Eocene Nannofossil and Foraminiferal Biostratigraphy in Australia's Otway Basin

Calcareous nannofossil assemblages from four sections in the Otway Basin document biostratigraphic events from the middle to late Eocene. The study, conducted by the Australian Ocean Data Network, correlates these events with planktic foraminiferal zones and assesses sedimentation patterns. The data was last updated in April 2026.

Use Cases

• Correlate the highest appearance of the foraminiferid Acarinina primitiva with tropical planktic foraminiferal zone P.13 using biostratigraphic event sequences.
• Analyze diachroneity of marine sedimentation by comparing nannofossil assemblage occurrences between the Gambier Embayment and Browns Creek areas.
• Assess sedimentation rates by comparing the thickness of sections between the highest appearances of Cyclicargolithus reticulatus and Discoaster saipanensis at different sites.
• Investigate paleoenvironmental conditions by evaluating evidence for extreme shoal conditions and surface-water temperature gradients described in the study.

Strengths

• Data spans the middle to late Eocene epoch, a key period for Southern Ocean evolution.
• Analysis is based on four distinct geological sections within the Otway Basin, providing spatial context.
• Study correlates nannofossil events with planktic foraminiferal zones, offering a multi-proxy stratigraphic framework.

Limitations

• The specific row count and column structure of the underlying data tables are unknown.
• Primary data formats are HTML and PDF, which may require extraction for computational analysis.
• Geographic coverage is limited to the Otway Basin in southeastern Australia.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Study of calcareous nannofossil assemblages from four geological sections.

Time Range

Middle Eocene to late Eocene

Freshness

Metadata was last updated in April 2026.

Geography

Otway Basin, southeastern Australia