitated contemporaneously, indicating that advection of tectonically mobilized fluids extended into the undeformed wall rocks above or below the fracture and shear (fault gouge) zones. Isotopic age data clearly indicate a Mesoproterozoic minimum age for the Millungera Basin and thus previously unrecorded late Mesoproterozoic–early Neoproterozoic tectonic events in north-central Australia. This study provides insight into the enigmatic time–space distribution of Precambrian tectonic zones in central Australia, which are responsible for the formation of a number of sedimentary basins with significant energy and mineral resources.

中文翻译：

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前寒武纪断层事件和对北澳大利亚构造热历史的见解：克拉通内密伦盖拉盆地共晶伊利石的微观结构证据和K–Ar，⁴⁰ Ar – ³⁹ Ar和Rb–Sr定年

隐藏在中生代掩体之下的澳大利亚地层记录了复杂的前寒武纪构造历史，涉及到几个元古代至古生代造山系统的连续发展。这项研究提出了一种综合方法，该方法结合了来自澳大利亚中北部最近发现的米伦盖拉盆地的前寒武纪自生伊利石的K–Ar，⁴⁰ Ar – ³⁹ Ar和Rb–Sr年代学。从取样的岩心及其微观结构可以看出脆性变形和重复的断层活动，很可能与根据地震勘测的解释推断出的大规模断层有关。Rb–Sr等时，⁴⁰ Ar – ³⁹ Ar 总气体和K–Ar年龄在表明中元古代晚期和元古代早期发作时基本一致（$〜\mathrm{1115}\pm \mathrm{26}$，〜 1070±25，$〜\mathrm{1040}\pm \mathrm{24}$， $〜\mathrm{1000}\pm \mathrm{23}$和 $〜\mathrm{905}\pm \mathrm{21}$ Ma）在澳大利亚中北部活跃的构造。K–Ar结果表明，未变形邻近砂岩中的断层泥和自生基质伊利石的伊利石同时沉淀，这表明构造运动的流体的平流扩展到裂缝和剪切（断层泥）区域之上或之下的未变形壁岩中。同位素年龄数据清楚地表明了Millungera盆地的中元古代最低年龄，因此在澳大利亚中北部以前没有记录下的中元古代晚期至新元古代早期构造事件。这项研究提供了对澳大利亚中部前寒武纪构造带的时空分布的深刻见解，这些构造带导致了许多具有大量能源和矿产资源的沉积盆地的形成。