Palynostratigraphy of the Central West Murray Basin for Groundwater Analysis

Palynological analyses from four fully cored boreholes provide a biostratigraphic framework for geological factors related to groundwater in the central west Murray Basin. The study, augmented by analysis of cores and cuttings from other boreholes, identifies pollen zones from the mid-Eocene to Middle Miocene. Pollen assemblages contain taxa with affinities to modern tropical plant species, many of which are unknown in other southeastern Australian basins.

Use Cases

• Correlating aquifer ages based on identified Middle and Upper Nothofagidites asperus pollen zones.
• Modeling historical marine incursion extent based on dinoflagellate evidence mentioned in the description.
• Analyzing shifts in vegetation and climate from the Late Oligocene to earliest Miocene based on pollen frequency changes.
• Stratigraphic dating of the Geera Clay aquitard using Proteacidites tuberculatus and Triporopollenites bellus pollen zones.

Strengths

• Analysis is based on four fully cored boreholes, providing direct subsurface data.
• Study integrates data from previously studied sequences and areas east of the main marine influence.
• Identifies specific pollen zones (e.g., Nothofagidites asperus, Proteacidites tuberculatus) for temporal correlation.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Palynological analysis of cores and cuttings from boreholes.

Time Range

Mid-Eocene to Middle Miocene

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-10 17:59:29.901971; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Central west Murray Basin, Australia, including Wentworth Trough.