Cretaceous Sequence in Giralia Anticline, Western Australia: Late Hauterivian-Barremian

Outcrop and well data describe the oldest Cretaceous sequence in the Giralia Anticline, Carnarvon Basin. The description includes detailed biostratigraphic assessment of rock units like the Birdrong Sandstone and Muderong Shale, with thicknesses and fossil content noted. The dataset is hosted by the Australian Ocean Data Network and was last updated in June 2026.

Use Cases

• Modeling transgressive systems tracts based on described sediment composition and facies changes.
• Analyzing paleoclimate signals based on growth-ring analysis of fossil conifer wood.
• Studying marine biofacies evolution based on described palynomorph and foraminiferal assemblages.
• Correlating regional sea-level rise events based on the described late Hauterivian-Barremian transgressive pulse.

Strengths

• Includes specific stratigraphic thicknesses, such as a 10 m thick basal sand unit and 56 m of overlying siltstone-mudstone.
• Provides detailed biostratigraphic zonation, placing units within the Muderongia australis Zone.
• Describes specific fossil content including conifer wood with borings, ichthyosauran bones, and ammonites.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The age of the upper Muderong Shale and a probable Windalia Sand Member is described as uncertain.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Field description and biostratigraphic assessment of outcrop and well data.

Time Range

Late Hauterivian to Barremian (Early Cretaceous), with an uncertain upper age boundary.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-23 02:09:50.145666; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Giralia Anticline, Carnarvon Basin, Western Australia.