26°00′00″S 129°00′00″E / 26.00007744°S 129.00005163°E
| Australian Shield | |
|---|---|
| Stratigraphic range: Archean | |
| Type | Shield |
| Thickness | 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi) |
| Location | |
| Region | Oceania |
| Country | Australia |
The Australian Shield is a geological feature known as a shield that occupies more than half of the continent of Australia. The word shield is used because it refers to ancient, molten rock which has cooled and solidified.[1]
The Australian Shield has a characteristic depth of 4.5 kilometres (2.8 mi) and an estimated age of 2.8 to 3.5 billion years.[2][3] In places younger sedimentary rock covers the shield's Precambrian surface.[4]
- ^ Barrett; Dent (1996). Australian Environments: Place, Pattern and Process. Macmillan Education AU. p. 4. ISBN 0732931207. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
- ^ Condie, Kent C. (2011). Earth as an Evolving Planetary System. Academic Press. p. 29. ISBN 978-0123852281. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
- ^ Dixon, Kingsley (2011). Coastal Plants: A Guide to the Identification and Restoration of Plants of the Perth Region. Csiro Publishing. p. 5. ISBN 978-0643102224. Retrieved 13 June 2014.
- ^ Singh, G. (2009). Earth Science Today. Discovery Publishing House. p. 31. ISBN 978-8183564380. Retrieved 13 June 2014.