Calcareous nannofossil assemblages from dredged samples in the central Great Australian Bight Basin are examined. The dataset compares offshore Maastrichtian, Eocene, and Oligocene assemblages with onshore southern Australian sequences to understand the region's geological history. It is hosted by the Australian Ocean Data Network.
Use Cases
- Reconstructing paleoceanographic conditions based on nannofossil assemblage comparisons between offshore and onshore sequences.
- Analyzing sea-level changes and subsidence rates based on evidence for a marked fall in sea level during the latest late Eocene.
- Studying paleoclimate and ocean currents based on evidence for a warm intermittent proto-Leeuwin Current beginning in the middle Eocene.
- Correlating geological timelines based on the first Maastrichtian assemblages found in southern Australia and older Eocene records.
Strengths
- Provides the first Maastrichtian assemblages found in southern Australia.
- Includes Eocene assemblages older than any from onshore and older than the base of the Eocene section on the Naturaliste Plateau.
- Evidence is supported by palynological and lithological data.
Limitations
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
- Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
Provenance
- Source
- Australian Ocean Data Network
- Collection Method
- Samples dredged during BMR Survey 66 by KV, Rig Seismic.
- Time Range
- Maastrichtian, Eocene, and Oligocene periods.
- Freshness
- Last updated 2026-04-16 15:17:01.207802; freshness should be verified.
- Geography
- Central Great Australian Bight Basin and onshore southern Australian margin.