Australian Continental Margin Sediment Geochemistry and Magnetic Susceptibility

Several gravity cores from the west, south, and east Australian continental margin were analyzed for magnetic susceptibility, calcium carbonate percentage, and major/trace element composition. The dataset includes 8180 isotope data for chronological control on western margin cores, used to identify Late Quaternary isotopic stages like the Last Glacial Maximum and Last Interglacial. Data was sourced from Geoscience Australia and last updated in May 2026.

Use Cases

• Correlating magnetic susceptibility profiles with terrigenous material content (Al2O3, SiO2, Fe2O3) to understand sediment sources.
• Analyzing calcium carbonate variations to infer paleoceanographic conditions during glacial and interglacial periods.
• Estimating sediment accumulation rates using chronological data from 8180 isotopes and 14C dating.
• Comparing down-core geochemical patterns across different regions (Exmouth Plateau, Carnarvon Terrace, Evans Head) of the Australian margin.

Strengths

• Includes data from 11 gravity cores across three distinct regions of the Australian continental margin.
• Provides chronological control for western margin cores using 8180 isotope data to identify specific Late Quaternary stages.
• Analysis links magnetic susceptibility to specific geochemical components (Al2O3, SiO2, Fe2O3) and identifies calcium carbonate as a diluent.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Chronological data (8180 isotopes) is available only for western margin cores, not for southern or eastern cores where rates are estimated.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data

Collection Method

Sampling and laboratory analysis of gravity cores.

Time Range

Late Quaternary, including Last Glacial Maximum and Last Interglacial.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-14 09:22:18.972954; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Australian continental margin (west, south, and east), including Exmouth Plateau, Carnarvon Terrace, Ceduna Terrace, Eyre Terrace, and offshore Evans Head.