Microfossils and molecular fossils in Barnicarndy 1 core record the evolution of terrestri

Forty-two drill core samples from the Barnicarndy 1 well in Western Australia yielded a plethora of acid-resistant, organic-walled microfossils. Seven samples with the highest organic content were analyzed for molecular fossils and stable isotopes to understand organic matter type and depositional redox conditions. This data was presented at the 2022 Australian Organic Geochemistry Conference.

Use Cases

• Reconstructing early Ordovician marine ecosystems based on microfossil assemblages.
• Analyzing paleo-redox conditions during sediment deposition based on biomarker and isotopic data.
• Correlating stratigraphic sections using the abundant microfossils mentioned in the description.
• Studying the preservation of organic matter in organically poor calcareous shales (average TOC 0.17 wt%).

Strengths

• Analysis of 42 drill core samples provides a substantial sample set.
• Includes complementary data types: microfossil counts, molecular biomarkers, and stable isotopes.
• Focus on seven samples with the highest organic content allows for targeted geochemical analysis.

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 a single core from the Canning Basin.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Scientific analysis of drill core samples from the Barnicarndy 1 well.

Time Range

Early Ordovician period.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-04 07:48:16.995888; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Canning Basin, Western Australia.