WA–2 A billion years of Earth history
A geological transect through the Pilbara Craton
and the Mount Bruce Supergroup

 

Pre Trip Saturday 28 July to Saturday 4 August 2012 (8 days and 7 nights)
Start/Finish Starts in Perth and finishes in Paraburdoo (Numbers limited to 18)
Cost Land:$3290 per person share twin/double Air:$900
Description The Pilbara region of remote Western Australia contains the world's best preserved early Archean rocks and the oldest fossils occur east of Pilbara granite-greenstones which contain significant mineral deposits that include iron ore, gold, base metals, tin, tantalum, and barite. Sections illustrate the development of the Earth's crust between 3520 and 3420 Ma. The North Pole 3500-3420 Ma stromatolites provide our best evidence for Earth's earliest life and the ancient environments. Examine late Archean to early Proterozoic Fortescue and Hamersley Basins which host the huge Pilbara iron ore mines.
Highlights Pilbara Craton, Marble Bar, Fortescue and Hamersley Basins, spectacular remote area camping.
Leaders Dr Arthur Hickman, Geological Survey of Western Australia and Dr Martin Van Kranendonk, University of New South Wales
Notes Specific joining instructions apply to this field trip and will be provided upon receipt and confirmation of trip booking.   Camping trip.
   
Booking with Flight included Booking with no Flight

This field trip can be booked with a flight to Brisbane from the end point of the field trip inclusive.

If booked with the field trip then your flight will be confirmed as part of the IGC seats allocated on flights .

If you book without the flight it will be the responsibility of the delegate to book the flight to return from the end of the field trip to Brisbane.

These seats cannot be booked as part of the IGC allocation and you will only have the publicly available seats on the flight.

(Additional cost see above)  

* Flight bookings DO NOT include
arrangements for you from your home
port to or from the field trips and congress.

These bookings can be done as
a separate arrangement

 

Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive Perth Saturday 28th July
  Delegates arrive into Perth and make your own way to your hotel.
  Meals: nil Overnight: Hotel in Perth
     
Day 2 Perth to Shaw River Sunday 29th July
  After an early breakfast you will be transferred to the airport for you flight to Port Hedland with trip leader Dr Martin Vanranendonk. On arrival you will be met by your second trip leader, Dr Arthur Hickman. Depart and drive south to the Shaw River Crossing for lunch and then on to the North Pole Dome region of the Pilbara; world's oldest fossil stromatolites in the volcanic caldera of the 3.48 Ga Dresser Formation; world's second oldest fossils in the carbonate platform of the c. 3.4 Ga Strelley Pool Formation. Afternoon arrival at your campsite before dinner.
  Meals: B/L/D Overnight: Camp near Shaw River
 
Day 3 Shaw River to Marble Bar Monday 30th July
  After breakfast drive to Trendall to view stromatolites in the (3430 – 3350 Ma) Strelley Pool Formation then to the Earth's oldest erosional unconformities – beneath Strelley Pool Formation, west bank Shaw River. Afterwards drive to North Pole Monzogranite and after lunch drive to Marble Bar then on to Chinaman Pool on the Coongan River to view Duffer Formation. View Marble Bar transect (3.46 Ga pillow basalt, bedded jaspilitic chert, and hydrothermal vein chert). Arrive at the Marble Bar Caravan Park for your overnight and dinner.
  Meals: B/L/D Overnight: Caravan Park, Marble Bar
 
Day 4 Marble Bar to Munjina Tuesday 31st July
  After breakfast visit the Warrawoona Syncline. Shallow–moderate east–plunging lineations pointing towards zone of sinking in the Warrawoona Syncline. Zone of sinking vertical L-tectonites in the core of the Warrawoona Syncline. Return to Marble Bar and drive 25 km south west on Hillside Road to Glen Herring Gorge to view unconformity at the base of the Fortescue Group, Glen Herring Gorge. After lunch return to Hillside Road, to view roadside exposure of basalt lava flows in the Fortescue Group. Continue on to Coolyia Creek crossing, northern end of Black Range, Ma Black Range Dyke and phreatomagmatic boulder conglomerate. Later view Ma stromatolites in Tumbiana Formation. Arrive at Munjina (Auski Road House and camping ground).
  Meals: B/L /D Overnight: Camp near Munjina
 
Day 5 Munjina to Woongarra Pool Wednesday 1st August
  After breakfast depart for your visit to Newman to view Ma impact spherule beds in the Bee Gorge Member, upper Wittenoom Formation and road cutting exposure of banded iron-formation in the Bee Gorge Member, showing conjugate folding and faulting. Drive on to Munjina East Gorge Lookout and Albert Tognolini Rest Area. After lunch view features of Brockman Iron Formation at Dales Gorge and Fortescue Falls and travel on to Tom Price, then to Woongarra Pool to camp overnight.
  Meals: B /L/D Overnight: Camp near Woongarra Pool
 
Day 6 Woongarra Pool to Duck Creek Thursday 2nd August
  Today view the Woongarra Rhyolite and contact with the Boolgeeda Iron Formation of the Hamersley Group, Woongarra Pool and unconformity at the base of the lower Wyloo Group in the Hardey Syncline See the Meteorite Bore Member at Meteorite Bore then drive west to Duck Creek to view Dolomite stromatolites. Camp overnight Duck Creek
  Meals: B/L /D Overnight: Camp Woongarra Pool
 
Day 7 Duck Creek to Paraburdoo Friday 3rd August
  After breakfast set off to see Duck Creek Dolomite (c. 1.8 Ga), basin deepening, and banded iron-formation, Kazput Formation (c. 2.3 ga) stromatolitic carbonate and Boundary ridge, transition from BIF to glacial diamictites. Drive to Paraburdoo for overnight camp.
  Meals: B /L/ D Overnight: Camp Duck Creek
 
Day 8 Paraburdoo to Perth Saturday 4th August
  Early breakfast and own travel arrangements from Paraburdoo to Perth and on to Brisbane for the International Geological Congress.
  Meals: B  
 
Important Notes:
  This field trip is not suitable for children as it will involve sections of long distance driving as well as some moderate hill walks and one longer walk of 3-4 km across flat even ground.
Equipment Required:
  Participants should be prepared for hot weather, with daytime temperatures around 30–35˚C, with warm nights. Rain is unexpected but could occur. Sun hat, sunglasses, suncream, strong walking shoes or boots, and light sleeping bag are essential. Jeans or other form of lower leg protection recommended (spinifex grass). Tents, pillows and mattresses provided
 
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