Characteristics of tectonic deformation of the melange zone in the Lachlan Orogen along eastern coast of Australia

Abstract

The Narooma-Batemans Bay (NBB) area along the southeast coast of Australia is a part of the eastern zone of the Early Paleozoic Lachlan Orogen. In the NBB, a set of rock association consisting of turbidites, siliceous rock, basic lava, and argillaceous melange zone is mainly developed. According to systematic field geological survey, the deformation of 3 stages (D1, D2, and D3) was identified in the NBB. At stage D1, with the original bedding S0 in a nearly east-west trending as the deformation plane, tight folds, isoclinal folds, and other structures formed in the NBB accompanied by structural transposition. As a result, crenulation cleavage developed along the axial plane of the folds and schistosity S1 formed. At stage D2, with north-south-trending schistosity S1 as the deformation plane, a large number of asymmetrical folds and rotated porphyroclasts formed owing to thrusting and shear. At stage D3, left-lateral strike-slip occurred along the main north-south-trending schistosity. Based on the analysis of the characteristics of tectonic deformation in the NBB and summary of previous research results, it is determined that the early-stage (D1) deformation is related to Ordovician Macquarie arc-continent collision and the deformation at stages D2 and D3 is the result of the westward subduction of Paleo-Pacific Plate. That is, it is not the continuous westward subduction of the Paleo-Pacific Plate that constitutes the evolution model of the NBB as previously considered.