Tasman Geosyncline greenstones and ophiolites

Abstract

Palaeozoic greenstones lying at the base of stratigraphic sequences or in fault blocks in the Tasman Geosyncline are compared with the Penrose Conference definnition of an ophiolite by using tabulated petrological, structural, and metallogenic data. Of 45 occurrences, only 9 are recognizably ophiolites: 4 are in rift zones adjoining Precambrian continental crust at the ends of the geosyncline; and away from the margins, in that part of the geosyncline most typically of West Pacific‐type, only 5 of the 33 greenstone occurrences are recognizably ophiolites. Ophiolites are rare in the Tasman Geosyncline, in contrast to several Atlantic‐type geosynclines. This may be a characteristic of West Pacific‐type geosynclines in general. Alpine‐type serpentinites are rather common in the Tasman Geosyncline. The metallogeny of some shows affinities with ophiolites, suggesting a common origin as oceanic crust. Their relative abundance suggests that West Pacific‐type geosynclines, such as the Tasman Geosyncline, may have developed on oceanic crust of unusual composition. Alternatively, it may reflect differences of deformation style between Atlantic‐ and West Pacific‐type geosynclines. The term ophiolite has been used uncritically in plate tectonic analyses of the Tasman Geosyncline, calling in question the objectivity of these analyses. If objectivity is to be maintained, some indication should be given of the quality of the data used in plate tectonic analyses.