Geological Sampling Data from Exmouth and Wallaby Plateaus

Research from the Australian Ocean Data Network provides geological information from the margins of the Exmouth and Wallaby Plateaus off northwest Australia. Data includes rock samples from 41 dredging stations, revealing Middle Triassic to Tertiary sequences. The study was published externally and last updated in April 2026.

Use Cases

• Correlate rock lithofacies (e.g., carbonaceous silty claystones, micritic limestones, weathered basalts) with established seismic stratigraphy sequences.
• Assess petroleum potential by analyzing described facies like coal measures, ferruginous sediments, and volcaniclastic debris flows.
• Date geological events using provided age ranges (e.g., Late Triassic to earliest Jurassic flows 213-192 m.y., mid-Cretaceous K/Ar age: 89 m.y.).
• Reconstruct paleoenvironments from described sediment types, such as Early Jurassic shallow-water carbonates and Early Cretaceous shallow-marine claystones.
• Interpret regional breakup history from unconformities, like the Callovian and Neocomian events, and associated rock sequences.

Strengths

• Samples from 41 distinct dredging stations (29 on Exmouth Plateau, 12 on Wallaby Plateau/Cuvier Abyssal Plain).
• Provides detailed lithological descriptions for multiple facies associations (A, B, C, D, E).
• Includes specific age determinations and temporal ranges for rock sequences.

Limitations

• Sample data and underlying columnar structure are unavailable.
• Primary data formats are PDF and HTML, requiring manual extraction for computational analysis.
• Geographic coverage is limited to specific plateau margins off northwest Australia.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network.

Collection Method

Rock sampling primarily by dredging, supported by single-channel seismic profiles for target selection.

Time Range

Middle Triassic to Tertiary periods.

Freshness

Last updated in April 2026.

Geography

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