Fairfield Group Geology with Petrographic and Palaeontological Samples, Canning Basin

May-August 1972 fieldwork by a joint Bureau of Mineral Resources and Western Australian Geological Survey party in the Canning Basin. The dataset includes comprehensive collections of petrographic, palaeontological, and geochemical samples from Upper Devonian and Lower Carboniferous sequences. Thirty sections were measured, yielding approximately 500 samples from a 160 km belt along the Napier and Oscar Ranges.

Use Cases

• Stratigraphic correlation and mapping based on detailed measured sections and sample intervals.
• Analyzing depositional environments using petrographic and geochemical sample data.
• Refining formal stratigraphy and resolving nomenclatural conflicts for rock bodies in the basin.
• Studying the evolution of Late Devonian reef complexes and overlying platform sediments.

Strengths

• Samples collected at detailed intervals of 1.5 meters or more across measured sections.
• Fieldwork mapped on air photographs at a scale of 1:80,000.
• Detailed reports published on limestone distinction, conodonts, and geochemistry.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the specific fieldwork areas.

Provenance

Source

Joint Bureau of Mineral Resources (BMR) and Western Australian Geological Survey (WAGS) Field Party.

Collection Method

Detailed fieldwork involving mapping on air photographs, measuring 30 comprehensive sections, and collecting ~500 samples for petrological, palaeontological, and geochemical studies.

Time Range

Fieldwork conducted May - August 1972. Covers Upper Devonian and Lower Carboniferous geological periods.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-16 16:35:54.493554; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Canning Basin, Western Australia. Specific areas: southwest face of Napier and Oscar Ranges (160 km belt), Horseshoe and Burramundi Ranges, and Red Bluffs area.