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OFR 151.pdf - CRC LEME

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4.2.2 North-East Australia<br />

Deposits of Turonian-Santonian age have not been identified and may not have been<br />

preserved due to deep weathering (Struckmeyer and Totterdell 1990).<br />

4.2.3 Central Australia<br />

No known record.<br />

4.2.4 South-West Australia<br />

1. Carnarvon and Perth Basins<br />

It is probable that Turonian-Santonian dinocyst-dominated assemblages from the Perth and<br />

Carnarvon Basins also preserve spores and pollen. However the terrestrial miospores have<br />

not been analysed due to the overwhelming industry focus on marine microfossils (Marshall<br />

1984, Ingram and Morgan 1989).<br />

4.2.5 Central southern Australia<br />

1. Duntroon Basin<br />

Morgan (1986a) and Morgan and Hooker (1993a, 1993d) provide basic (raw count) data for<br />

microfossils occurring in a number of exploration wells drilled in this basin. These<br />

tabulations indicate a possible pteridosperm (cited as Alisporites), araucarians<br />

(Agathis/Wollemia) and podocarps (chiefly Microcachrys) continued to dominate<br />

gymnosperm vegetation types in the eastern Bight region during the Turonian to Early<br />

Santonian. The only common cryptogam is Cyatheaceae.<br />

Lagarostrobos (Phyllocladidites mawsonii) and Gleicheniaceae become frequent during the<br />

later Santonian. Rare species include Callitrichaceae, Lophosoria (Cyatheacidites tectifera)<br />

and, recorded for the first time on the southern margin, Dacrydium (Lygistepollenites florinii).<br />

Other arrivals include Dacrycarpus (Dacrycarpites australiensis), Tricolporites apoxyexinus<br />

and a range of undescribed or extinct trifoliate and tricolporate types. Proteaceae<br />

(Proteacidites) only become frequent towards the top of the T. apoxyexinus Zone.<br />

Inferred climate<br />

Extant Lagarostrobos and Dacrycarpus often occur along riverbanks or form swamp forests.<br />

Migration of these taxa into the Australo-Antarctic Rift System implies rainfall increased or<br />

became more uniformly distributed during Turonian-Santonian time (humid-perhumid).<br />

Temperatures are likely to have remained seasonally cool-cold (upper microtherm-lower<br />

mesotherm), consistent with the relatively high palaeolatitude (~70 0 S).<br />

4.2.6 South-East Australia<br />

Phyllocladidites mawsonii (Turonian-basal Santonian) and Tricolporites apoxyexinus Zone<br />

(Santonian) sediments are routinely intersected by the deeper exploration wells drilled in the<br />

offshore Gippsland, Bass and eastern Otway Basins. Santonian strata outcrop in submarine<br />

canyons in the Gippsland Basin (Marshall 1988). The most detailed records come from deep<br />

rift valley lakes, which also preserve a distinctive fresh-brackish water dinoflagellate<br />

assemblage (Marshall 1989).<br />

186

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