Australian Tertiary Stratigraphy: Age Revisions for Marine Deposits

Australian marine Tertiary deposits, specifically in south-eastern and western Victoria, have undergone significant age reassessment. The dataset, from Geoscience Australia, documents the recognition of Eocene deposits over a wide area, supported by detailed mapping and microfaunal investigation, including the discovery of the foraminiferal genus Hantkenina. It discusses revisions to the Janjukian and Anglesean stages and notes uncertainty regarding the existence of definite marine Oligocene beds in Australia.

Use Cases

• Reconstructing Cenozoic geological timelines based on described stratigraphic revisions.
• Correlating fossil assemblages, specifically foraminifera like Hantkenina, with geological stages.
• Mapping the distribution and thickness of Middle Eocene beds, referenced as being at least 4,000 feet thick in bores.

Strengths

• Documents a specific, detailed geological revision based on field mapping and fossil evidence.
• Cites concrete fossil evidence (Hantkenina genus) and specific type localities (Bird Rock, Torquay; Anglesea).
• Provides a quantified scale for some deposits, noting 'at least 4,000 feet' of Middle Eocene beds proved in bores.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to data_gov_au, focusing primarily on south-eastern Australia.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Likely compiled from geological survey reports, field mapping, and microfaunal investigations.

Time Range

Tertiary period (Paleocene to Pliocene), with a focus on Eocene revisions.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-30 12:43:41.367662; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Australia, with detailed focus on south-eastern Australia (Victoria, South Australia Basin).