Sedimentary: sandstone, mudstone, limestone.
An intracratonic basin sporadically exposed across the northeastern Northern Territory and offshore under the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Unconformably overlies the sedimentary rocks of Palaeoproterozoic Murphy Inlier, Paleo-Mesoproterozoic McArthur and South Nicholson basins, Neoproterozoic to Palaeozoic Georgina Basin and Palaeozoic Daly Basin.
Up to 5 km.
Hosts giant manganese deposits at Groote Eylandt and bauxite at Gove. Numerous additional bauxite and manganese occurrences. Oil shows have been recorded offshore.
Munson TJ, Ahmad M and Dunster JN, 2013. Chapter 39: Carpentaria Basin: in Ahmad M and Munson TJ (compilers) ‘Geology and Mineral Resources of the Northern Territory’. Northern Territory Geological Survey, Special Publication 5
Last updated: 13 October 2017