Nannofossil Records from the Great Australian Bight Basin, Maastrichtian to Oligocene

The Australian Ocean Data Network provides a study of calcareous nannofossils from samples dredged during BMR Survey 66 in the central Great Australian Bight Basin. The data compares offshore assemblages from the Maastrichtian, Eocene, and Oligocene with onshore sequences to interpret the geological history of Australia's southern margin. The record includes the first Maastrichtian assemblages found in southern Australia and evidence for paleoclimatic changes like a proto-Leeuwin Current.

Use Cases

• Reconstructing paleoclimatic conditions based on nannofossil assemblage changes described in the study.
• Modeling basin subsidence and sea-level changes based on the described stratigraphic record.
• Correlating offshore and onshore geological sequences in southern Australia using the comparative nannofossil data.
• Investigating the timing and impact of marine ingressions and transgressions during the early Tertiary.

Strengths

• Provides the first reported Maastrichtian nannofossil assemblages from southern Australia.
• Integrates evidence from nannofossils, palynology, and lithology to support interpretations of subsidence and sea-level change.
• Offers a comparative analysis between offshore (Great Australian Bight) and onshore (Otway Basin) geological records.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is presented in PDF/HTML formats, which may require extraction for computational analysis.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Samples were dredged during BMR Survey 66 by KV Rig Seismic and examined for calcareous nannofossils.

Time Range

Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) to Oligocene.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-04-10 21:42:08.759725; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Central Great Australian Bight Basin and onshore equivalents on the southern margin of Australia.