Isotope Data from Carrara Sub-basin Drill Core

NDI Carrara 1 drill hole provides 1751 meters of stratigraphic data from the South Nicholson region, Australia. Geoscience Australia analyzed carbonate samples for strontium (87Sr/86Sr), carbon (δ13C), and oxygen (δ18O) isotopes to understand paleo-depositional environments. The data was presented at the 2023 Australian Earth Science Convention.

Use Cases

• Correlating stratigraphic units using 87Sr/86Sr, δ13C, and δ18O isotope profiles across 625 meters of Paleozoic and 1120 meters of Proterozoic sections.
• Identifying global chemostratigraphy trends by comparing δ13C excursions in Georgina Basin samples to known mid-Cambrian marine excursions.
• Assessing basin restriction and diagenetic overprinting by analyzing radiogenic 87Sr/86Sr values in Proterozoic Lawn Hill Formation samples.
• Evaluating sample alteration for primary signal preservation using paired δ13C and δ18O data across the core.

Strengths

• High-resolution isotope data from a 1751-meter deep stratigraphic drill hole.
• Samples span two major geological basins: ~625 m of Paleozoic Georgina Basin and ~1120 m of Proterozoic rocks.

Limitations

• The majority of samples show significant alteration, limiting use for assessing primary depositional conditions.
• Sample size, row count, and specific analytical uncertainties are not provided.

Provenance

Source

Geoscience Australia, MinEx CRC, and the Northern Territory Geological Survey.

Collection Method

Analytical program on carbonate-bearing samples from the NDI Carrara 1 drill core.

Time Range

Proterozoic (~1600 Ma) to Paleozoic (mid-Cambrian).

Freshness

Data presented in 2023; record last updated in 2026.

Geography

Carrara Sub-basin, South Nicholson region, Australia.