Australian Shield
| 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.
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. In places younger sedimentary rock covers the shield's Precambrian surface.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.