| LOCALITY |
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CONTINENTAL MAP |
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REGIONAL MAP |
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To be added |
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MAP REFERENCES |
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Oodnadata 1:250,000 topographic sheet. |
| SAMPLE SATELLITE/AERIAL IMAGE |
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To be added |
| SAMPLE MARS SATELLITE IMAGE |
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To be added |
| IMAGE REFERENCES |
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| Mt Toondina |
| DESIGNATION |
| Australia-SA_N-Toondina |
| LONGITUDE |
| 135°22'E |
| LATITUDE |
| 27°57'S |
| LOCALITY AND OWNERSHIP |
| About 45 km south of Oodnadatta, pastoral leases. |
| ACCESS |
| Along an old and rehabilitated seismic line. Strictly 4WD
only. |
| LOCAL CONTACTS |
| |
| NEAREST SERVICES |
| Oodnadatta |
| RISKS |
| The area is not rugged but is remote and difficult to
access. The nearest hospital is at Coober Pedy. The area should not be
visited without two vehicles and appropriate supplies of water food, and
good communications and emergency procedures. The risk factors must be
considered medium to high. |
| GEOLOGY |
| The geology is controversial and complex. It consists of a
concentric series of uplifted deformed Palaeozoic and Mesozoic rocks
capped by flat-lying Cainozoic deposits. The rocks at the centre of the
uplift are highly deformed Mt. Toondina Formation (Permian) surrounded by
a ring of less deformed Algebuckina Sandstone (Jurassic), and Cretaceous
Cadna-owie Formation and Bulldog Shale. The Algebuckina sandstone is the
main aquifer of the Great Artesian basin and discharging springs in this
unit had deposited flat-lying travertines, remnants of which make up the
modern topographic feature. The area of geophysical disturbance about Mt.
Toondina suggests the structure is about 4 km across. The structure has
been variously described as a diapir and an impact structure. An impact
origin was first postulated in 1976 and immediately vigorously denied by
others. |
| CLIMATE |
| Nearest BOM Weather Station: Oodnadatta |
| FLORA AND FAUNA |
| Flora consists of sparse grassland and herbaceous
vegetation, and scattered shrubs. Fauna is typical of inland Australia. |
| HISTORY |
| The structure was first mapped in 1964 and periodically
revisited since then. There were extensive geophysical exploration using
gravity and seismic surveys, as part of a petroleum exploration program. |
| ANALOGUE VALUE |
| The association of a possible astrobleme and eroded remnants
of spring and lake deposits make this a good geological analogue for Mars.
Resolution of the formation of Mt. Toondina would be of considerable
geological interest. Visually the area is probably a passable Martian
analogue The terrain is not particularly challenging for an analogue rover
vehicle. |
| REFERENCES |
- Freytag, I. B. 1965. Mount Toondina Beds - Permian sediments in a
probable piercement structure. Transactions of the Royal Society of
South Australia 89: 61-76. The first paper on the structure.
Contains a detailed geological map.
- Plescia, J. B., Shoemaker, E. M., and Shoemaker, C. S. 1994. Gravity
survey of the Mount Toondina impact structure, South Australia.
Journal of Geophysical Research 89(E6): 13,167-13179. The only
recent paper discussing an impact origin. Focuses mainly on how the
geophysical data is inconsistent with a diapiric origin, but presents
no new geological information.
- Wopfner, H. Mount Toodina, diapir of astrobleme? Quarterley Notes,
Geological Survey of South Australia 62: 21-24. An attempted
refutation of Youles' suggestion that Mt. Toondina was an astrobleme.
- Youles, I. 1976. Mount Toondina impact structure. Quarterley Notes,
Geological Survey of South Australia 60: 10-12. The first
suggestion that Mt. Toodina might be an astrobleme
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