Regolith of the Cape York Peninsula, North Queensland (CYPLUS project)

Brief description

This map was compiled at 1:250,000. Each polygon has regolith and landform types as minimum attributes. The dataset contains the arc/info files, a copy of the CYPLUS report, and a copy of the GA regolith mapping handbook. Regolith in the CYPLUS area in North Queensland consists of both in situ weathered bedrock and transported materials. In situ weathered bedrock includes: 1. Deep weathering profiles with bauxite, mottled and pallid zones, found on remnant land surfaces 2. Residual sand over moderately weathered saprolite in areas of relatively low geomorphic activity 3. Thin soils lying directly on slightly weathered or unweathered bedrock on steeper slopes and unstable areas Transported regolith includes: 1. Large areas of alluvium in fans in the east, and a small area of slightly dissected fan alluvium in the south west 2. Narrow strips of alluvium, with occasional terraces, along the major rivers 3. Coastal sediments (beach ridges and estuarine sediments) 4. Small areas of colluvium in footslopes below steeper hill slopes Iron cementing forms immature ferricrete in a few locations. Siliceous cementing is more widespread, both in present valley floors, and as silcrete in alluvium that now caps small remnant land surfaces.

Lineage

Maintenance and Update Frequency: notPlanned

Statement: From 1990 to 1993 AGSO (now Geoscience Australia) collaborated on a National Geoscience Mapping Agreement project on Cape York Peninsula. Regolith mapping was supported by the Cape York Peninsula Land Use Strategy (CYPLUS). Regolith landform units were compiled on 1:80,000 aerial photographs and Landsat TM images at 1:100,000. Linework was trasnferred to stable bases at 1:100,000, and then digitised. Polygon attributes are assigned to each mapping unit. Details can be obtained from the RTMAP Field Handbook, available from the Geoscience Australia web site.