Geology of the Exmouth and Wallaby Plateaus off Northwest Australia

First detailed geological information about the margins of the Exmouth and Wallaby Plateaus. The dataset includes rock samples from 41 stations, with pre-Quaternary rocks obtained mainly by dredging. It was published by the Australian Ocean Data Network and last updated in June 2026.

Use Cases

• Reconstructing the tectonic history of the Exmouth Plateau based on described seismic sequences and rock facies.
• Assessing petroleum potential in offshore basins based on described lithofacies like coal measures and shallow-water carbonates.
• Modeling volcanic plateau formation based on evidence of tholeiitic and alkali basalts, tuffs, and volcaniclastic deposits.
• Analyzing marine sediment deposition patterns from described sequences of chalks, claystones, and ironstones.

Strengths

• First detailed geological information for the region.
• Samples from 41 stations across two plateaus and an abyssal plain.
• Includes specific lithofacies descriptions (e.g., coal-measure sequence, ferruginous sediments, shallow-water carbonates).

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.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Rock samples obtained mainly by dredging, supported by new single-channel seismic profiles.

Time Range

Samples range from pre-Quaternary to Tertiary age, with specific mentions of Triassic, Jurassic, Cretaceous, and Miocene rocks.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-27 17:47:54.439979; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Exmouth Plateau, Wallaby Plateau, Cuvier Abyssal Plain, and Sonne Ridge off northwest Australia.