Late Permian Coal Measures Correlated by Sea-Level Change in Eastern Australia

Eustatic sea-level changes provide a method for correlating Late Permian coal-bearing sequences across the Sydney, Gunnedah, and Bowen Basins. The dataset identifies specific formations deposited during the same eustatic highstand, such as the Dempsey Formation and Black Alley Shale. Correlations indicate deposition began later in the Bowen Basin than in the Sydney and Gunnedah Basins.

Use Cases

• Correlating sedimentary sequences across basins based on described eustatic sea-level events.
• Testing palynological and marine macrofossil conclusions against the sea-level correlation method.
• Distinguishing between eustatic and tectonic controls on marine intercalations, as described for the Kulnura Marine Tongue.
• Analyzing the diachronous onset of Late Permian coal measure deposition between basins.

Strengths

• Correlates sequences across three major Australian sedimentary basins: Sydney, Gunnedah, and Bowen.
• Identifies specific correlated formations, including the Dempsey Formation and Black Alley Shale.
• Methodology distinguishes between eustatic sea-level change and tectonic subsidence as causes for marine beds.

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 on eastern Australia.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Likely contains geological field observations, stratigraphic analysis, and correlation studies.

Time Range

Late Permian period.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-04 07:20:08.092558; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Sydney, Gunnedah, and Bowen Basins in eastern Australia.