Reconnaissance study of organic-walled microfossils from Barnicarndy 1, Barnicarndy Graben

A palynological reconnaissance study of 42 core samples from the Lower Ordovician Nambeet Formation (1354.80–2435.04 mRT) in the Barnicarndy 1 well, Western Australia. The dataset, part of Geoscience Australia's Exploring for the Future program, includes digital images of diverse microfossils like acritarchs, cryptospores, and chitinozoans. Microfossil yield per sample is mostly low, and preservation ranges from poor to good, with thermal maturity indicators from brown to black.

Use Cases

• Biostratigraphic correlation based on identified acritarch species like Rhopaliophora pilata and Athabascaella playfordii.
• Assessing organic matter preservation and thermal maturity based on described palynomorph color and fragmentary states.
• Studying early Paleozoic marine ecosystems based on the diverse suite of microfossils including graptolites, chitinozoans, and probable cyanobacteria.

Strengths

• Includes digital images of all identified microfossil types, providing visual reference material.
• Samples a specific geological interval (Lower Ordovician Nambeet Formation) from a fully cored stratigraphic well.
• Identifies a diverse suite of palynomorphs including acritarchs, cryptospores, and chitinozoans for correlation.

Limitations

• Microfossil yield per sample is described as mostly low, which may limit statistical analysis.
• Preservation quality is variable, ranging from poor (fragmentary/distorted) to good within the same sample.
• Row count and detailed column-level documentation are unknown, requiring manual inspection after download.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, likely associated with Geoscience Australia's Exploring for the Future program.

Collection Method

Acid-resistant organic-walled microfossils recovered from 42 core samples.

Time Range

Lower Ordovician period.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-27 16:18:04.518924; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Barnicarndy 1 stratigraphic well, Barnicarndy Graben, Canning Basin, Western Australia.