OFR 151.pdf - CRC LEME

subtropical affinities are rare, hinting that conditions are likely to have been relatively cool
(upper microtherm) and uniformly wet (perhumid).
1.3 Other Records
1.3.1 North-West Australia
The trend from clastic to predominately carbonate sedimentation indicates Early Paleocene
climates on the North West Shelf were wetter in the south and drier in the north-east
(Apthorpe 1988).
1. Bonaparte Basin
Late Paleocene climates in the southern Bonaparte Basin are suggested to have been very
warm to hot (upper mesotherm) and moderately dry (subhumid), based on the deposition of
interbedded dolomite sequences. Tropical species of planktonic foraminifera imply warm
water currents flowed southwards along the western margin.
2. Browse Basin
Wind-blown quartz sands hint at arid conditions inland of the Browse Basin although summer
rainfall remained adequate (subhumid to humid) to support marsh development on the coast
during the Paleocene.
1.3.2 North-East Australia
1. North-east Queensland
Feary et al. (1991) have estimated surface water temperatures off the north-east coast during
the Early Paleocene were within the upper microtherm range (12-14 0 C). Values for the Late
Paleocene were similar (12.5-15 0 C), consistent with the global data that only minor warming
occurred at mid to low palaeolatitudes during the PETM.
1.3.3 Central Australia
1. Lake Eyre Basin
Alley (1998) records widespread deep weathering and silcrete development in the Lake Eyre
Basin during the Danian and Thanetian. This is consistent with seasonally warm and wet
climates across inland South Australia.
1.3.4 South-East Australia
1. Otway Basin
Apectodinium-dominated dinocyst floras found in the Upper Lygistepollenites balmei (and
Lower Malvacipollis diversus) Zones are suggested to be precisely coincident with the
beginning of the PETM (H. Brinkhuis pers. comm.).
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