Late Permian Coal Measure Correlations Using Sea-Level Change

A geological study uses eustatic sea-level changes to correlate Late Permian coal-bearing sequences across the Sydney, Gunnedah, and Bowen Basins in eastern Australia. The analysis identifies specific marine formations deposited during the same highstand, such as the Dempsey Formation and Black Alley Shale. This work was published by the Australian Ocean Data Network and last updated in April 2026.

Use Cases

• Correlating the Dempsey Formation in the Sydney Basin with the Black Alley Shale in the Bowen Basin based on shared eustatic highstand timing.
• Analyzing the timing of Late Permian coal measure deposition onset, indicating a later start in the Bowen Basin compared to Sydney and Gunnedah.
• Distinguishing tectonically formed sequences like the Kulnura Marine Tongue from eustatically controlled deposits using the described correlation method.
• Validating palynological and marine macrofossil study conclusions through independent sea-level change correlation.

Strengths

• Correlates sequences across three major sedimentary basins (Sydney, Gunnedah, Bowen).
• Identifies specific named geological formations (e.g., Dempsey Formation, Black Alley Shale) tied to depositional events.

Limitations

• Data is presented as a published journal article (PDF/HTML), not a structured dataset with rows and columns.
• No quantitative data tables or sample data are provided, limiting direct computational analysis.
• The temporal coverage is specific to the Late Permian epoch, with no modern or continuous time-series data.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Geological analysis and correlation of sedimentary sequences.

Time Range

Late Permian epoch

Freshness

null

Geography

Sydney Basin, Gunnedah Basin, and Bowen Basin in eastern Australia (QLD, NSW).