Geology of South Australia
The search for underground water and mineral wealth was the principal stimulus to the growth of geology of South Australia.
The economic value of the land has been a point of discussion for industrial development to capitalise on the rich resources, particularly minerals, found within South Australia's geological features.
[4] As South Australia is a large Australian state, spanning over 983 482 square kilometres, it has a rich geological history.
The industry accounts for 40% of the state's exports and has been a major area of investment and expansion by the government and private sector.
[6] The Adelaide Superbasin is a series of large, Neoproterozoic to Cambrian aged, sedimentary basins found on the eastern margin of the Gawler Craton, spanning from the Davenport and Denison Ranges, down to Kangaroo Island, and as far east as the Barrier Ranges of New South Wales.
[7] It is named after the city of Adelaide.The Adelaide Superbasin initially formed during the breakup of Rodinia[8] with deposition continuing until the Delamerian orogeny.
The Adelaide Superbasin has been the subject of much research as it contains geological evidence for the breakup of Rodinia, two Snowball Earth events,[12] the transition to mostly eukaryotic life,[13] and the Ediacaran Fauna.
[16] It is prospective for, and has historically been mined for gold, silver, zinc, cobalt, molybdenum, lead, iron, barite, magnesite, and talc.
[17] The Gawler Craton is a large geological province in South Australia, with a size comparable to the United Kingdom.
This Gawler Craton is bounded by the Great Australian Bight to the south and Karari Shear Zone to the north.
[18] The Gawler Craton formed more than three billion years ago in the process of felsic magmatism, the movement of silicate minerals and magma.
These include jades, diamonds, copper, gold, iron, zinc, lead, cobalt and nickel.
[20] As this location has large resources of valuable ore deposits, mining in this area has been lucrative, being estimated at $35 billion.
The most common proposals include railways connecting mines and small towns, with the purpose of catalysing economic prosperity in the state.
The Lake Eyre Basin receives more rainfall during the summer season due to the high-pressure ridge of the Handley Cell.
[26] The South Australian catchment areas are part of the land called Kirrenderri and inhabited by the Mithaka people for nearly 50 000 years.
The area contains fan-glomerates as a result of fluctuating climatic conditions involving periods of high rainfall and steam discharge alongside calm weather.
The Mount Lofty Ranges contain sharp slopes, generated due to an uplift in the earth's surface of over 500m along its western segments.
