Mesozoic Sediment Palynology from the Great Australian Bight

Palynological data from Mesozoic sediments in the offshore Bight and Duntroon Basins of southern Australia. The dataset correlates palynofloras with specific spore/pollen and microplankton zones, indicating depositional environments from paralic to marine. It was published by the Australian Ocean Data Network, with metadata last updated in April 2026.

Use Cases

• Correlating sediment samples to the Maastrichtian Forcipites longus spore/pollen Zone and Manumiella druggii microplankton Zone for age dating.
• Identifying provenance of Maastrichtian sequences by analyzing recycled Permian to Cenomanian palynomorphs in the Potoroo and Wigunda Formations.
• Reconstructing Campanian-Maastrichtian paleoenvironments using palynological evidence of widespread lowland temperate rainforests.
• Differentiating sediment sources by associating Santonian to Maastrichtian palynofloras with the lower Potoroo/Wigunda Formation and Early Cretaceous palynofloras with the Ceduna Formation.

Strengths

• Data is tied to specific, named geological formations (Potoroo, Wigunda, Ceduna) and biostratigraphic zones.
• Analysis covers multiple basins (Bight and Duntroon Basins) and a range of depositional environments (paralic to marine).
• Findings are based on samples from a dedicated research cruise (BMR Rig Seismic Cruise 66).

Limitations

• The core data (palynological counts, sample coordinates) is not directly provided in a structured, machine-readable format; primary information is in PDF/HTML reports.
• Sample size is implied to be small, with specific mention of only two samples from each of two basins for certain age ranges.
• Temporal coverage for the analyzed samples is broad and inferred (Santonian to earliest Paleocene), not precisely dated for each individual sample.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network, likely originating from Geoscience Australia/Bureau of Mineral Resources (BMR) research.

Collection Method

Palynological investigation of samples dredged from the continental slope and submarine canyon walls during BMR Rig Seismic Cruise 66.

Time Range

Mesozoic, primarily Late Cretaceous (Santonian to Maastrichtian) to possibly earliest Paleocene. Also includes recycled palynomorphs from Permian to Cenomanian ages.

Freshness

Metadata record was updated in April 2026, but the underlying research and data collection date from the original cruise.

Geography

Great Australian Bight area, southern Australia, specifically the offshore Bight and Duntroon Basins.