Mesozoic Sedimentary and Volcaniclastic Rocks from Offshore Northwest Australia

Forty-two major Mesozoic lithofacies types were recovered from dredging operations on the northern Exmouth Plateau and Rowley Terrace. The dataset documents rock samples indicating Late Triassic shelf carbonates, reef deposits, and volcanic activity, alongside Jurassic to Cretaceous marine sediments. The Australian Geological Survey Organisation conducted the dredging program in 1990 to provide geological control for seismic interpretations.

Use Cases

• Identifying Late Triassic reefal petroleum reservoirs by analyzing recovered reef and peri-reefal carbonate lithofacies.
• Correlating depositional facies and microfaunas (foraminiferal and ostracod) with other southern Tethyan margins like the Northern Calcareous Alps.
• Modeling the subsidence history of the margin using data on the progression from shallow-marine Late Jurassic-Early Cretaceous sediments to deeper-water Cretaceous deposits.
• Assessing the impact of Late Triassic-Mid Jurassic volcanism and rifting on sediment composition through analysis of hyaloclastites and tuffaceous mudstones.

Strengths

• Dredging program recovered 42 distinct Mesozoic lithofacies types.
• Provides direct geological control for seismic interpretations across a defined offshore region.

Limitations

• Sample size and spatial distribution of the 42 dredged lithofacies are unknown.
• Data is from a single 1990 campaign, with no indication of updates or ongoing collection.
• Primary data format is descriptive reports (PDF, HTML), limiting quantitative analysis.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Dredging program undertaken by the Australian Geological Survey Organisation (AGSO).

Time Range

Mesozoic era, with specific focus on Late Triassic (Norian-Rhaetian) to Cretaceous periods.

Freshness

null

Geography

Northern Exmouth Plateau and Rowley Terrace, offshore northwest Australia.