Cretaceous-Paleogene Boundary Stratigraphy from DSDP Site 208, Lord Howe Rise

Sediment cores from 540-590 meters below seafloor at Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 208 on the Lord Howe Rise. The dataset provides biostratigraphic, magnetostratigraphic, and geochemical data, including carbonate carbon and osmium isotope compositions, to constrain the stratigraphy around the Cretaceous/Paleogene boundary. Data was published by researchers in the GSA Bulletin in 2021.

Use Cases

• Correlating stratigraphic sections based on biostratigraphic data from calcareous nannofossils.
• Analyzing carbon isotope (δ13Ccarb) shifts to identify global environmental changes across the K/Pg boundary.
• Using osmium concentration and isotopic composition (187Os/188Os) as a tracer for the bolide impact event.
• Assessing sediment deposition continuity and completeness of the geological record in a marine setting.

Strengths

• Integrates multiple data types: biostratigraphy, magnetostratigraphy, and geochemistry.
• Provides depth-specific data for a critical interval between 576.0-576.8 meters below seafloor.
• Includes specific geochemical measurements like osmium isotope ratios (187Os/188Os) with values as low as 0.12-0.16.

Limitations

• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• The study suggests the sedimentary record may not be completely continuous across the K/Pg boundary.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia Data, derived from Deep Sea Drilling Project Leg 21, Site 208.

Collection Method

Data gathered from analysis of sediment cores, including biostratigraphic, magnetostratigraphic, and geochemical techniques.

Time Range

Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) to Paleocene (Danian and Selandian).

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-25 19:16:52.039678; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Lord Howe Rise, Southwest Pacific.