Geochemical correlation of two late Archean impact spherule layers between South Africa and Western Australia: the Paraburdoo-Reivilo link.

Several Late Archean to Early Proterozoic spherule layers (SL) have been recognized in thick successions of exceptionally well preserved sedimentary and volcanic strata on the Pilbara craton in the Hamersley Basin (Western Australia, WA) and on the Kaapvaal craton in the Griqualand West Basin (South Africa, SA). These Archean-Proterozoic Boundary (APB) spherules appear to represent 4 discrete impact events over a time span of about 140 Ma, from ca. 2.63 to 2.49 Ga [1,2]. The discovery of the Paraburdoo (PB) SL (Hamersley) and its proposed connection to the Reivilo (RV) SL (Griqualand West) provides an additional impact-related high-resolution stratigraphic correlation between WA and SA strata deposited near the APB [3].

[1] Simonson B. et al. (2009) Precamb. Res., 169, 100-111. [2] Simonson B. et al. (2009) Precambr. Res., 175, 51-76. [3] Hassler S. W. et al. (2011) Geology, 39, 307-310.