The times they are a-changin': Australian biozones, petroleum basins, and the international geologic time scale (GTS) 2012

Abstract

The international Geologic Time Scale (GTS) continually evolves due to refinements in age dating and the addition of more defined stages. The GTS 2012 has replaced GTS 2004 as the global standard timescale, resulting in changes to the age and duration of most chronological stages. These revisions have implications for interpreted ages and durations of sedimentary rocks in Australian basins, with ramifications for petroleum systems modelling. Accurate stratigraphic ages are required to reliably model the burial history of a basin, hence kerogen maturation and hydrocarbon expulsion and migration. When the resolution of the time scale is increased, models that utilise updated ages will better reflect the true basin history. The international GTS is largely built around northern hemisphere datasets. At APPEA 2009, Laurie et al. announced a program to tie Australian biozones to GTS 2004. Now, with the implementation of GTS 2012, these ties are being updated and refined, requiring a comprehensive review of the correlations between Australian and International biozonation schemes. The use of Geoscience Australia’s Timescales Database and a customised ‘Australian Datapack’ for the visualisation software package TimeScale Creator has greatly facilitated the transition from GTS 2004 to GTS 2012, as anticipated in the design of the program in 2009. Geoscience Australia’s basin biozonation and stratigraphy charts (e.g. Northern Carnarvon and Browse basins) are being reproduced to reflect the GTS 2012 and modified stratigraphic ages. Additionally, new charts are being added to the series, including a set of onshore basin charts, such as the Georgina and Canning basins.