Samarium–neodymium isotope map of Western Australia

Isotope maps are used to characterize lithospheric architecture through time, to understand crustal evolution and mineral system distributions, and play an increasingly important role in exploration targeting. These Sm-Nd isotope maps of Western Australia (Fig. 1) are based on whole-rock Sm-Nd data for felsic igneous rocks, which provide a window into the middle and lower continental crust, and are used for isotope mapping. Although mafic to intermediate igneous and sedimentary rocks were not used in constructing the contoured isotope maps, Sm-Nd data for those samples are included with those for felsic igneous rocks in the data table.