34th International Geological Congress (IGC): AUSTRALIA 2012

NSW-1 Lake Mungo - Early Man, Regolith, Landform Evolution
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96 34 th IGC AUSTRALIA 2012 | Fourth Circular
Day 3 - Monday 13th August 2012 - Lake Mungo
After breakfast the first day at Lake Mungo will include a comprehensive tour of
the area: Western shoreline lookout, leeside shoreline gravels, visitors centre, and
lunette. The Walk area: Mungo stratigraphy: Gol Gol Fm., Mungo Fm., Arumpo
Fm., Zanci Fm. Algal tubules, burning zones, sand pinnacles, hardened clay
aboriginal fireplace(s), mobile dune photography. Back to bus, brief stop(s) at
vegetation and palaeo-fauna information boards, then Red Top Tank lookout at
southern sector of lunette – clay-rich part of lunette. Mallee stop and Belah Camp
for vegetation. Vigars Well – role of ‘soaks’ – near-surface groundwater. Aboriginal
silcrete quarry site, the ‘Mungo Silcrete lobe’ or site Mungo 109. The day provides
good photographic opportunities.
Overnight: Mungo Lodge
Meals: B / L / D
Day 4 - Tuesday 14th August 2012 - Lake Mungo
The second day at Lake Mungo includes world-famous anthropogenic sites at
Mungo. First drive down to Chibnalwood Lake: lake-in-lake morphology, clay
lunette(s), characteristic erosional morphology, then back to the southern limit of
Lake Mungo’s lunette on the (old) Joulni Station: Sites of Mungo III and Mungo
I burial sites. Antiformal ‘Mungo’ stratigraphy at burial site. Possible viewing of
recently discovered ‘footprints’ locality and Arumpo Bentonite mine.
Overnight: Mungo Lodge
Meals: B / L / D
Day 5 - Wednesday 15th August 2012 - Lake Mungo to Mildura
Depart Mungo Lodge, drive to Pooncarie Bridge and on to BeMax Resources’
Ginkgo HMS Mine. Today’s subjects cover economic geology: Pliocene-hosted
Heavy Mineral Sands. Brief visits to Top Hut exposure of (fluvial) Parilla Sand
with minor silcrete, Council borrow pit in (marine) Loxton Sands with silcrete.
Depart and travel over the darling River at Pooncarie Bridge to Ginkgo Mine for
an overview by the Manager – Geology and Exploration. Introduction to Pliocene
stratigraphy, Pliocene strandlines and highwall stratigraphy. Pit or dredge pond visit:
the dredge, the floating plant (trommel & surge bin, and wet concentrator), the back
to the WHIMS Plant (Wet High Intensity Magnetic Separator). Possible discussion
on mine output and future mine sites. Drive to Wentworth to the confluence of the
Darling River with the Murray River, then on to Mildura and the Grand Hotel. This
evening there’s a ‘wrap-up’ dinner and talk or discussion in the evening.
Overnight: Motel in Mildura
Meals: B / L / D
Day 6 - Thursday 16th August 2012
Tour concludes after breakfast. Own onward travel arrangements.
Meals: B