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CSPG Special Publications

Abstract


Intl. Symposium of the Devonian system: Papers, Volume II, 1967
Pages 565-577
Biostratigraphy

Palaeontology and correlations of the Upper Devonian of the Bonaparte Gulf Basin, Western Australia and Northern Territory

J. Roberts, P. J. Jones, E. C. Druce

Abstract

The Upper Devonian of the Bonaparte Gulf Basin consists of a marginal Frasnian terrigenous formation, Famennian reef-complex and lagoonal deposits, and Famennian and possibly Frasnian siltstone in the axis of the basin. The middle member of the Frasnian formation in the southeast of the basin consists of glauconitic and dolomitic sandstone containing brachiopods and pelecypods; it passes northwards into carbonates containing probable fore-reef beds built by algae, stromatoporoids, and colonial corals. Associated with the fore-reef beds are conodonts, ostracods, brachiopods, foraminifers, pelecypods, gastropods, and corals. The conodonts indicate a correlation with the Frasnian (toI) of Belgium and with the Sylamore Formation of the Mississippi Valley, U.S.A. The remaining clastic members of the Frasnian formation contain pelecypods, plants and fish.

The Famennian to Tournaisian reef-complex consists of extensive back-reef deposits containing algae, brachiopods, ostracods, corals, and conodonts; a massive reef consisting mainly of algae but also containing conodonts and nests of brachiopods; and inter-reef and fore-reef carbonates containing conodonts and brachiopods. Conodonts indicate a correlation with the Famennian (toII - to VI) and Tournaisian (CuIIα) of Europe. The interbedded sandstone and carbonate lagoonal beds contain algae, stromatoporoids, corals, brachiopods, and ostracods, and are correlated with the lower Famennian (toII - to III) part of the reef-complex.

Siltstone in the axis of the basin has yielded Upper Devonian pelecypods identical with those in siltstone of the nearby northern Canning Basin. The brachiopods are not obviously related to those in similar reefs in the Canning Basin, but a number of ostracod and conodont species are common to both areas.


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