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Yilgarn block

geological region, Australia

Quick Summary

The Yilgarn block is a geological region in Western Australia, characterized by its ancient, stable granite-gneiss shield, or craton. This area is similar to the Canadian Shield but has been weathered for approximately 250 million years. The Yilgarn block forms a gently undulating plateau, lying between 1,000 and 2,000 feet (300 to 600 metres) above sea level.1

To the east, it is bordered by the Nullarbor Plain, and to the west, it is separated from the coastal plain by the Darling Range. The southern part of the block rises to nearly 3,600 feet (1,096 metres) in the Stirling Range before dropping to the ocean, creating a rugged coastline. The Yilgarn plateau contains brackish and saline groundwater sources used for livestock.12

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