Geological Sampling of the Exmouth and Wallaby Plateaus off Northwest Australia

First detailed geological information from 41 sampling stations on the Exmouth and Wallaby Plateaus and Cuvier Abyssal Plain. The dataset includes pre-Quaternary rocks obtained by dredging, linked to seismic stratigraphy, and reveals a geological history from the Triassic to the Tertiary. It was published by Geoscience Australia and last updated in April 2026.

Use Cases

• Reconstructing the geological history of the Exmouth Plateau based on described rock sequences from Triassic to Tertiary age.
• Assessing petroleum potential in offshore basins by analyzing described coal measures and carbonate sequences.
• Studying volcanic plateau formation using data on interbedded basalts and volcaniclastic deposits from the Wallaby Plateau.
• Correlating seismic profiles with physical rock samples from the established seismic stratigraphy.

Strengths

• Data is derived from 41 specific sampling stations (29 on Exmouth, 12 on Wallaby/Cuvier).
• Provides detailed lithological descriptions for multiple facies, including coal measures and carbonates.
• Includes specific age determinations, such as K/Ar dating showing a minimum mid-Cretaceous age of 89 m.y.

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 the specific seismic survey and sampling campaign.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Rocks obtained mainly by dredging from selected stations, correlated with single-channel seismic profiles.

Time Range

Covers rock formations from the Triassic to the Tertiary periods.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-30 14:29:47.634359; freshness should be verified.

Geography

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