SOME GEOLOGICAL FEATL'RES OF XORTHERX AUSTRALIA. 105 



Some Geological Features of Northern 

 Australia. 



By Dr. H. I. Jexsex. 

 (Reid before The Royil Society of Queensland, 31st May, 1922). 



INTRODUCTORY. 



Geological investigation has afforded abundant evidence 

 that Eastern Australia differs markedly- from Central and 

 Western Australia in structural charactei"s. Thus two of the 

 distinctive features of the east coast as compared with the 

 centre west are the persistence of folding right up into the 

 Tertiary period, and the abundance of alkaline lavas in the 

 former geological province.* 



Suess,t folloA%ing Clarke, calls the mountain range along 

 the east coast the Australian Cordillera, and regards it as 

 homogeneous. The distinctions between the range country of 

 the CordiUera and the inland regions are obvious and 

 undisputed. It is, however, very doubtful if the homogeneity 

 of the Cordillera extends any further north than the Tropic 

 of Capricorn. Indeed; geological unity seems to cease at 

 Springsure and Yeppoon at the north end, and at Cape Howe 

 at the south end. 



The South-Eastern Massif. — Tasmania, Victoria, and 

 the Monaro district of New South Wales constitute a geological 

 iinit, characterised by intense folding movements in the 

 Palaeozoic period, and by continued elevation and absence of 



* " The Alkaline Rocks of Eastern Australia," H. I. Jensen, Proc 

 Linn. See. of X.S.W., 1908. 



t " Das Antlitz der Erde,"' Suess. 



