Samples from the central Great Australian Bight Basin, collected during BMR Survey 66, were examined for calcareous nannofossils. The study compares Maastrichtian, Eocene, and Oligocene assemblages with onshore sequences to interpret the geological history of Australia's southern margin. It provides evidence for marine ingressions, sea-level changes, and the influence of a proto-Leeuwin Current.
Use Cases
- Reconstructing paleoenvironmental conditions based on nannofossil assemblage compositions described in the study
- Correlating offshore and onshore geological sequences based on the comparative analysis of fossil records
- Modeling historical sea-level changes and basin subsidence rates based on nannofossil evidence for shoaling events
- Investigating paleoceanographic currents like the proto-Leeuwin Current based on described west-east temperature gradients
Strengths
- Includes the first reported Maastrichtian nannofossil assemblages found in southern Australia
- Evidence is supported by palynological and lithological data, as mentioned in the description
- Provides 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 files are in HTML and PDF 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 subsequently analyzed.
- Time Range
- Late Cretaceous (Maastrichtian) to early Tertiary (Eocene and Oligocene)
- Freshness
- Last updated 2026-06-27 21:25:57.779828; freshness should be verified
- Geography
- Central Great Australian Bight Basin and onshore equivalents on the southern margin of Australia