Gabriella McDonald

Honours Student

gabriella.mcdonald@sydney.edu.au

Phone: –

Research Project
Boninites in the Murchison Domain – A step towards deeper understanding of the geodynamic history of the Yilgarn Craton.

Project Summary
Boninites form from strongly depleted mantle which has already undergone melting. Before the formation of these unique rocks, the magma is re-enriched. Given their history of depletion, boninites can be utilized to monitor mantle fluxes. The re-enrichment processes can also provide clues about the tectonic processes once active. Boninites have been reported in the Yilgarn previously. However, they were either SHMB (siliceous high magnesium basalts) or like most Archean rocks, metamorphosed so that their original texture and some aspects of their chemical compositions have been strongly modified. Because of this, the use of boninitic rocks in the resolution of Archean geodynamics has been controversial. But the discovery of pristine boninites in the Yilgarn recently will potentially solve gaps in Archean geodynamics.

Supervisor
Assoc. Professor Derek Wyman

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